Quote:
Originally posted by Illini_Ref
Joe West called an IP in the Cardinal-Pirate game tonight. The Pirate pitcher was in the windup with nobody on base. He brought his right knee up (he was a LHP) and held it up for abouttwo seconds, stopping his motion. He then continued and delivered the pitch. West called an IP. Is that a good call? It seems to be a proibited act according to OBR and NFHS. They both say that after the TOP, the pitcher has to deliver the ball without interruption. NF says that a violation is an IP, but there is no penalty mentioned in OBR that I see.
What do you think??? The Pirates are playing the game under protest, although it is a moot point know because the run didn't score. It was on a 3-2 pitch, so it resulted in a walk.
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Here's what MLB.com (Mathew Leach) had to say in one of game wraps:
What might have been a brief, crisp game was twice interrupted -- first by a contested call and later by rain. Pittsburgh played the game under protest after Sanders was awarded a second-inning walk due to Oliver Perez
"altering his pitching motion." Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon argued at length, followed by an extended discussion among the umpiring crew.
"He stopped and started three times throughout that whole windup," said Sanders. "So it was weird."
Later, a mighty rainstorm (snip)
Sanders was leading off the inning, and the altered motion occurred on a 3-2 count.
Jaksa/Roder make clear that an illegal pitch is one that is intended to deceive the batter. Perhaps the PU felt that the pause was so long that it violated the spirit of the rule. Probably the batter wouldn't feel that he could successfully ask for time, and yet the timing of the at bat is clearly significantly altered.
Dave