[Dave Hensley]

Originally posted by bob jenkins

What's the (general) purpose of the balk rule? To limit the deception of a runner by the pitcher.

How does the move described deceive the runner? It doesn't.

It was a "strange" step, true. But it was a step.

Not a balk.

Ah, yes. Thank you for bringing the issue back from the "how many umpires can dance on the head of a pin" realm, to the key issue - what is the general purpose of the balk rule?

I think if you re-read the original post, you will see that the umpire judged the pitcher's move to be a calculated attempt to deceive the runner, before then initiating a pickoff attempt. Specifically, he was simulating the high leg kick a pitcher sometimes performs with his FREE foot that commits such pitcher to the pitch. He was doing it with his pivot foot instead of his free foot, but the slow deliberate motion that LOOKS LIKE the free foot kick could, theoretically, trick a somewhat inattentive runner into believing the pitcher had begun a motion that committed him to the pitch.

Now, you Darwinians are apparently content to say, well OK, if the runner is THAT stupid, he deserves to be deceived by this motion and picked off. But unfortunately, that lily-livered pinko rulebook protects that runner from such acts of deception. The move is a balk. It is crystal clear that it was designed to deceive the runner. By specific, explicit rule which I've already quoted a few miles upstream in this thread, it is a balk.

It is no different from the balk move of simulating a windup motion by stepping back with the pivot foot and simultaneously raising the hands in a windup motion, then quickly turning and picking off the runner. In this move, once again, the "wrong" foot is leading the move, but it is expected that the runner won't notice this, and will then be fooled by the additional windup motion move.

Really, guys, think about this move. It's not "just something weird" that the pitcher has innocently gotten into the habit of. It is a planned, calculated move, probably cooked up by an Emerling-coach-type, practiced and executed in order to deceive a baserunner into lengthening his lead because he believes the pitcher has committed himself to the pitch.

And Bfair, it's nice to have you back but please, check the condescension at the door. Do you really want Bfair Version 2.0 to simply be deja vu all over again?