Balks, another year in review

[Umpire942]

We all know all umpire positions call balks.  Sometimes we let ticky tack things go, sometimes.  But I feel letting them go can get you in trouble the next game.  Here are some that  have come up, please let me know if i was correct.

 

1) from stretch position (not yet coming set), the pitcher 1) picked up his pivot foot and moved it to the corner of the rubber, 2) be slide his foot .  He picked it up, I did not call it, conferred with partner he said eh, i saw it too but he stayed in contact so hes ok.  

 

2) from the wind up, with runners on, hands together feet apart, im on the plate, pitcher moves his pivot foot to a wider stance.  I called a balk.  Did not get an argument, but heard "hes in the wind up how can he balk" from the crowd bla bla.

 

3) This is a pitche thats hard to run on.  At first I had balk (didnt call it, nobody noticed either) Hes coming set, and hes rocking forward, back, forward, back, and then slides step to the plate.  The first time i saw it i thought balk, not enough stop there, runner had no chance to read.  Then as i continued to watch, he did it everytime (even though thats not a rule if he does it every time).  I later told his father, its a nice set, but Im pretty sure its a balk, but some umpires like me will let it go (hahah).  (off topic) I said if he does get called, he should roll that into a pick off , and would not be a balk and get lots of runners.

 

4) Hybrid stance, runners on.  (i or he didnt tell me if hes in the set or the wind up), first delivery looked windup.  Second looked set, and inside move to second.  Do i have to ask him every time each pitch is it stretch or wind up here?

 

5)Stretch position, but when comes set the pivot foot heal comes up (not the toe)

 

6) This one is a balk, but i dont know why parents, coaches let them develop or do this.  Runners on or not, they are in a stretch, come set, then wind up.  The pitcher knows no other way to deliver.  Do i have to run the guy off the mound balking him every time so he ends up no where near being able to throw strikes with nobody on?

[grayhawk]

50 minutes ago, Umpire942 said:

1) from stretch position (not yet coming set), the pitcher 1) picked up his pivot foot and moved it to the corner of the rubber, 2) be slide his foot .  He picked it up, I did not call it, conferred with partner he said eh, i saw it too but he stayed in contact so hes ok.  

Is he (1) just engaging the runner, or had he (2) already engaged, looking in, and then moves his pivot foot? 1 is okay, 2 is a balk.

51 minutes ago, Umpire942 said:

2) from the wind up, with runners on, hands together feet apart, im on the plate, pitcher moves his pivot foot to a wider stance.  I called a balk.  Did not get an argument, but heard "hes in the wind up how can he balk" from the crowd bla bla.

Similar question as above. If he's already engaged, then it's a balk.

52 minutes ago, Umpire942 said:

3) This is a pitche thats hard to run on.  At first I had balk (didnt call it, nobody noticed either) Hes coming set, and hes rocking forward, back, forward, back, and then slides step to the plate. 

If his whole body doesn't come to a discernible stop, then it's a balk if he pitches.

53 minutes ago, Umpire942 said:

4) Hybrid stance, runners on.  (i or he didnt tell me if hes in the set or the wind up), first delivery looked windup.  Second looked set, and inside move to second.  Do i have to ask him every time each pitch is it stretch or wind up here?

Rule set? In NCAA, if his pivot foot is parallel to the rubber, then he's assumed to be in the set. If he winds up from that position with a runner on without declaring, it's a balk. If his pivot foot isn't parallel, then he's in the windup.

55 minutes ago, Umpire942 said:

5)Stretch position, but when comes set the pivot foot heal comes up (not the toe)

As part of his delivery? Or does it come up as a separate movement?

56 minutes ago, Umpire942 said:

6) This one is a balk, but i dont know why parents, coaches let them develop or do this.  Runners on or not, they are in a stretch, come set, then wind up.  The pitcher knows no other way to deliver.  Do i have to run the guy off the mound balking him every time so he ends up no where near being able to throw strikes with nobody on?

Just grab the illegal pitch the first time it happens. He'll figure out another way to pitch. If he can't throw strikes, then he'll get replaced. Find another pitching coach, kid.

[Umpire942]

 

So we are pretty much all in agreement.  All were engaged. in 1.2

4) this was OBR

5)Stretch position, but when comes set the pivot foot heal comes up (not the toe)

- As part of his delivery? Or does it come up as a separate movement?

When he brings his hands together, not during the pitch.  I didnt call this one as i thought he was still touching.

 

I do have one more.  regular stretch and set, but when hes coming set, ball and hands are not together, only at the very end do they come together.  Almost everytime i have seen it, its one time mishap on the pitcher, or they try to step off.

[grayhawk]

38 minutes ago, Umpire942 said:

When he brings his hands together, not during the pitch.  I didnt call this one as i thought he was still touching.

Hard to really picture. Strange that he would want his heel up because you can't pitch properly that way. I would have to see it.

 

39 minutes ago, Umpire942 said:

4) this was OBR

I'm not really up on the OBR rules with respect to what position requires the pitcher to declare. Someone else can jump in.

40 minutes ago, Umpire942 said:

I do have one more.  regular stretch and set, but when hes coming set, ball and hands are not together, only at the very end do they come together.  Almost everytime i have seen it, its one time mishap on the pitcher, or they try to step off.

As long as his hands come together at some point in the process of coming set, it's fine. But if it's a distinctly separate movement after the rest of his body has come to a stop, then I would balk him.