Quote:
Originally posted by UMP25
Quote:
Originally posted by PWL
Speaking of the dead ball balk rule. I had to enforce the catcher's balk of all things the other day. The catcher moved up and over so much before the pitcher even started his delivery it was patethic. I gave him a warning. He did it again about two batters later and I balked him. He was so far out and over he was in the next batter's box. A few innings later he moved real far over, but the pitch was right over the plate, and the batter smoked it over the left centerfield fence. Glad I decided to let it go that time.
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THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS A CATCHER'S BALK!!!
Only the pitcher balks. Period.
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Only the pitcher is charged with balks, but the catcher can cause a balk on an intentional walk, and that balk is commonly referred to as a "catcher's balk."
I'm not sure if PWL's example is a balk, however. It looks like the catcher is setting up in his stance outside the box. This is not a balk. It is not legal either, and I would not tolerate this. I've seen it a lot, and why a coach would teach the catcher to leave the umpire unprotected is beyond me. I tell the catcher to get his butt in front of me and move his glove in and out for location, not his body. I further tell said catcher that his #1 job is to keep the ball off of me, and anything else is secondary to job #1.
This is the so-called "catcher's balk" rule:
Rule 4.03(a):
"When the ball is put in play at the start of, or during a game, all fielders other than the catcher shall be on fair territory. (a)The catcher shall station himself directly back of the plate. He may leave his position at any time to catch a pitch or make a play except that when the batter is being given an intentional base on balls, the catcher must stand with both feet within the lines of the catcher's box until the ball leaves the pitcher's hand.
Official Notes - Case Book - Comments: PENALTY: Balk."
From Jaska/Roder:
"It is a balk by the pitcher when:
While intentionally walking a batter, begins his motion to pitch while the catcher is outside of the catcher's box."
So, I think what happened with PWL may not have qualified as a balk, but needed to have a stop put to it none the less.
NOTE: Rule 4.03(a) is very rarely enforced as it is accepted that the catcher moves out of his box early on intentional walks. Only in blatant cases is it enforced.
[Edited by SanDiegoSteve on Mar 20th, 2006 at 02:32 AM]