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Originally Posted by TussAgee11
At what point did your player throw to the base. I'm having a hard time visualizing how a pitcher who is facing the plate can "unmistakingly" step towards a base.
Did he start his windup (pivot foot remaining, other foot comes off, then kicks into the air, and then to the base)? Obvious balk.
Or was he righty that brought the hands together and somehow twisted his body directly towards first?
Again, I have a hard time seeing how this pitcher couldn't commit to the plate while throwing to a base. Perhaps the umpire saw some sort of commitment during the move (does the step need to be less than 45 degrees?), which would be judgement.
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He was just standing on the rubber with his hands together, and had not started his motion according to the OP. A pitcher most certainly can step and throw to a base from this position. Once the pitcher begins his pitching motion, he is committed to pitch the ball from the windup. Prior to this he may legally deceive the runner by stepping and throwing to a base. Some coaches think that all deception is a balk, when deception is not necessarily illegal.