What was he thinking balk.....

[Thunderheads]

R1, R2 ....Correia starts from the windup .........and then ..............

 

http://m.mlb.com/video/v34657279

[JHSump]

Looks like he started from the windup...and the runners took off, since they saw him start his windup.  Then he stopped.  Actually, at that point it was probably a good idea to stop his windup.  The runners would get their next bases if he continued or not, and if he threw the pitch the batter would get a free swing.

 

But, I doubt he was thinking anything other than, "Oh sh!t."

[zoops]

I wonder what Escobar was pointing to the dugout for?

[ricka56]

I wonder what Escobar was pointing to the dugout for?

If you go to t=29sec in the video, you can see what the offense was complaining about (and what B was trying to get the umpire's attention to). F1 is on the rubber with his hands at his side, then (t=31sec) he brings his hands together and stops. I think the offense thought that F1 had balked at this point. I do too.

 

Usually, when going to the windup position, F1 brings his hands together during the addressing of the rubber. We allow slight irregularities while in the process of addressing the rubber. At t=29, it looks like F1 had completed addressing the rubber and is in the windup position (but with his hands at his side), then he brings his hands together and stops.

 

In 8.01a (wind-up) specs, it says that F1 is in the wind-up position when he holds the ball with both hands in front of his body. My question is, If F1 has his hands at his side (as in video at t=29 sec) and then begins his pitch delivery (without bringing his hands together and stopping), would he have ever been in a legal wind-up position?  Would this be a legal pitch ? If that would be a legal pitch, then what F1 did at t=31 seconds was a balk.

[noumpere]

Bringing your hands together is NOT a balk under OBR.  It is in FED (if both hands move at the same time).

[Jimurray]

I wonder what Escobar was pointing to the dugout for?

If you go to t=29sec in the video, you can see what the offense was complaining about (and what B was trying to get the umpire's attention to). F1 is on the rubber with his hands at his side, then (t=31sec) he brings his hands together and stops. I think the offense thought that F1 had balked at this point. I do too.

 

Usually, when going to the windup position, F1 brings his hands together during the addressing of the rubber. We allow slight irregularities while in the process of addressing the rubber. At t=29, it looks like F1 had completed addressing the rubber and is in the windup position (but with his hands at his side), then he brings his hands together and stops.

 

In 8.01a (wind-up) specs, it says that F1 is in the wind-up position when he holds the ball with both hands in front of his body. My question is, If F1 has his hands at his side (as in video at t=29 sec) and then begins his pitch delivery (without bringing his hands together and stopping), would he have ever been in a legal wind-up position?  Would this be a legal pitch ? If that would be a legal pitch, then what F1 did at t=31 seconds was a balk.

MLBUM allows hand/s at side/s, come together, stop or not stop. It also allows hand/s at side/s, rear back and throw.

[ricka56]

 

In 8.01a (wind-up) specs, it says that F1 is in the wind-up position when he holds the ball with both hands in front of his body. My question is, If F1 has his hands at his side (as in video at t=29 sec) and then begins his pitch delivery (without bringing his hands together and stopping), would he have ever been in a legal wind-up position?  Would this be a legal pitch ? If that would be a legal pitch, then what F1 did at t=31 seconds was a balk.

MLBUM allows hand/s at side/s, come together, stop or not stop. It also allows hand/s at side/s, rear back and throw.

 

Interesting...I'd be incorrectly balking that move.

 

This means that we can't consider him to be in the initial wind-up position until F1 brings hands together and stops (even though it isn't required). If he doesn't stop with his hands together (allowed),  then the initial wind-up position must have occured the instant he committed to deliver a pitch...interesting.

 

This would make...hands at sides, hands together, free foot step to the left, throw to 1B a fiendishly deceptive, legal pick-off move.

[grayhawk]

I saw this same thing in a LL game this season that I was spectating.  All 4 umpires missed it, including the District UIC who was on the plate, along with one of the district staff umpires.  OC pleaded his case, to no avail.