Spin move question

[mrumpiresir]

Over the years I have heard that the spin move by a right handed pitcher is technically a balk but I cannot see what rule is violated. Some people have said you cannot move your front foot first when a right hander does the spin move. If that were true, he could never step and throw to third base or do the spaghetti move. So, exactly why is this technically a balk?

 

 

REPLY

 

 

[grayhawk]

9 minutes ago, mrumpiresir said:

Over the years I have heard that the spin move by a right handed pitcher is technically a balk but I cannot see what rule is violated. Some people have said you cannot move your front foot first when a right hander does the spin move. If that were true, he could never step and throw to third base or do the spaghetti move. So, exactly why is this technically a balk?

 

 

REPLY

 

 

A direct step with the free foot is a legal pick-off move to first base by a right handed pitcher.  It's awkward looking and nobody ever does it, but it's legal.

[mrumpiresir]

Yes I agree, but is the spin move from the rubber technically a balk?  Why do some people say moving the free foot first is a balk?

[grayhawk]

3 minutes ago, mrumpiresir said:

Yes I agree, but is the spin move from the rubber technically a balk?  Why do some people say moving the free foot first is a balk?

Describe the spin move - want to be sure we are thinking of the same thing.

[mrumpiresir]

A spin move as shown in the first play in this video;

 

[grayhawk]

As long as there is no knee pop, it's a legal move.

[Jimurray]

25 minutes ago, mrumpiresir said:

A spin move as shown in the first play in this video;

 

I've always called that a "jab step" not a "spin" move. The reference to spin being illegal is from 6.02(a)(3) comment:....."If a pitcher turns or spins off of his free foot without
actually stepping or if he turns his body and throws before stepping, it is a balk." But the MLBUM specifically allows the jab step toward 3B while stepping with the free foot to 1B.

[grayhawk]

41 minutes ago, Jimurray said:

I've always called that a "jab step" not a "spin" move. The reference to spin being illegal is from 6.02(a)(3) comment:....."If a pitcher turns or spins off of his free foot without
actually stepping or if he turns his body and throws before stepping, it is a balk." But the MLBUM specifically allows the jab step toward 3B while stepping with the free foot to 1B.

I always think of a jab step as a move where the pivot foot moves towards third before the free foot moves.  The Teheran move is all happening at once.

[HokieUmp]

3 hours ago, grayhawk said:

A direct step with the free foot is a legal pick-off move to first base by a right handed pitcher.  It's awkward looking and nobody ever does it, but it's legal.

Surprisingly, I had a JV kid make that move to first several times on Friday.   Please note:

• Yes, it WAS awkward-looking.  Almost made MY legs hurt watching him.
• It might be why the dude is JV.
• Much LESS surprisingly, it failed to get a runner.  It failed to even make it close.

[mrumpiresir]

Thanks for the replies.  But I also want to know where the idea that the pitcher cannot move his free foot first comes from.  Is that a thing to be concerned with?

[Rich Ives]

51 minutes ago, mrumpiresir said:

Thanks for the replies.  But I also want to know where the idea that the pitcher cannot move his free foot first comes from.  Is that a thing to be concerned with?

"They" think it's illegal because they have never seen it done.

"They" aren't old enough to remember when that was the standard move.

[scrounge]

4 hours ago, mrumpiresir said:

Thanks for the replies.  But I also want to know where the idea that the pitcher cannot move his free foot first comes from.  Is that a thing to be concerned with?

I think whoever is saying that is totally misinterpreting a 'spin' move where the pitcher does NOT gain ground but merely spins on the free foot - which is a balk - with a jump step or jab step move. As others have said, as long as there's no movement to home first and the pitcher generally gains ground towards first, we're fine.

[maven]

Both the jab step (pivot > 3B) and jump step can be done legally or illegally.

One way for the jab step to be illegal occurs when F1 clearly steps first with the pivot foot before lifting the free foot.

One way for the jump step to be illegal occurs when F1 merely spins on the free foot without gaining distance toward the base.

Both moves can be done by LHP or RHP: LHP would use them for pickoffs at 3B, RHP at 1B (so they're more common from righties). The rules are the same for LHP and RHP.