[bluezebra]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

I heard it during the Rockies/Phillies game this afternoon on the radio as I was driving. The radio announcer was explaining what would be a balk move for a left-handed pitcher's move to first. He said, "if the pitcher's knee goes past the rubber, he has to go to the plate or it's a balk." I nearly drove off the road.

Then, just a few minutes ago, I heard Ron Darling, a former Major League pitcher, say the EXACT same thing in the Cubs/D-Backs game. I'm yelling at the TV (irrational behavior, I realize, since they can't hear me .)

Did they change the rules while I wasn't looking from "free foot past the back edge of the pitcher's plate" to "free knee past the back edge of the pitcher's plate?" I don't remember any such rule change.

Now we will have more coaches quoting the rules as they heard them on radio and TV. Thanks guys.

Now we know why pitchers balk.

Bob