Quote:
Originally posted by Bfair
Quote:
Originally posted by Dave Hensley
I'm OK with the balk call here. It's sort of akin to the pitcher who legally disengages but raises his hands in a windup-simulation to achieve a similar kind of deception.
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This pitcher has done nothing illegal except telegraph that he must step backward with his pivot foot (which I assume he eventually did). It sounds amongst the worst pickoff moves ever made. Are we now to put parameters on how high or how low his pivot foot must rise in order to step backward off the rubber?
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Well, yes. In disengaging the rubber, the pitcher is expected to do so with some normalcy. There is an instructional statement in 8.05 Penalty that is relevant to this situation:
Umpires should bear in mind that the purpose of the balk rule is to prevent the pitcher from deliberately deceiving the base runner. If there is doubt in the umpire's mind, the “intent” of the pitcher should govern.
In the situation as given, the pitcher is deliberately simulating a pitching motion with his pivot foot. How is this different from the pitcher who steps off while raising his hands over his head in a simulated windup motion? In both cases, the pitcher is deliberately deceiving the base runner with a BS move. Balk it and nip that s--t in the bud.