Quote:
Originally posted by bossman72
Had this in my game the other day:
Pitcher tries the old "third to first" pickoff move in the third inning and does it legally by stepping to third, then removing his pivot foot from the rubber, then making a move to first.
Later in the game, he tries it again, but he doesn't remove his pivot foot from the rubber. I call balk. Coach goes nuts. He wants a rule reference on why this is a balk, and i couldn't recite an exact rule (OBR) but i said he must disengage before making his move to first.
So help me out guys. What rule is he breaking when he does not remove his foot from the rubber?
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I assure you, the pitcher
did break contact with the rubber ... and I don't even have to have seen the play.
Try it yourself!
There is simply no way a right-handed pitcher can step toward 3rd and then throw to 1st and not break contact with the rubber with his pivot foot unless he is Gumby!
He may not have done it as soon as you would have like ... but it happened.
The only time I ever call a balk on that maneuver is if it looks like ONE maneuver. If I see "two parts" to the move, then it's almost impossible for the move to be illegal.
David Emerling
Memphis, TN