Balk or no?

[Guest Gordo]

Runner on second 1 out

runner at second breaks to steal third as pitcher lifts his front leg to indicate he is going home. (Back foot engaged with rubber)
 

instead of throwing home he throws to third base where the third baseman catches it and tags out runner “out”. 
 

 

balk or no balk? Foot still engaged with rubber and throwing to an unoccupied base. 

[Jimurray]

26 minutes ago, Guest Gordo said:

Runner on second 1 out

runner at second breaks to steal third as pitcher lifts his front leg to indicate he is going home. (Back foot engaged with rubber)
 

instead of throwing home he throws to third base where the third baseman catches it and tags out runner “out”. 
 

 

balk or no balk? Foot still engaged with rubber and throwing to an unoccupied base. 

"Foot still engaged with rubber and throwing to an unoccupied base" except for the purpose of making a play;

Legal, no balk.

6.02(a)(4) The pitcher, while touching his plate, throws, or feints a throw to an unoccupied base, except for the purpose of making a play;

[maven]

2 hours ago, Guest Gordo said:

balk or no balk? Foot still engaged with rubber and throwing to an unoccupied base. 

It might be a balk, but not for this reason. It's legal to throw to an unoccupied base for the purpose of making a play (all codes).

If it's a balk, it's a start/stop balk. Once F1 reaches the balance point with his free foot, he can no longer step directly to a base and throw. If he changes from pitch to pick mid-motion, that's often (maybe usually) a balk.

If he does it while the free foot is on the way up, he's probably OK. At that point, the foot-lift is not clearly either a move to the plate nor a step to a base.

[Mudisfun]

If I think he, in a continuous motion, picked to 3rd for the purposes of the play (he's going!!!!!!), then most likely nothing, barring the start/stop reasoning @maven discusses above. 

People make too much out of the throwing to an unoccupied base provision and want a balk when the defense makes a thrown due to some action by the offensive team: actual steal or attempted steal which made the defensive team think there was going to be a play at the next base. The only time you are really going to the unoccupied base balk is something like R1 only and the pitcher while engaged with the rubber throws to 3rd, or even 2nd but with the R1 standing on first and not doing anything to provoke the throw.

 

 

[noumpere]

15 hours ago, maven said:

If it's a balk, it's a start/stop balk.

 

Or because the  free foot crossed the back plane of the rubber.

[The Man in Blue]

On 3/6/2023 at 3:35 PM, maven said:

Once F1 reaches the balance point with his free foot, he can no longer step directly to a base and throw.

 

I want to ask a dumb question, but instead I'll just ask you to elaborate on "the balance point."

 

[maven]

 

[Guest Human]

(I'm not the OP...)

How aggressive do y'all get with left-handers coached to stop with free foot in the air, or even take 2 seconds to lift their free foot with someone on first (for the cheap pick)?  In the 13Uish years for 3 of my sons, I saw so many left-handers coached to stop with free foot held in the air, or dramatically slow their delivery start, rarely called as a balk.  The explanation always seemed to be "advantage of a left-handed pitcher", but that's certainly not to rules.

Do y'all see similar coached behavior in your necks of the woods around that age?  Older?