Quote:
Originally posted by DG
"It is now legal for a pitcher to turn his shoulders to check a runner if he is in the set position and in contact with the pitcher's plate."
"Turning the shoulders after bringing the hands together during or after the stretch is also a balk."
Please someone explain this to me. Would the pitcher not be in set position when he brings his hands together after the stretch? These two sentences seem to contradict.
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DG:
What many people call the stretch position is properly called the set. (Remember, a pitcher doesn't have to stretch. But he must come to a stop.) With that in mind...
You're not a FED umpire, or you'd get this right away. Here, from one of my articles over on the paid side, is information about a pitcher turning his shoulders:
1988: Rumble to Referee: Moving the shoulders after intentionally contacting the pitcherÂ’s plate is a balk. The BRD carried that as an official interpretation in the 1989 edition, the first published by Referee Enterprises..
1990: The same interpretation appears in the case book (6.1.1g)
1992: The case book ruling is a Point of Emphasis.
1993: For the first time in the rule book FED prohibits turning the shoulders while intentionally in contact with the pitcher's plate.
1997-1998: The infraction is once again a Point of Emphasis.
According to Bob Pariseau from San Francisco, that was part of the "dumbing" down of FED umpires: They can't tell the difference between a feint (quick moving of the shoulders to fool the runner) and a check of the runner (anything slower than a feint). So we'll take it out of their hands. Now they don't have to judge what shoulder movement is a feint.
Any shoulder movement is a balk.
The problem was that Brad Rumble didn't realize that NCAA and OBR call it a balk when the pitcher swings his shoulders
after he's come to the pause in the set position. He ruled it was a balk anytime.
Just so we're clear: Now
before coming to the pause in the set position, the pitcher may turn his shoulders (slowly, grin) to check a runner. If he does it after the stop, it's a balk.
But the FED always does something wrong, it seems. They've decided it's a balk if the pitcher while in the wind-up position, swings his shoulders to check runners.
Why? That can't fool anyone because it's
illegal for a FED pitcher to attempt a pick-off from the wind-up.
As I am wont to say, "Lah me!"