Balk!

[Thunderheads]

Garden variety of course, but ....I just always like seeing these!

Question, .... do you call this at the levels you umpire? (just for conversations sake )

http://m.mlb.com/video/v1057965383/?query=balk

[maven]

HS varsity and below: no way. We'd be there all friggin day.

Just for conversation's sake? Well, how about: "how's the fam? Weather up in MI?"

[Thunderheads]

1 minute ago, maven said:

HS varsity and below: no way. We'd be there all friggin day.

Just for conversation's sake? Well, how about: "how's the fam? Weather up in MI?"

You're not calling that on a Varsity pitcher????

Muggy and 73 right now......  

[JaxRolo]

5 minutes ago, maven said:

HS varsity and below: no way. We'd be there all friggin day.

Just for conversation's sake? Well, how about: "how's the fam? Weather up in MI?"

I agree. If I called every balk on some of these games we'd be playing for 5 hours.

[Thunderheads]

10 minutes ago, JaxRolo said:

I agree. If I called every balk on some of these games we'd be playing for 5 hours.

JV , I can see somewhat .......but you have to call that on a Varsity pitcher ..........

[JaxRolo]

46 minutes ago, Thunderheads said:

JV , I can see somewhat .......but you have to call that on a Varsity pitcher ..........

You have to pick and choose. Lower level games you just can't. If you get the better teams then maybe.

[Thunderheads]

Just now, JaxRolo said:

You have to pick and choose. Lower level games you just can't. If you get the better teams then maybe.

At the Varsity level this must be called a balk, because it is.  It's varsity baseball, if they don't know they can't 'start-stop', when will they learn?

[JaxRolo]

Just now, Thunderheads said:

At the Varsity level this must be called a balk, because it is.  It's varsity baseball, if they don't know they can't 'start-stop', when will they learn?

Some of our "varsity" teams are like 10U rec ball.

If we call that stuff my assignor will decrease my number of games.

 

[Thunderheads]

1 minute ago, JaxRolo said:

Some of our "varsity" teams are like 10U rec ball.

If we call that stuff my assignor will decrease my number of games.

 

If you're varsity is that bad, I feel sorry for you.   And, if that's the case, then of course you'll need to use your own judgement .... BUT, for the most-part, this is a simple, easy, balk call. IMHO, YMMV

[noumpere]

I liked the catcher's reaction -- he had it "called" before the umpire did.

 

And, I probably would NOT call this at varsity (unless I just instinctively reacted to the movement myself).  If the hands moved as part of it or something, then I'd get it.

[JaxRolo]

If you're varsity is that bad, I feel sorry for you.   And, if that's the case, then of course you'll need to use your own judgement .... BUT, for the most-part, this is a simple, easy, balk call. IMHO, YMMV

We have some top level teams and low level teams.

And I agree it should be called but sometimes you have to do what your associations tells you to do.

And sometimes we just have to manage the situation. A couple of years ago I had a team losing 23-0 top of first inning with no outs.

Ian not calling that! lol

[ALStripes17]

We are told to get this in AL. I have no problem with calling this if I can't justify that he was breathing deeply or the like.

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[Jimurray]

5 hours ago, Thunderheads said:

At the Varsity level this must be called a balk, because it is.  It's varsity baseball, if they don't know they can't 'start-stop', when will they learn?

Since you asked for conversation, This is a balk by rule in HS. What rule did the pitcher violate in OBR and what is the penalty in the rule? 

[Thunderheads]

12 minutes ago, Jimurray said:

Since you asked for conversation, This is a balk by rule in HS. What rule did the pitcher violate in OBR and what is the penalty in the rule? 

No, what I did was ask the question of whether you'd call this a balk in the levels you umpire, and asked that question for conversations sake. This is a start-stop balk and violates 6.02 .... makes any motions associated with the pitch and fails to do so ...something like that.  Penalty: ball is dead (delayed) and each runner advances one base unless the batter reaches first and all runners advance at least one base ...blah blah blah  

old rule ... 8.05 a

[Jimurray]

4 minutes ago, Thunderheads said:

No, what I did was ask the question of whether you'd call this a balk in the levels you umpire, and asked that question for conversations sake. This is a start-stop balk and violates 6.02 .... makes any motions associated with the pitch and fails to do so ...something like that.  Penalty: ball is dead (delayed) and each runner advances one base unless the batter reaches first and all runners advance at least one base ...blah blah blah  

He did not violate 6.02(a)(1): "The pitcher, while touching his plate, makes any motion naturally associated with his pitch and fails to make such delivery;"

That is for failing to deliver after coming set and starting his delivery.

He did violate 5.07(a)(2): "Preparatory to coming to a set position, the pitcher shall have one hand on his side; from this position he shall go to his set position as defined in Rule 5.07(a)(2) (Rule 8.01(b)) without interruption and in one continuous motion."

Which has no penalty stated. But failure to do so is balked by "custom and practice."

[lawump]

6 hours ago, noumpere said:

I liked the catcher's reaction -- he had it "called" before the umpire did.

That's because the umpire had good timing!

[Thunderheads]

I knew that didn't seem right for some reason. Oh well, :-(

I was rushing, in between meetings,.......

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[stkjock]

I had not notice the catcher, thanks for pointing that out, gotta love the way off of his hand after it's called.  nice try to get time and avoid the balk

[Kevin_K]

That's a balk at the HS varsity level all day long. It's likely going to be a balk in most 16U games as well.

As @Thunderheads mentions, they have to learn sometime.

[Thunderheads]

16 hours ago, Jimurray said:

He did not violate 6.02(a)(1): "The pitcher, while touching his plate, makes any motion naturally associated with his pitch and fails to make such delivery;"

That is for failing to deliver after coming set and starting his delivery.

He did violate 5.07(a)(2): "Preparatory to coming to a set position, the pitcher shall have one hand on his side; from this position he shall go to his set position as defined in Rule 5.07(a)(2) (Rule 8.01(b)) without interruption and in one continuous motion."

Which has no penalty stated. But failure to do so is balked by "custom and practice."

More on this.....

As stated yesterday afternoon, ...between meetings I saw your response and tried to do the best I could to answer, obviously I failed there, not that it matters on the field because, a balk is a balk, and explaining this to a coach (if asked) is very simple without quoting the rulebook.   Which, got me to thinking....  was this for "conversation" as you stated, or a rules quiz to test me?  

[Jimurray]

2 hours ago, Thunderheads said:

More on this.....

As stated yesterday afternoon, ...between meetings I saw your response and tried to do the best I could to answer, obviously I failed there, not that it matters on the field because, a balk is a balk, and explaining this to a coach (if asked) is very simple without quoting the rulebook.   Which, got me to thinking....  was this for "conversation" as you stated, or a rules quiz to test me?  

It was a test for anyone who joined the conversation. There are still a lot of guys who hang their hat on 6.02(a)(1) when it's not applicable.

[Thunderheads]

17 minutes ago, Jimurray said:

It was a test for anyone who joined the conversation. There are still a lot of guys who hang their hat on 6.02(a)(1) when it's not applicable.

Fair enough!

I learned something yesterday!!!  That was good info, thanks! (Even if I use FED 99% of the time)