[Carl Childress]

Originally posted by Bfair

Is this written by the same person who wrote in his book that he wouldn't balk a pitcher who, from the windup position, steps off the rubber with the wrong foot after his coach has alerted him to throw from the stretch?

Is this choosing which rule to enforce or not to enforce?
Does this mean he disrespects himself?
Is he therefore dishonest?


So the question might be..........
Have you called every balk you've seen occur?

And the answer most of us would say is "No, I haven't!"
In fact, I'll bet there may be other rules that at times we have overlooked.

Hmmmm.......it looks like we are a very dishonest and disrespected bunch not only lacking respect, but in some cases, lacking self-respect.........

Just my opinion,

Freix

From 51 Ways to Ruin a Baseball Game, Right Sports, Inc., 2002:
Call a (highly) technical balk

Perhaps I should have skipped this one, but I am if anything courageous. My mother always called that “foolhardy.” What’s in a name?

My first speech at the Texas State Umpires’ Meeting was entitled “How to Call a Perfect Game, or Why I Got Scratched in Brownsville.” The idea was that there are certain calls an umpire may make that are exactly by the book but wrong for that game, any game really.

You’ll recall I said we may ignore some rules. A technical balk is one. Wait up: You might even agree with me.

Play 9: R1. The pitcher assumes the set position. The umpire notices F1's pivot foot extends about two inches outside the edge of the pitcher’s plate. He stretches, he discernibly stops, he fires. Blue screams: “That’s a balk! Time! You – second base.” Ruling: The umpire has made a correct call.

He’s also made a stupid call.

The “reason” for the rule is so the pitcher cannot creep 10 or 12 inches closer to first. But when the amateur pitcher sets his foot outside the rubber, he’s not cheating. Generally, there’s a hole that gets dug in front of the rubber, so most pitchers are simply trying to find a comfortable spot from which to deliver. They are close to the proper spot; “close” is good enough.

My advice: Make that a “fix it” rule. That is, ignore it until somebody calls it to your attention. (They never will.) Then, enforce it equally for both sides. In the meantime, don’t try to call a perfect game. Ignore highly technical balks. Like this one.

Play 10: R3, 1 out. The pitcher is in the wind-up position. His coach yells: “Bubba, get’n the stretch!” Bubba very carefully and slowly, without moving his arms, steps back from the pitcher’s plate with his non-pivot foot first. Ruling: “That’s a balk!”

Don’t call it!

Face it: Everybody in the park knows what Bubba is doing. He is not trying to deceive the runner. True, he has committed a highly technical balk, but he placed no runner at a disadvantage. The purpose of requiring a pitcher to step back first with his pivot foot when he disengages the rubber is to prevent him from simulating a pitch. If Bubba in Play 10 had raised his arms at the moment he stepped back, that would have been a real balk.

Note: Suppose the pitcher stepped back correctly with his pivot foot but raised his arms at that moment. That, too, would be a real balk – at most levels. Dave Yeast, director of umpires for the NCAA, posted on the an Internet message board, 3/17/00, that such a move is not a balk in the college ranks. After reading NCAA 9-3-m, I am not convinced.

Now, you can email me at the address listed on the copyright page [[email protected]] and argue this point all you want: “Carl, a balk is a balk is a balk. If you don’t call it, the offensive coach is going to be welded to your face.” I promise not to scream or cuss. I like to discuss knotty problems. My position is that there are three kinds of balks: technical, penalty, and deceptive. The main idea: You ought to save your breath for the latter two.

Everyone will note I'm talking about a technical balk that can occur at any level (stepping off with the wrong foot). I'm not talking about a proprietary balk specific to one book only (such as the former FED "shoulder-turn" balk).

I am glad for a chance to plug my book. (grin)