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Old Wed Jul 11, 2007, 10:33pm
DG DG is offline
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Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: North Carolina
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Quote:
Originally Posted by David M
13 Year old Babe Ruth game on Sunday. Every time team A had a man on base the team B pitcher, who looked like he had little or no pitching experience, was balking (not coming to a stop) on every pitch. Team A had no problem stealing so I let the balks go and told the team B coach after the first inning. Fast forward to the 7th inning. The game is relatively close (3 or 4 runs) when I hear the coach of team B complaining about the team A pitcher not coming to a stop.

The lessons learned are that no one gets a break and that no good deed goes unpunished.
You started this 80 post (so far) diatribe about rats with this seemingly harmless post. Let me offer a suggestion for the next game where a young 13 year pitcher of little or no experience will not come to a stop.

After the half inning approach the HC, tell him his pitcher is not coming to a stop when runners are on base, ie a balk. You haven't called it because it is obvious that he his young and inexperienced and doesn't know any better. But this is an easy thing to instruct so you expect him to do so before he takes the mound again and if the pitcher will not come to a stop in the next inning you are going to balk him every time. A 13 year old should be able to understand STOP, otherwise he will never be a good pitcher.

If they are stealing so easily you may be actually saving time to balk the runner to 2B than letting the play go on. And, if the pitcher will STOP, for different amounts of time, it should lead to less steal attempts.

Give the other HC the same discussion if deserving and then there will be no need for the 7th inning complaint and you will have saved some future umpire a pain also.
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