[GarthB]

Pete:

The balk described by Jim is covered by OBR 8.05(j) and is listed in the Official Rules of Baseball: Annotated, and by other historians, authorities and writers as a deceptive balk, not a mechanincal balk.

8.05 (j)
The pitcher, after coming to a legal pitching position, removes one hand from the ball other than in an actual pitch, or in throwing to a base;

This is one of the “newer” balks, added in 1920. Once the pitcher brings his hands together in front of him (in either wind-up or set position), he is not allowed to take a hand off the ball except in his release when pitching, or throwing to a base. This does not prevent him from adjusting the ball in his glove and then taking his hand off the ball. That is ruled a prepatory movement.

Evans lists as "deceptive balks" 8.05 (g)(i)(j)(k)(m). The list of deceptive balks is pretty much universally accepted.

The debate in categorizing balks has been more in the areas of mechanic balks and penal balks.

Mechanical: The pitcher simply isn’t proceeding in his mechanics as section 8.01 would have him.

Penal: Certain actions by a pitcher, so says the rules committee, are just plain illegal and the appropriate penalty, therefore, is a balk.

Again, there is some debate into which category the remaining balks fall, however one common list is:

Mechanic balks: 8.05 (c)(e)(f)
Penal Balks: 8.05(b)(d)(h)(l)

The balk has been with us for a very long time. The Original Major League Code of 1876 stated, in part:

Rule IV. Pitching
Section 5. Should the pitcher make any motion to deliver the ball to the bat and fail so to deliver it - except the ball be accidentally dropped. The umpire shall call a “balk,” and players occupying the bases shall take one base each.

While on the surface it might appear that the rule pertained to the batter/pitcher relationship, it was actually an early effort to prevent the defense from taking an undue advantage of the baserunners. Baseball has always been slightly tilted to the offense, and if there were no rule regarding pitchers’ mechanics and practices, the baserunners would be severely hampered in their ability and opportunity to lead off, steal bases and, ultimately, score runs. The powers that be of baseball have always kknow that running, stealing and scoring are far more exciting to the fans than pick-offs.


Thus the balk came into being to prevent the defense from "illegally" deceiving the runner(s) and to prevent the "stifling" of offense.

In practice, the history and intent of the rule is usually taken into consideration at the higher amateur levels (NCAA). The result is the Adavantage/Disadvantage conisderation given to some balk "situations".

Example:

: A pitcher, with the ball in his possession will often move around trying to get comfortable with the rubber prior to taking his signals. In the process he may engage and disengage the rubber several times as he seeks the right “fit.” Technically, this could be called a balk. But what advantage has he gained? He hasn’t checked in for his sign yet and this “nesting” motion is fooling no one. To the seasoned umpire, no advantage, no stifling, no balk.

Jon Bible, former NCAA Coordinator of Umpires agreeing with the “advantage/disadvantage” theory has said:

“The balk rule, in my view, is perhaps the most misunderstood and misapplied rules... In implementing the balk rule one must keep in mind that there may be a variety of things that a pitcher does that technically may constitute a balk but that should never be called because they put no one at an unfair disadvantage.”

This theory, obviously, is a hot button with some. But the reality is, this is the way the balk is called at higher levels by experienced and succesful umpires.

On another board someone suggested that this practice is designed to keep younger umpires out of the upper hierarchy. Nonsense. The requirments of such a conspiracy on a national level are too numerous and cumbersome and would be impossible to be kept from the public. Instead, this is the result of years of practice by umpires who only reach these levels by succeeding in their craft AND by being students of the game and knowing not only the word of the rule but the heart and soul as well.


Garth