Balk?

[LRZ]

OBR. R2. F1, a RHP, steps back and disengages, immediately brings his left leg up in the same motion with which he normally delivers to the plate, then pivots, steps and throws to second in a pick-off attempt. I called a balk, judging the left leg motion a "motion naturally associated with his pitch while he is not touching the pitcher’s plate" under Rule 6.02(a)(7); my partner disagreed. I recognize that there is an element of HTBT in judging the act, but is this a balk?

[ElkOil]

I'd say you had it right.  If he stayed engaged, lifted his leg, turned and threw he'd be okay.  But since he stepped off, that leg lift would constitute a deceptive move in my opinion.

[umpstu]

I don't have a balk from your description.  He stepped off and then turned and threw to second?  If he had been going towards the plate with the left leg in an attempt to deceive the runner then I possibly might have a balk, but not from what I read.

[ElkOil]

I don't have a balk from your description.  He stepped off and then turned and threw to second?  If he had been going towards the plate with the left leg in an attempt to deceive the runner then I possibly might have a balk, but not from what I read.

I read from it that he stepped off, then raised his leg as if to deliver a pitch, then turned to 2B.  I agree with you if he just stepped off, turned and threw.  But the OP's description that he raised his leg while off the rubber in a motion associated with his delivery sold me on the idea.

[noumpere]

I'd say you had it right.  If he stayed engaged, lifted his leg, turned and threw he'd be okay.  But since he stepped off, that leg lift would constitute a deceptive move in my opinion.

That's (by itself) never (or very rarely) a reason to have a balk.

[basejester]

It's the same sort of question as my problem with the pitcher straddling the rubber with his hands together, holding the ball.  If the leg lift is a "motion naturally associated with his pitch", then that would make the same move from the rubber illegal under 8.05 (a).  Since he's allowed to lift and turn and not deliver to home while engaged, it follows that he's allowed to do the same while disengaged. 

 

[LRZ]

It's hard to capture the sequence precisely. F1 hung his leg up the way he did on pitches, very different from the move he otherwise made in pick-off attempts. It was definitely not just a "lift leg, spin, throw" "all-in-one-motion" motion. It was as if he was pitching but after having taken a little step back off the rubber with his pivot foot. My impression was that, by mimicking his delivery motion, F1 was trying to decoy the runner into believing that he was in the act of pitching, to catch R2 off base. As I said, an element of HTBT.

Edited July 10, 2015 by LRZ

[maven]

My impression was that, by mimicking his delivery motion, F1 was trying to decoy the runner into believing that he was in the act of pitching, to catch R2 off base. As I said, an element of HTBT.

If that's your judgment, then you have a simulated pitch while not engaged, and that's a balk.

In cases where the legality of a move is in doubt (and only in such cases), a comment in the balk rule also recommends assessing F1's intent: again, if you judge that the intent is to deceive the runner, then you should rule a balk.

[Rich Ives]

If the pitcher stepped off and after that the runner was deceived by a fake pitch you have a really dumb runner.