Cole Hamels Balk

[Umpete]

Tough one for me to see...

 

http://m.mlb.com/video/v36036425

[UmpJeff]

I'd like to see this from the angle U1 had.  Maybe he started home???  It sure doesn't look like that from this angle.

[Replacematt]

Tough one for me to see...

 

http://m.mlb.com/video/v36036425

 

He hung his front foot before moving to second.

[Richvee]

Chad seems to give Cole a little shoulder wiggle when he explains to him what he called the balk for. Hamels is looking at R2 when he comes set, then he ever so slightly turns the shoulders towards home as he lifts the non pivot foot.?? maybe? 

[Richvee]

....and the announcer says "good call". Call that on Gio Gonzales and see what  he has to say about the call. 

[JaxRolo]

Good Call

[Jasper_C]

Not only does he "hang" his foot. He illegally disengages. He jumps towards the plate before making a move to 2nd. That is a very easy balk.

 

Jasper

[Replacematt]

Not only does he "hang" his foot. He illegally disengages. He jumps towards the plate before making a move to 2nd. That is a very easy balk.

 

Jasper

 

That's not a balk in and of itself. That would only be a balk if it preceded a move to second and wasn't simultaneous or subsequent to it.

[Jimurray]

It was a WTF balk. I don't know what he did but WTF was that? Back leg twitch, front leg hang, jab step toward home. WTF? But I do believe the back lag twitch is codified in MLB somewhere as a balk. Whether it could be seen and was seen in real time I don't know. What are you telling the manager when he comes out? Which didn't happen here obviously.

Edited to add: IITBTSB so the balk had to be to HP so the knee twitch or hanging front leg would be the only candidates. Where is TimC to explain why a balk happened with a runner on 2B.

[heyoh]

IITBTSB

?

[Replacematt]

 

IITBTSB

?

 

It is impossible to balk to (an occupied) second base.

[Jimurray]

In further review of the video, the balk was for a back leg knee twitch, which the umpire clearly demonstrated except when old farts like him and me show a knee twitch everything else moves too. thus it was a balk to HP and did not violate the IITBTSB rule of thumb.