View Single Post
  #112 (permalink)  
Old Wed Jun 01, 2005, 11:39pm
Dave Hensley Dave Hensley is offline
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Posts: 768
[QUOTE]Originally posted by cbfoulds
Quote:
Some time back, I'm BU; RHP uses a very unremarkable stretch/step/pitch kinda motion for 3 innings. 4th inning, R2: same F1 makes a VERY different move; hard to describe, but he brings his left knee up sharply, across his body toward 2d turning his torso as well, although his left foot does NOT cross behind the rubber [not that it matters, in this case]. R2 and the base coaches conclude that F1 is going to 2d, but they are very wrong, as he continues his motion and delivers to the plate "without hesitation or interruption", while R2 is picking himself out of the dirt.

Let us be clear: there was nothing about the "new" motion that in any way violated any of the published pitching rules- it was, by itself, mechanically a perfectly legal delivery. It was, however, clearly "intended to deceive" the runner [and maybe the batter]; and it suceeded spectacularly in doing so.

Some people on the field [including one of the officials] though this was a balk, because F1 "intentionally deceived" the runner.

WOULD YOU [and maybe Jim E.] AGREE? Or would you agree with the other half of the observers, who saw no balk.
I can speak unequivocally for me, and only hypothetically (but rather confidently) for Mr. Evans. No balk.

As Evans said in his response to the play in this thread, "Deception is acceptable as long as it is mechanically legal. (Otherwise, how would a pitcher ever pickoff a runner?)

I see that statement as definitively answering your question, but I would add that the old "he does it on every pitch, so it must be OK..." is an old umpires' wives tale. A pitcher is obliged to pitch legally; he is under no obligation to pitch with the same motion on every pitch. High leg kick or slide step, set or windup, Luis Tiant move or Jamie Moyer - it doesn't matter, as long as it is legal.

The illegal mechanic in the inciting play was the unorthodox disengagement. Combined with the judgement that the move was calculated to trick a runner into believing a motion to pitch had begun, judging the move to be a balk is fully consistent with the spirit and intent (and letter) of the balk rules.