Balk or no? Runners on, pitcher does slow leg lift, then back down then lift again (OBR)

[TheLovejoy]

It's OBR, but I don't think it matters.

R3 and R1, from set position, right handed pitcher. Pitcher takes his sign, comes set, (he has a good slide step, a really good move to 3rd (how a lefty lifts his leg straight up, knee nor foot cross the plane of the rubber, then steps to third. But also using that same motion, slides and goes home)) then he lifts his leg slowly straight up, then slowly brings it straight down and then back up and pitches home.

You can 'kinda' visualize it with Stroman and Nestor Cortez, but it wasn't all goofy all over the place. It was just straight up slowly, straight down, then back up and pitched. His foot never hit the ground, nor did he come to a complete stop. It was continuous motion the entire time.

Is this a balk with runners on?
I'm also trying to find the rule to cite for defense of this either way. I promise I've searched all over

[maven]

First: if we can't explain what part of the balk rule F1 is violating, then we shouldn't be ruling it a balk.

In fact, provided only that F1 isn't "freezing" for a significant time during this motion, it meets the pitching restrictions. No rule dictates what a pitcher's delivery must look like. "Huh, I never seen that one before..." isn't a reason for ruling a balk.

Next: "how a lefty lifts his leg straight up, knee nor foot cross the plane of the rubber, then steps to third. But also using that same motion, slides and goes home"—this doesn't make sense. Either F1 picks up the knee to the balance point, OR he does a slide step. Can't be both: a slide step moves the free foot directly to the plate to start the pitch instead of lifting the knee. F1 sacrifices some power for speed of delivery.

Last: you can't find a rule citation because no rule is violated here. Rule citations are required by those claiming that there is a violation, because in that case some specific provision has been violated.

[TheLovejoy]

8 hours ago, maven said:

First: if we can't explain what part of the balk rule F1 is violating, then we shouldn't be ruling it a balk.

In fact, provided only that F1 isn't "freezing" for a significant time during this motion, it meets the pitching restrictions. No rule dictates what a pitcher's delivery must look at. "Huh, I never seen that one before..." isn't a reason for ruling a balk.

Next: "how a lefty lifts his leg straight up, knee nor foot cross the plane of the rubber, then steps to third. But also using that same motion, slides and goes home"—this doesn't make sense. Either F1 picks up to the knee to the balance point, OR he does a slide step. Can't be both: a slide step moves the free foot directly to the plate to start the pitch instead of lifting the knee. F1 sacrifices some power for speed of delivery.

Last: you can't find a rule citation because no rule is violated here. Rule citations are required by those claiming that there is a violation, because in that case some specific provision has been violated.

Addressing 'Next': You're right, my words were unclear: I just meant, he has a good move to 3rd, good move home. I shouldn't have added the slide step at all. I just meant, he has several ways to deliver his pitch in his arsenal, and doesn't do the same thing, or something 'all the time'.

Addressing 'First': So we didn't rule it a balk. We let the kid pitch, and he threw a can of corn down the middle of the plate, that the batter just watched, because his own coach was yelling balk so loud, the batter froze. The pitcher never froze, and if he had I would have (possibly wrongly), ruled it a balk for stopping. We saw obvious continuous motion.

Addressing Last: That's what our mindset has always been (this partner and I work together often). He's safe, until you see an out. It's not a balk, until he balks it. I was just asking that if it WAS a balk, was there a citation on that move, the leg moving up and down multiple times, 'something abnormal to his normal pitching motion', or something that I missed. Obviously, if it's not a balk, I don't expect a citation.

Thanks Maven. I appreciate you.
 

[noumpere]

It might be a balk for making a motion associated with the pitch and not completing it.

 

Once the leg starts down, F1 (might) needs to throw (or feint where allowed) or pitch.

 

From J/R: