[mbyron]

Here's the rule you've cited, PS:

"Failing to pitch to the batter in a continuous motion immediately after any movement of any part of the body such as he habitually uses in his delivery."---Rule 6-2-4d

Now, you want to read that as saying that the pitcher can't change his motion? Everyone else here - EVERYONE - is saying that you're wrong. Do we need to parse the rule? This is probably a waste of time, but my dinner is cooking so what the hell.

First: the opening of the rule has been omitted. F1 is guilty of a balk for...

Second: as with any rule specifying a balk, this one is a conditional. That is, IF [some event occurs] THEN [it is a balk]. To understand the rule, you have to understand the logic of the conditional.

Third: so what is the condition here? IF ... what? The pitcher makes "any movement of any part of the body...". Hold it right there.

Any movement? Not exactly. They provide an EXAMPLE: "such as" indicates an example or illustration. The example is, a movement "such as he habitually uses in his delivery." But what is that an example OF? It's an example of a pitching motion: the first part of our condition is that the pitcher makes a pitching motion, such as one he habitually uses. He might, of course, have more than one, or he might have none - it's just an example.

So IF he makes a pitching motion, such as one he habitually uses, AND ... what?

Fourth: he fails to come to the plate in a continuous motion. That's the first clause of the original rule, which we finally get around to in our reconstruction of this conditional. The final version is:

IF the pitcher makes a pitching motion with of any part of his body, for example movement habitually used in his delivery, AND he does not pitch to the batter, THEN it is a balk.

The original rule is not stated as clearly as it might be, since it has distorted the conditional structure of its own logic. But that is what the rule means. If not, you'll see a dozen posts right behind mine telling me I'm wrong. That's what this board is good for.

Finally: notice that this rule does not say that the pitcher must use the same motion each time he pitches. There is no such rule. The pitcher can change his motion, within the limits of 8.01(a) and (b), EVERY TIME HE PITCHES. Every pitch. Yes, that's right. We never see pitchers do that, of course, because it would make pitching nearly impossible - pitchers learn to have a consistent delivery so that the ball goes to your spots, but there's no rule prohibiting it. Or, more precisely, since the balk is a defined violation, there is no rule defining changing one's pitching motion as a balk.

This rule does not require that there be a movement that "he habitually uses in his delivery." Most pitchers, of course, have such habits, and umpires use them to judge when the pitching motion has begun. If it begins and stops, that's a balk. If it begins and the pitcher fails to pitch to the batter, then it's a balk. Oh, hey, that's this rule...

Stop the flame war, and tell me where you think this analysis goes wrong. It's not about experience or name calling, it's about the rule. You've appealed to the rule, I've explained it, and according to me, you're mistaken, PS.

If I have made a mistake, please correct it. If you can find another rule that says the pitcher MUST pitch with the same motion, please post it. I sincerely hope that your next post does one of these two things.

OK, my dinner's ready.