High School Balk Warning.....Say What????

[semper_fi_72]

I umpired a JV game today.

After the game the VHC tells me I did a great job and starts to tell me the following story.

Yesterday he had another JV game that they lost by one run.

He said going into the 7th inning the score was 2-7.

They got the bases loaded and his best player hit a grand slam, bring the score to 6-7.

He than says they got a runner to 3rd base.

He did not mention how many outs there was.

He says the umpire called a Balk on F1 and then told the catcher to go out and tell F1 what he did wrong.

The runner on 3rd starts for Home and the Umpire tells him to go back to 3rd.

That was the run that would have tied the score.

An AC apparently challenged the Umpire on how he could give a Balk Warning??????????

The HC tells me the AC was Ejected over the incident and therefore did not come to today's game.

He said the game ended 6-7 instead of at least a 7-7 tie.

Of course I thought that this was just the HC's story and might be a little one sided.

I also considered that, Hey is there a Umpire in our Association actually doing this and if so, something needs to be corrected.

I did place a call to our Assignor and provided him with the information I had.

He said he would look into the matter.

I did not know there where Balk Warnings in High School Baseball.

OBTW.....I called 2 balks against two different F1s of the VT.

Neither was questioned. :meditation:

[yawetag]

He says the umpire called a Balk on F1 and then told the catcher to go out and tell F1 what he did wrong.

The runner on 3rd starts for Home and the Umpire tells him to go back to 3rd.

The only thing I can see is if F1 was close to balking (such as being really close to not making a complete stop), so the PU sent out F2 to warn him. However, PU shouldn't have called it a balk; and if R3 is advancing home, PU must have called it.

[NovaScotiaBlue]

One wonders why the manager did not protest???? (Maybe because he didn't know he could)

So, I don't know about no balk warnings in HS baseball, BUT I do know this...

:unsure:

[semper_fi_72]

One wonders why the manager did not protest???? (Maybe because he didn't know he could)

So, I don't know about no balk warnings in HS baseball, BUT I do know this...

Can not protest a Freshman or JV game as they are none competitive.

[NovaScotiaBlue]

To quoate the great Carnac, I did not know that"

No JV baseball where I umpire.

But there is still no crying in baseball

[mstaylor]

Certainly they are competative, they just don't have a play-off system. If it were up to me the term balk warning would be removed from baseball vocabulary. It certainly has no place in an HS game.

[JaxRolo]

One wonders why the manager did not protest???? (Maybe because he didn't know he could)

So, I don't know about no balk warnings in HS baseball, BUT I do know this...

Can not protest a Freshman or JV game as they are none competitive.

No protests for Varsity in Florida either.

[semper_fi_72]

Certainly they are competative, they just don't have a play-off system. If it were up to me the term balk warning would be removed from baseball vocabulary. It certainly has no place in an HS game.

Last two JV games I had were 24-0 and 17-3.

I don't call those games competitive.....:censored:

[mstaylor]

They are competitive if they keep score. It may not be good baseball but it is competitive. I've seen some bad baseball at the varsity level too. I have also seen 2/1 games at the JV level.

[Forest Ump]

I remember a Pony youth game I did several years ago. I called a balk. I then heard from some parents off to the side " Hey, doesn't he get a warning?" I said " Sure, Don't do that again".

[kwiggie]

I remember a Pony youth game I did several years ago. I called a balk. I then heard from some parents off to the side " Hey, doesn't he get a warning?" I said " Sure, Don't do that again".

LOL!!!

I had a Frosh game a couple of years ago were i issued a balk and the DC (whose boy was F1) came out to ask as R3 was issued home,

DC: "Hey Blue, doesn't my pitcher get a warning first?"

Me: "Not when he makes a fake move on R3 and then delivers a "pitch" to the plate all in one motion."

The funny thing is that there had been a balk called on this F1 about 3 innings earlier by my partner that moved B1 to second base with 2 outs and the bottom of the order was up, not as big of a deal then apparently. It has been my experience that the "balk warning" is a JV\Pony coaches "super secret, ace in the hole, wild card" that he will play, just-when-the-time-is-right!

[mstaylor]

Balk warnings are one of the dumbest local rules ever invented, it is right with "must slide" rules. I have found behavior does not change until they see runners move.

[BigZigBlue]

He says the umpire called a Balk on F1 and then told the catcher to go out and tell F1 what he did wrong.

The runner on 3rd starts for Home and the Umpire tells him to go back to 3rd.

The only thing I can see is if F1 was close to balking (such as being really close to not making a complete stop), so the PU sent out F2 to warn him. However, PU shouldn't have called it a balk; and if R3 is advancing home, PU must have called it.

