balk call

[Guest D. Yeager]

Intermediate--had an umpire who called a balk. I (the manager) asked what the pitcher had done. The pitcher, a right hander threw to first (with a runner on first) without stepping completely off of the rubber. There was no move toward home. I even showed run rule 8.05 and he insisted it was a balk. 

Am I 100% correct in saying it's not a balk? I was always told the reason you don't necessarily want the pitcher to step off is because the "one from the rubber and two from the field rule." If he would overthrow first after stepping off, the runner would be awarded third.

Thanks

[Jimurray]

1 hour ago, Guest D. Yeager said:

Intermediate--had an umpire who called a balk. I (the manager) asked what the pitcher had done. The pitcher, a right hander threw to first (with a runner on first) without stepping completely off of the rubber. There was no move toward home. I even showed run rule 8.05 and he insisted it was a balk. 

Am I 100% correct in saying it's not a balk? I was always told the reason you don't necessarily want the pitcher to step off is because the "one from the rubber and two from the field rule." If he would overthrow first after stepping off, the runner would be awarded third.

Thanks

You don't have to step off to throw, with a proper step, to any base. Please describe what your pitcher actually did and what the umpire actually said. As described there is no balk but we need more info to be sure.

[The Man in Blue]

Unless it is the Atlantic League!

[yawetag]

11 hours ago, Guest D. Yeager said:

I even showed run rule 8.05 and he insisted it was a balk.

If this means what I'm reading, I'm surprised you weren't ejected.

[Lou B]

So, did you Protest the call?

What did the Umpire do/say when you pulled out your Rulebook?  Just as a heads-up, most Umpires will eject you for pulling out a Rulebook, the consensus is you are "showing up" the umpire. Now, if you asked him and he said it was OK then that's a different story.

Did your pitcher "step towards first" on the kick-off of just "snap throw" over there?

[noumpere]

Since most moves to first involve removing the pivot foot from the rubber (even if that act is not a Disengagement), many coaches think it's a requirement.  It's not so far-fetched to think an umpire has also fallen for that myth.

[BigVic69]

The first two minutes describes what three options you have for throwing to home or first base.
I think you are describing the third move "quick feet" where yoy do not disengage the rubber. If that is what your pitcher did, then it is not a balk. BUT the pivot foot must move a hair faster for that move to be legal.
Good luck in arguing that, eh?

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[BigVic69]

I am only talking about what the feet do, the hands have to complete and act of separation as well. But you did not mention the hands.

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[Jimurray]

18 minutes ago, BigVic69 said:

I am only talking about what the feet do, the hands have to complete and act of separation as well. But you did not mention the hands.

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I have no idea what you mean by the "hands have to..." or what the pivot foot must do if you are referencing the video. Could you reference some rules that refer to what you are talking about?

[noumpere]

9 hours ago, BigVic69 said:

I think you are describing the third move "quick feet" where yoy do not disengage the rubber. If that is what your pitcher did, then it is not a balk. BUT the pivot foot must move a hair faster for that move to be legal.

 

1) It doesn't need to be the "quick feet" move - the pivot foot need not be re positioned at all.  Just turn on it and throw.

 

2) There's no speed requirement in the rules (and even if there is one in real life, the move in the video was plenty fast enough).

[LRZ]

I think what D. Yeager was asking was simply this: does a RHP have to step off and disengage before throwing to first on a pick-off? No, he does not.

[Tborze]

The Ump must have been right!  He hasn't responded back yet

[grayhawk]

The Ump must have been right!  He hasn't responded back yet:confused:

I’d say at least 50% of the guests that use “Ask the Umpire” never reply to the answers or follow-up questions.