Quote:
Originally posted by BayouUmp
8.05
The pitcher, while touching his plate, makes any motion naturally associated with his pitch and fails to make such delivery
Whether he 'intendeded' to throw to 2nd is irrelevent...he failed. If a RHP brings his left leg up and back, then comes toward the plate (falling or otherwise) without delivering the pitch, it is a balk. I guess you had to be there.
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Sorry, that excuse won't work. You said he fell down "(while attempting to spin)." That simply cannot be interpretaed as a "motion naturally associated with his pitch."
Sir, pitchers have been falling down on the mound for years. If it happens while he is trying to do anything other than pitch or throw to first, it ain't a balk.
Runners on the corners. The pitcher tries the 3-1 move, but when he steps toward third, he trips and falls off the mound. Sure, R1 is gonna take second on the play. But you're not gonna balk in R3, are you?
Now, there's a FED casebook play where the pitcher, with the bases empty, falls down and doesn't deliver within 20 seconds. The umpire is to award a ball to the batter. (6.1.2a)
But if he does, I hope his clicker stops working in the middle of the championship game. (Where he has the plate, of course, Fronheiser.)