Set Position

[RPW]

Can a RHP come Set with his left heal off the ground, and left knee slightly bent?  If so, from that Set, can he go to either 1B or the plate?

[isired]

I assume he meant the balk move where a RHP raises his left heel slightly and pivots his left foot a split second before pivoting on his right foot on a throw to 1B, but yeah, it could have been clearer - as the most common "balk move" is the RHP to 3B or LHP to 1B where the leg lift breaks the 45 degrees towards home slightly before throwing over.

[RPW]

5 hours ago, MadMax said:

Alright, fair enough...

I’ll answer as an umpire: As long as you come set, and pause/stop, it doesn’t matter if your free (left) foot’s heEl is up, down, or bare. It doesn’t matter if one or both knees are bent. Hands must come together, feet (generally) in line towards the plate, and movement below the neck must stop.

I’ll answer as my minor league pitching coach would to any of the new pitchers: “If you don’t let anyone on base, you don’t have to worry about your set stance. Throw strikes, get those fü€#in’ batters out.” (I’m paraphrasing). Thing is, any professional pitching coach is going to completely break down your stance and footwork when you have runners aboard, and start you over. Then, when you ask him your OP question about your heel being up or down, he’ll reply with “Why?”

 

 

Heel, heel, heel, heel, heel, heel, heel, heel

Thanks Max.  You covered both the knee and heel (heel..got it, that one got past me), and I appreciate the advice, but trying to slow down the water bugs is part of pitching.

[RPW]

2 hours ago, isired said:

I assume he meant the balk move where a RHP raises his left heel slightly and pivots his left foot a split second before pivoting on his right foot on a throw to 1B, but yeah, it could have been clearer - as the most common "balk move" is the RHP to 3B or LHP to 1B where the leg lift breaks the 45 degrees towards home slightly before throwing over.

Yes, breaking the knee or raising the heel is what I meant by a RHP Balk Move..  In the context of the question, I never thought any one would think otherwise.  Have seen LHP called for the 45 degree move, but can't ever remember seeing a RHP being called for it making a move to 3rd, although I am sure it has happened.

[RPW]

2 hours ago, noumpere said:

Start with "the 'balk move' " -- as if there's only one --   and how that relates to further clarifying your post about what happened (or what you are trying to do). 

I clearly understand "slide step" and "going to first:" but I fail to understand what they have to do with whether a pitcher's heel is raised or not.

Balk Move...in the context of the original question....any umpire should have known what I was referring too.  As to "slide step and going to first"...that was just sarcasm.

[maven]

In the rules, there's no such thing as the/a "Balk Move."

Umpires learn the rules that restrict what F1 in the set position may do while engaged: pitch to the batter after coming set (and everything those entail), step and throw or feint a throw to a base (and everything those entail), disengage. Anything else will be illegal, and with runners on base, a balk.

The number of possible balk moves is indefinitely large.