[BigUmp56]

Originally Posted by mbyron

I had one of our association's notorious Smitties again tonight for a double header. Sweet man, been doing baseball since the Cleveland Spiders played. But oh, what a Smitty.

Last time we worked, we had a disagreement about balks. He declared that, with R3, the pitcher could not throw to F5 away from the base, and if he did it was a balk. I said nope. Dear old Smitty insisted that the rule was F1 has to throw to the base, and encouraged me to go look it up when I got home.

He followed up with me today, asking if I looked it up. Still insists that throwing to F5 away from the base is a balk. What would you tell Smitty?

I'd tell him there's an "umpire org" in Georgia that doesn't require ejection reports in a timely manner looking for him. Then I'd ask him if it's legal to feint a throw to third from the rubber as long the pitcher steps ahead of the feint.



Tim.