I do this certainly if the pitcher has a quick pause or one that is so faint of one....If I am in the BU I turn around (when the ball is dead of course), get my sunflower seeds out and tell the SS or 2nd baseman to tell him to give me a "better" pause....this is not saying he is balking but its making him give me a better one then he is on his own.

[SNIPERBBB]

Balk warnings are one of the dumbest local rules ever invented, it is right with "must slide" rules. I have found behavior does not change until they see runners move.

Are the must slide rule modifications still illegal in sanctioned LL?

[Rich Ives]

Are the must slide rule modifications still illegal in sanctioned LL?

You can't modify the printed LL rule if that's what you mean.

And the printed rule is NOT "must slide", it is

the runner does not slide or attempt to get around a fielder who has the ball and is waiting to make the tag;

And LL's comments are:

"The Right Call" Casebook -- Comment: There is "no" must slide rule. The rule is slide or attempt to get around. The key in this situation is "fielder has the ball and is waiting to make the tag."

INSTRUCTOR COMMENTS:

Hurdling or going over the defensive player that has the ball and is waiting to make a tag is a legal maneuver. Rule 7.08(a) (3) does not prevent or make hurdling illegal.

Rule 7.08(a-3) is easily the most misunderstood rule in the book. It is easily broken down as follows: (1) The fielder must have the ball in his/her possession; AND (2) The fielder must be WAITING to make the tag; If BOTH of those two criteria are satisfied, then the runner must EITHER:

(1) Slide; OR

(2) ATTEMPT to get around the fielder. Notice that the rule says, "attempt to get around", not "avoid". Contact may occur with no penalty assessed. There is no "Must Slide" rule and no league may create one. No league may modify Rule 7.08(a-3).

[mstaylor]

Most every ruleset has a published sliding rule. A league requiring a kid to do something that is the inherintly the most dangerous thing in baseball is a great way to ose your house.

[plateumpire29]

I remember a Pony youth game I did several years ago. I called a balk. I then heard from some parents off to the side " Hey, doesn't he get a warning?" I said " Sure, Don't do that again". Perfect.... That's right up there with telling the batter to "watch out you don't killed" when he asks you to warn the pitcher about close pitches. I'm going to have to remember that one.

[Dragon29]

. . . There is no "Must Slide" rule and no league may create one. No league may modify Rule 7.08(a-3).

. . . and yet, year after year, in league after league, they institute these illegal rules with no clue. The league I was recently UIC of had one of these types of rules in every division. When I told them I would instruct my umpires to ignore any/all league-created 'must slide' rules, they were pretty upset until I told them we could lose our LL charter over it.

Of course, the 'must-slide' rule myth still permeates that league; I did my best to kill the beast, but it . . . just . . . wouldn't . . . . . . die.

[semper_fi_72]

Interesting how this went from a Balk Warning to a Must Slide Thread.........lol

[1dumbquestion]

and now to "no-slide"... when I first became UIC at my LL I was informed that in T-ball there was a NO-SLIDE rule. I asked if they had ever seen 5&6 yo at the park, they all have grass stained knees, these kids want nothing more than to slide. I have since removed the rule. 1

[Dragon29]

and now to "no-slide"... when I first became UIC at my LL I was informed that in T-ball there was a NO-SLIDE rule. I asked if they had ever seen 5&6 yo at the park, they all have grass stained knees, these kids want nothing more than to slide. I have since removed the rule. 1

There was a kid on my youngest son's T-Ball team (a million years ago) that slid into every base, including Home, every time - Even if he was taking two, he'd slide into 1B, get up and then slide into 2B.

[1dumbquestion]

and now to "no-slide"... when I first became UIC at my LL I was informed that in T-ball there was a NO-SLIDE rule. I asked if they had ever seen 5&6 yo at the park, they all have grass stained knees, these kids want nothing more than to slide. I have since removed the rule. 1

There was a kid on my youngest son's T-Ball team (a million years ago) that slid into every base, including Home, every time - Even if he was taking two, he'd slide into 1B, get up and then slide into 2B.

good for him, let them be boys! If I slid everywhere I went at my age they'd lock me up, so you better do it while you can. 1

[mstaylor]

What possible logic was there behind a no slide rule. Just goes to reenforce the addage," Local rules are made by fools!":shakehead:

[1dumbquestion]

What possible logic was there behind a no slide rule. Just goes to reenforce the addage," Local rules are made by fools!"

Too many parents trying too hard to coddle their youngens, wouldn't want poor little Johnny to get a scratched knee... I think I even saw one mom go out to breastfeed her 7 yo right there in the middle of a game! 1

[kwiggie]

I think I even saw one mom go out to breastfeed her 7 yo right there in the middle of a game! 1

This must be the T-ball version of our "Kegger Rulz" games here in WI. Instead of slamming a beer upon reaching 2nd base the little "Tikes" have to slam a ......