Inside move, is this a step off???

[Double Up]

Morning.  After another weekend of fun at the local youth baseball tournament,  I thought I'd ask the group to weigh in. 

OBR 

R1 and R3.   F1 makes an inside move to 2B which is unoccupied,  no throw, just step offs in the direction of 2B.   R1 does not leave early,  in fact, R1 does not even run on the leg lift. I suspect this is a balk. the ball was not thrown, but the move was made to a unoccupied base.  the umpire justified the  inside move to second base as a "step off"  and no balk was enforced.

 

 

 

 

[834k3r]

3 minutes ago, Double Up said:

Morning.  After another weekend of fun at the local youth baseball tournament,  I thought I'd ask the group to weigh in. 

OBR 

R1 and R3.   F1 makes an inside move to 2B which is unoccupied,  no throw, just step offs in the direction of 2B.   R1 does not leave early,  in fact, R1 does not even run on the leg lift. I suspect this is a balk. the ball was not thrown, but the move was made to a unoccupied base.  the umpire justified the  inside moe to second base as a "step off"  and no balk was enforced.

I'd balk it.

Inside move is not a step off, IMHO.

EDIT:  assuming R1 isn't making an attempted steal.

[Double Up]

40 minutes ago, 834k3r said:

I'd balk it.

Inside move is not a step off, IMHO.

EDIT:  assuming R1 isn't making an attempted steal.

my thoughts exactly. 

[maven]

As described, this might well be a balk for stepping and throwing/feinting a throw to an unoccupied base. The ball not being thrown is moot: it's a balk whether he throws or feints to an unoccupied 2B.

Caveats:

1. If R1 makes any significant or noticeable move toward 2B prior to F1's feint, I'm probably ruling the feint legal—such a move invokes the exception to throwing/feinting to an unoccupied base.
2. If R1 does in fact disengage legally, it's obviously not a balk; but a jump move is not a legal disengagement—if both feet move or leave the ground approximately simultaneously, it's not a legal disengagement, no matter where the pivot foot happens to land.

[noumpere]

It's never a step off.  Might be a legal move / breaking contact with the rubber / reset (as described above).

[Kevin_K]

Wait...... what about IITBTSB?

[grayhawk]

1 hour ago, Kevin_K said:

Wait...... what about IITBTSB?

Maybe it should be IITBTAOSB?

[noumpere]

1 hour ago, Kevin_K said:

Wait...... what about IITBTSB?

He who coined that phrase would say something like, "It's a start-stop balk to the plate."

 

The phrase was never meant to say "it's impossible to balk with a runner at second" or "it's impossible to balk when making a move toward second."

[Double Up]

8 minutes ago, noumpere said:

He who coined that phrase would say something like, "It's a start-stop balk to the plate."

 

The phrase was never meant to say "it's impossible to balk with a runner at second" or "it's impossible to balk when making a move toward second."

funny you should mention that because that was one thought that had occurred,  it's really difficult if not impossible to balk to second base, provided one clears the rubber in making the move to 2B.   I guess that theory has been disproven. 

[Biscuit]

10 hours ago, Double Up said:

funny you should mention that because that was one thought that had occurred,  it's really difficult if not impossible to balk to second base, provided one clears the rubber in making the move to 2B.   I guess that theory has been disproven. 

It's difficult... But I've seen it done. 

[The Man in Blue]

Never underestimate the power of random stupidity . . .