JSam21 Posted July 14 Report Posted July 14 2 minutes ago, jimurrayalterego said: After the 2013 balk MLB changed to any action by the batter, even in the box, could be cause for F1 to stop and not be balked. Did the thunder cause F1 to stop? Did the batter flinch? Was he ready to hit if he was lowering the bat? If I call time in that sit and someone wants to protest that it was a balk I have justification to not call a balk even if my initial judgement was to use common sense and kill it because of thunder. The pitcher stopped before the batter did anything. In fact, here is the pitcher's pivot foot already off of the plate the moment the batter's hands drop. He couldn't deliver a pitch if he wanted to at this point. At the end of the day, do it how you want to do it.
jimurrayalterego Posted July 14 Report Posted July 14 13 minutes ago, JSam21 said: The pitcher stopped before the batter did anything. In fact, here is the pitcher's pivot foot already off of the plate the moment the batter's hands drop. He couldn't deliver a pitch if he wanted to at this point. At the end of the day, do it how you want to do it. Notice that the bat has been brought down from his swinging position and he's not looking at the pitcher. You could probably make a case with frame by frame that the pitcher stopped first. Go ahead and do that if it will help you rationalize that a pro ump cannot have a bad judgement. Should he be balked if he started running off the field as in the 2013 clip?
834k3r Posted July 14 Report Posted July 14 3 hours ago, JSam21 said: So... its a balk? By the book, sure. But when it comes to adjudication of the scenario in the "real world", I'd like to think I'd be more like the MLB crew rather than the MiLB crew.
JSam21 Posted July 15 Report Posted July 15 On 7/14/2025 at 2:55 PM, jimurrayalterego said: Notice that the bat has been brought down from his swinging position and he's not looking at the pitcher. You could probably make a case with frame by frame that the pitcher stopped first. Go ahead and do that if it will help you rationalize that a pro ump cannot have a bad judgement. Should he be balked if he started running off the field as in the 2013 clip? No… because he never started his pitch in the 2013 clip. If he had started his pitch... then yes a balk call would be appropriate.
JSam21 Posted July 15 Report Posted July 15 4 hours ago, 834k3r said: By the book, sure. But when it comes to adjudication of the scenario in the "real world", I'd like to think I'd be more like the MLB crew rather than the MiLB crew. There is a key difference between the two situations. The pitch had already begun in one and not in the other. Again… call it however you wish. I don’t have an issue with the balk call. 1
SH0102 Posted July 15 Report Posted July 15 I am fine with the debate about whether the Thunder balk should be called or not, but saying the pitcher stopped bc of the batter is ridiculous. To argue he was pitching through the Thunder and then stopped bc batter flinched or dropped hands is trying to fabricate a story to fit a narrative. Saying spirit of rules should mean no balk and reset situation is justifiable to at least argue and debate, saying it’s bc of the batter is not 1
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