Balk

[Guest Matt]

A right handed pitcher while engaged with the rubber picks up his left leg then turns towards first and throws the ball to first. The left leg does not cross the rubber and does not extend towards the plate. Is this a balk?  If you feel this is a balk, please cite the rule that makes this a balk.

Thank you,

Matt

[Replacematt]

If there is nothing illegal, and there's nothing inherently illegal about your description, it is not a balk. However, your description does not preclude other things being illegal, such as a knee bend (which would make it an indirect step) or a step that doesn't gain both distance and direction.

[Guest Matt]

Assume that the knee bends. Note that I don’t see anything in the rule that states that a bent knee is equivalent to a “motion naturally associated with his pitching delivery”.  Everyone has seen the right hander bend his knee and delivery to third or the lefty bend their knee and deliver to first, so a bent knee certainly doesn’t require the pitcher to go to the plate.  And there is nothing in the rules that I’ve seen that is specific to what hand the pitcher throws with or what they can do to a particular base depending on what hand they throw with.  I.e., there is nothing that says anything like a left hander may bend their knee and delivery to first, but a right hander may not.

Matt

 

 

[maven]

It's true that nothing in the rules distinguishes between LHP and RHP. But the rule that requires stepping directly to the base ends up requiring different actions. Though what a LHP can do toward 1B, a RHP can do toward 3B, and vice versa.

When a RHP bends his knee, he's often not stepping directly toward 1B. That's why they're balked for it. But a LHP can lift the leg to the balance point and then go toward 1B (like Andy Pettitte). 

A RHP can step and throw to 1B, but it's rare. The reason it's rare is that it's harder and usually less effective than a jump turn or jab step, which tend to be faster. But it's possible to do it legally (and, indeed, was the only move allowed before the jump turn and jab step were legalized by interpretation).

[noumpere]

"Directly"means not only "in a straight line" but also "immediately."  So, if the pitcher raises his foot toward the balance point, he has not stepped "directly" toward first and it's a balk.  OF course, deciding when the pitcher has raised the foot enough to be able to step toward first and where he has raised it toward the balance point i s somewhat a matter of judgment; it's never been that difficult in practice.

 

This is from NCAA (2015, but I think it's the same now) and it applies to all codes:

 

[Guest Matt]

Agreed, it is a more difficult move for a righty to do towards first and not as quick as a jump turn. However, its effectiveness isn’t quickness, but rather the base runner anticipating the throw to go home, they are caught off guard. If the left leg is lifted straight up and almost simultaneously the pitcher pivots on their right foot towards first, which will require them to keep their weight back, then they can certainly make the step directly towards first.  Directly though is certainly not an exact thing.  Consider the freedom the lefty is given towards first.  Most are taught to step almost at a 45 degree angle between first and home and most umpires will allow that.  Played with a lefty in college that was crazy good at it.  I swear he picked off more than he struck out.

Bottom line.  You do agree that it isn’t an automatic balk if a righty picks up his foot while engaged to the rubber and throws to first.  Maybe not in all cases, but there is certainly a way to do it without committing a balk.

Thanks for you time.  Any additional comments are appreciated.  Curious if you have umpire experience and how much.

Thanks again, Matt

[Guest Matt]

Noumpere,

That reference to the NCAA rules is interesting. The second sentence essentially says that a righty must throw to the plate, third, or second when “raising the lead leg”. However, the last sentence does say that a pitcher can throw to a base not being faced, which would be first for the righty. The question then would be what does “immediately” mean?  I don’t think speed should dictate the answer to that.  A slow motion without a pause should be considered immediately.  This rule does seem to be unique to NCAA. At least with respect the MLB. I don’t see that in the MLB rules.

Thanks for the insight.

Matt

[noumpere]

9 hours ago, Guest Matt said:

 If the left leg is lifted straight up and almost simultaneously the pitcher pivots on their right foot towards first, which will require them to keep their weight back, then they can certainly make the step directly towards first. 

We're (or at least I am) now on the realm of needing to see the move.  Some will interpret "lifted straight up" as one thing, some will interpret it as another.  A RH pitcher *CAN* throw to first without moving the pivot foot off the rubber.  But, that move would NOT look anything like "a motion to pitch;" as soon as it does, it's a balk if the pitcher throws to first.  The lefty can lift the leg such that it looks like "a motion to pitch because that part of the motion ALSO looks like a motion to throw to first.

8 hours ago, Guest Matt said:

  This rule does seem to be unique to NCAA. At least with respect the MLB. I don’t see that in the MLB rules.
 

The specific wording is only in NCAA; the concept applies to all codes.

[Guest Matt]

The most important aspect of my inquiry is whether or not a righty can go to first while engaged with the rubber in the general sense. The actual move itself is less important.  That can always be adjusted to fit within the interpretation of the rules.

[Rich Ives]

Just how do you folks think you can start a step to 1B without lifting your foot off the ground?

[noumpere]

21 minutes ago, Rich Ives said:

Just how do you folks think you can start a step to 1B without lifting your foot off the ground?

I don't think anyone said that -- but it might depend on what is seen in the mind's eye when the word "lift" is mentioned.  Especially wehn the OP mentioned that the leg did not cross the rubber -- implying that the lift was very much toward the balance position.

 

If the "lift" is toward first, it's legal; if it's toward the balance position, it's a balk.  Generally speaking, of course.

[Tborze]

Who said this ^ Mr. Ives?

To the OP. 

Think of it like a gate. You can open the gate, you just can't lift it to open it.  

[Rich Ives]

1 hour ago, Tborze said:

Who said this ^ Mr. Ives?

To the OP. 

Think of it like a gate. You can open the gate, you just can't lift it to open it.  

A gate isn't anchored to the ground at the end that moves. Your equivalent non-pivot foot is. You have to lift it to to move it. You have to bend your knee to lift it. You can't allow a step to 1B without allowing the lift and bend.