Ever Feel Bad For A team?

[KenBAZ]

Had a Bronco game last night. Two good teams and a crisp 4-4 game top of 6. I'm PU and my most frequent partner is BU. Modified OBR, R1 and R3, 1 out. F1 comes set and R1 takes off for 2B a maybe half speed. I recognize the play so I focused tightly on F1. Sure enough, F1 turns clockwise to view the runner without stepping off and I balk him. Go ahead and ultimately game winning run scores. HTHC came out and skawked to my partner about me making the call instead of him then half heartedly tried to convince me F1 had just turned his head. My partner supported my call all the way but said later he didn't see it as he had turned to watch the runner. The HC spoke his piece quickly and we moved on. Next batter lined into a DP. I felt bad for the DT because the play is design to get a balk and as soon as the kids have time to prepare for it this tactic will result in one or perhaps two outs and the other team will have to stop using it. After the fact I almost wish I had not called it, but when you see a balk let this you just react. I didn't and shouldn't consider the game situation. Edited to make all refrences to F1.

[FleasOf1000Camels]

Why can't F2 turn his head?

[KenBAZ]

He can, but not his shoulders.

[FleasOf1000Camels]

The CATCHER can't turn his shoulders?

Where'd that come from?

[Richvee]

pitcher = F1

[FleasOf1000Camels]

Easy way to remember:

You can stand for #1, but you have to squat for #2

[FleasOf1000Camels]

Yes, I've felt bad for a team.  Even umpires have human feelings.

Had a great 18u tournament game this summer, playing under OBR. 

Fantastic pitcher's duel.  Scoreless in the bottom of the 7th.

Leadoff batter strikes out on filthy slider, but reaches when it gets past F2.

Sac bunt moves him to 2nd, weak grounder to F4 moves him to 3rd with 2 out.

F1 comes set, then steps to 3rd without disengaging...he sees F5 is NOT covering, so he doesn't throw.

 

Hated to see a fine game end on a play like that.

[BigSimonia]

IITBTSB

[KenBAZ]

IITBTSB

Translation please?

[ALStripes17]

IITBTSB

From the OP, it doesn't sound like there was much of a pickoff attempt or feint attempt to 2B.

I like where your heads at, but seems unapplicable.

OP, if there wasn't a sudden movement or flinch, I would be hard pressed to call this a balk in most situations; however, we can only go by what's described and this is a HTBT.

[KenBAZ]

F1 comes set and then it takes 5 - 10 seconds for R1 to jog to 2nd. As the runner neared 2nd, F1 turned and looked at him without disengaging. Everyone was watching that movement and I reacted to F1 opening his shoulders. I wish I could have not called it but I just reacted to what I saw.

[ALStripes17]

I would be interested to know exactly which rule you would cite if a rule book report was necessary ideas?

[UMP45]

F1 comes set and then it takes 5 - 10 seconds for R1 to jog to 2nd. As the runner neared 2nd, F1 turned and looked at him without disengaging. Everyone was watching that movement and I reacted to F1 opening his shoulders. I wish I could have not called it but I just reacted to what I saw.

What did he do wrong?

[BalkHawk]

I feel bad for the winning team in a close game. They celebrate and congratulate each other; they're happily sufficient.

The losing squad gets to build character. They gain a better understanding of slim margins and execution.

In the OP, the pitcher who balked gained an opportunity to learn and understand a new facet of his craft. When he gets to high school and this same play happens, he'll be ready.

[MadMax]

From the read of things, after coming set, F1 turned out of a spooked reaction to R1 leaving, and turned his upper body (or twisted his shoulders). At this point, he's stuck – if he throws to 1B, he'll never get the runner. He can't throw to 2B, and he can't even _fake_ to 2B or 3B. The way out of this – stepping off – is an action that only comes to calm, aware pitchers who have experience in pressure situations like this. This probably wouldn't be successful, much less attempted, at higher levels of play.

Any coach worth his salt should help his pitcher, and his team, by intentionally walking (IBB) the batter so as to load the bases. Perhaps the batter was the the optimum one for the pitcher to face and get an out from, but that's a risk you have to take. I would lessen the pressure on the pitcher, and reduce the likelihood that a flinch would cost him the game.

[KenBAZ]

Situation was R1, R3, so the balk scored R3. The whole team should be telling the pitcher to step off, step off! Once F1 does that they would eliminate the balk possibility. Now they have an out on R1. F5 has the call on R3 breaking and if he goes they should have an out there. BalkHawk might have it right, the DT gets notice that they need to practice handling this situation and does not get flustered by it again.

[Jimurray]

F1 comes set and then it takes 5 - 10 seconds for R1 to jog to 2nd. As the runner neared 2nd, F1 turned and looked at him without disengaging. Everyone was watching that movement and I reacted to F1 opening his shoulders. I wish I could have not called it but I just reacted to what I saw.

I think we need to know what he did as/after he turned his shoulders and that's why some are asking what he did wrong.

[KenBAZ]

From the set position, F1 turning his upper body clockwise to view the runner trotting towards 2nd while still engaged is a balk. F1 stepped off after I called it and called time. He just got tricked by a low level ploy and didn't get any help from his teammates.

[ALStripes17]

From the set position, F1 turning his upper body clockwise to view the runner trotting towards 2nd while still engaged is a balk. F1 stepped off after I called it and called time. He just got tricked by a low level ploy and didn't get any help from his teammates.

Again, what rule would you cite to call this balk?

[KenBAZ]

From the set position, F1 turning his upper body clockwise to view the runner trotting towards 2nd while still engaged is a balk. F1 stepped off after I called it and called time. He just got tricked by a low level ploy and didn't get any help from his teammates.

Again, what rule would you cite to call this balk?

8.05a -The pitcher, while touching his plate, makes any motion naturally associated with his pitch and fails to make such delivery;

[grayhawk]

From the set position, F1 turning his upper body clockwise to view the runner trotting towards 2nd while still engaged is a balk. F1 stepped off after I called it and called time. He just got tricked by a low level ploy and didn't get any help from his teammates.

Again, what rule would you cite to call this balk?

8.05a -The pitcher, while touching his plate, makes any motion naturally associated with his pitch and fails to make such delivery;

Disagree. Turning the shoulders is a feint to first.

[KenBAZ]

So 8.05b? It was really more of a start to make a play at 2nd on the approaching runner without completing it.

[grayhawk]

So 8.05b? It was really more of a start to make a play at 2nd on the approaching runner without completing it.

 

Feinting to second is legal.  I just re-read your OP and saw that he turned clockwise, so if he turned his shoulders towards third and never moved his feet towards second (inside move), then it's a feint to third (OBR).

[ALStripes17]

Let the record also reflect that shoulder turns are moreso the PU's call.

[KenBAZ]

Let the record also reflect that shoulder turns are moreso the PU's call.

That's what I told DHC who was trying to ask my partner why he didn't make the call. I had time just focused on F1 in the set waiting to see what he was going to do. As HPU I had a much clearer view of the shoulder turn then my partner in B or DHC in the 3rd base dugout.