legal pitch?

[D- Money]

OBL rules.

While throwing warm up pitches between innings the pitcher threw two pitches from the mound towards the plate behind his back. The catcher indicated that he had done it occasionally during games. Pitching to the first batter with a 1-2 count he throws the next pitch behind his back for ball 2. Is this legal? Is it a balk with runners?

[maven]

A pitch is a ball thrown to the batter. The pitching position rules dictate how such throws must start (feet, windup pumps, stopping in the set, etc.), but not how they must be delivered (overhand, sidearm, behind the back, etc.).

I don't know what OBL is, but in OBR (pro baseball) and FED (HS baseball), this would be legal (and ineffective).

[D- Money]

That's what I was able to find out from the rule books that you mentioned. However I'm still not clear about the issue of decieving the runner. That's the balk concern I mentioned in the second part of the question. 

[Replacematt]

23 minutes ago, D- Money said:

That's what I was able to find out from the rule books that you mentioned. However I'm still not clear about the issue of decieving the runner. That's the balk concern I mentioned in the second part of the question. 

There's no rule against deceiving runners.

[D- Money]

12 minutes ago, Matt said:

There's no rule against deceiving runners.

I thought that part of the balk rule prohibited the simulation of the start of the pitching motion, or the start of the step toward the plate (and then stepping toward a base) was to prevent deception to the runner(s).

[Replacematt]

7 minutes ago, D- Money said:

I thought that part of the balk rule prohibited the simulation of the start of the pitching motion, or the start of the step toward the plate (and then stepping toward a base) was to prevent deception to the runner(s).

That prevents an action, not a consequence nor intent. You are correct in that in some specific aspects of the balk rule, the intent is to prevent some methods of deception, but there is no rule against deception itself.

If the action isn't illegal, it's not a balk, deception or no deception.

[D- Money]

That's a great perspective! Thanks