A simple balk question

[Terry G.]

Runners on first & second.  Right handed pitcher on mound.  Pitcher steps on rubber with right foot with left foot in front, about 2 feet in front of right foot.  Pitcher brings left foot back towards right foot and places it down.  Pitcher slightly raises left foot (2 inches or so), then puts it back down.  Pitcher than goes in motion to complete a pitch (raises left knee up, etc.).  Is this a balk?  This is 13-15 year old competitive league.  Ump said no balk; pitcher has latitude when on the mound and must make distinctive moves to be considered a balk.  Please clarify. 

 

Additional info:  The pitcher has the ball in his right hand.  Right hand is resting in glove hand.  Both hands are at the pitcher's chest.  Pitcher than raises his left leg and take stride forward to complete pitch.  However, after watching the video of John Gant, I'm pretty sure that I will never completely understand the balk rule.  If the commentator is correct, and the pitch is not a balk because his delivery is the same each time, I'm even more confused.  Would Gant's delivery work with runners on base?

Edited June 2, 2016 by Terry G.
Additional info

[ricka56]

Not enough info yet. The hand movements are critical to understanding the legality.

13 hours ago, Terry G. said:

Pitcher steps on rubber with right foot with left foot in front, about 2 feet in front of right foot.  Pitcher brings left foot back towards right foot and places it down. 

If this was accompanied with hands being brought together, then this is the "stop" part of the set position. So far legal.

13 hours ago, Terry G. said:

Pitcher slightly raises left foot (2 inches or so), then puts it back down.  Pitcher than goes in motion to complete a pitch (raises left knee up, etc.). 

Two possible things could be happening here (need more info). 
1 If he had previously completed his stop, then lifting/tapping his left foot, then without stopping completing his pitch delivery, is not a balk. If it was not a tap, but instead he lifted his foot, placed it back down and stopped again, that would be a balk. 
2. If he had not yet completed his stop requirement, then the foot lifting followed by his requires stop and subsequent pitch delivery would be legal. 

You haven't given us enough info to give a definitive ruling.

[stkjock]

Anything like this guy?

 

sounds like it in your description

 

http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/16285926/v576962683/wshatl-gant-shows-his-odd-delivery-in-mlb-debut/?query=john%2Bgant

 

 

[Terry G.]

23 hours ago, ricka56 said:

Not enough info yet. The hand movements are critical to understanding the legality.

If this was accompanied with hands being brought together, then this is the "stop" part of the set position. So far legal.

Two possible things could be happening here (need more info). 
1 If he had previously completed his stop, then lifting/tapping his left foot, then without stopping completing his pitch delivery, is not a balk. If it was not a tap, but instead he lifted his foot, placed it back down and stopped again, that would be a balk. 
2. If he had not yet completed his stop requirement, then the foot lifting followed by his requires stop and subsequent pitch delivery would be legal. 

You haven't given us enough info to give a definitive ruling.

Additional info:  The pitcher has the ball in his right hand.  Right hand is resting in glove hand.  Both hands are at the pitcher's chest.  Pitcher than raises his left leg and take stride forward to complete pitch.  However, after watching the video of John Gant (posted by stkjock), I'm pretty sure that I will never completely understand the balk rule.  If the commentator is correct, and the pitch is not a balk because his delivery is the same each time, I'm even more confused.  Would Gant's delivery work with runners on base?

[Terry G.]

23 hours ago, stkjock said:

Anything like this guy?

 

sounds like it in your description

 

http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/16285926/v576962683/wshatl-gant-shows-his-odd-delivery-in-mlb-debut/?query=john%2Bgant

 

 

Additional info:  The pitcher has the ball in his right hand.  Right hand is resting in glove hand.  Both hands are at the pitcher's chest.  Pitcher than raises his left leg and take stride forward to complete pitch.  However, after watching the video of John Gant (posted by stkjock), I'm pretty sure that I will never completely understand the balk rule.  If the commentator is correct, and the pitch is not a balk because his delivery is the same each time, I'm even more confused.  Would Gant's delivery work with runners on base?

[noumpere]

26 minutes ago, Terry G. said:

Additional info:  The pitcher has the ball in his right hand.  Right hand is resting in glove hand.  Both hands are at the pitcher's chest.  Pitcher than raises his left leg and take stride forward to complete pitch.  However, after watching the video of John Gant (posted by stkjock), I'm pretty sure that I will never completely understand the balk rule.  If the commentator is correct, and the pitch is not a balk because his delivery is the same each time, I'm even more confused.  Would Gant's delivery work with runners on base?

The commentator might be right that it's not a balk -- but it's not for the reason indicated.  "making the same move" just means that R1 advances to second, and then to third and then to home. 

 

And, you can learn a lot about the game by watching MLB -- but you can't really learn the balk rule this way.

 

Based on your additional description (paraphrased:  Pitcher comes set, begins the pitch, taps tow of free foot as part of delivery) -- this is NOT a balk.  But, F1 has committed to the plate and if he stops after the toe touch, or throws to a base, or something like that -- that action becomes a balk.

[ricka56]

32 minutes ago, Terry G. said:

Additional info:  The pitcher has the ball in his right hand.  Right hand is resting in glove hand.  Both hands are at the pitcher's chest.  Pitcher than raises his left leg and take stride forward to complete pitch.  However, after watching the video of John Gant (posted by stkjock), I'm pretty sure that I will never completely understand the balk rule.  If the commentator is correct, and the pitch is not a balk because his delivery is the same each time, I'm even more confused.  Would Gant's delivery work with runners on base?

1. TV/radio broadcasters typically have a poor grasp of the rules. When something unusual happens, more often than not they butcher the rule and/or penalty. 
2. "because his delivery is the same each time" is not supposed to mean anything. If its illegal, its illegal every time.
3. The pitcher in the video has no one on base. Balks are only issued with runners on base.
4. I don't know why the umpires let him get away with not adhering to the "continuous motion" pitching requirement. He appears to start and stop his delivery at least once, which is illegal. I'll bet that MLB officials have looked at what he's doing and either said that there is no advantage gained and let it slide, or tell him (and umpires) that what he's doing is illegal and will be called as such. The video is a month old, I wonder if he still winds-up the same way.

[Aging_Arbiter]

I put as much stock in the commentators knowledge of the rules, as I do with a weather man, telling me what it will be like tomorrow.