Gorilla arm

[blindumpire99]

Ok, according to the book, the ball must be behind the pitcher's back or at his side, blah blah...

But I am seeing more and more pitcher's coming set with varying levels of what translates to a gorilla arm ( the pitching arm is hanging down with the body bent to varying levels forward towards the plate.

I brought this up last year at my association meetings only to have it dismissed, (my word) and not discussed with much more than a mention.

But no one in my association calls it so I have let it go as well when I run into it.

But how many of you FED guys enforce the set postion as written and do not allow a gorilla arm strech? Have any of you caught crap from coaches because of it? Just for info, we have had no coach that I am aware of ever complain because of a gorilla arm...

[BrianC14]

Ok, according to the book, the ball must be behind the pitcher's back or at his side, blah blah...

But I am seeing more and more pitcher's coming set with varying levels of what translates to a gorilla arm ( the pitching arm is hanging down with the body bent to varying levels forward towards the plate.

I brought this up last year at my association meetings only to have it dismissed, (my word) and not discussed with much more than a mention.

But no one in my association calls it so I have let it go as well when I run into it.

But how many of you FED guys enforce the set postion as written and do not allow a gorilla arm strech? Have any of you caught crap from coaches because of it? Just for info, we have had no coach that I am aware of ever complain because of a gorilla arm...

That's not the "set" position (bold face type)- that's the stretch position.

It's still illegal, though.

[blindumpire99]

No, it is actually the "set" position, the other being the wind up...

We haven't had anyone that I can find that has been calling this little manuever as the illegal pitch it is. The '08 Illustrated rules book addressed it specifically with its very own nice gray and black picture..

[jjb]

OK, Good God, it's time for somebody to say it: this is a stupid rule, which serves absolutely no purpose, other than to annoy the defensive coaches and make it difficult for umpires. Do you really think that a pitcher, taking his signs while leaning over and hanging his right hand down at his side, is somehow going to convince a runner that he might flip the ball 40-50 feet from that position to pick him off? Spare me. Nobody's affected, nobody's deceived, it's a bunch of nonsense to make our lives more difficult.

I'm getting to the point where I think that the FED people are a bunch of guys sitting quietly at a big table, when somebody jumps up and say "OOOH! I KNOW! We'll make a rule that says-----"

[Majordave]

It is actually called the "Set" position in FED rulebook, rule 6. They discuss the preliminary motions such as the "stretch" while "coming set".

FED! Ya gotta love baseball to work under their rules.

I agree, the Gorilla Arm interpretation is complete bull. I DO NOT call it. I recommend so in my long diatribe/re-write of FED rule 6 in the Balks thread.

Do NOT be an OOO and call this crap. If Offensive coach makes a big deal out of it tell Defensive Coach to have his pitcher stop.

My two cents, your mileage may vary.

[LMSANS]

Here we go again...Aren't we supposed to enforce all of the rules, not just the ones we like. If that is the definition of OOO, where do I sign up?

:angel4:

[Bigdog]

Hey all,

The way that our association wants it called is this:

If the arm is hanging down, do not call it, if the arm is swinging, call it.

Bigdog:cool:

[MCLEOD36]

If something is very technical, I try to tell a coach or pitcher between innings; ie set postion part of foot is off the pitchers mound by a couple of inches. But gorilla arm is a balk swinging or not, unless an association defines it like that, a balk in TX or CO is a balk in FL.

[Astrosdawg07]

I call it just because I don't want one of the teams we cover to get in the play-offs and then have it called on them for the first time. I want the teams that our chapter covers to be fully aware of anything and everything that can/could be called. I would hate for us not to call it in the regular season and then team A get in the play-offs and have it called on them, next thing you know the coach from team A is calling me cussing me because he was unaware of the rule being enforced because our chapter was not calling the "gorilla balk."