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Hmm,
Lapopez:
I have no idea how to convince you of anything. Several people have consistently tried to show you the light yet you can't seem to be able to accept the points.
We have four things that can happen:
1) A pitcher can go to his mouth anywhere during a high school baseball game except when he is in contact with the pitcher's plate. As long as he wipes he has violated no rule.
2) With no one on base and the pitcher goes to his mouth it is always determined to be an illegal pitch and the penalty of awarding a ball to the batter is what is done.
3) With runners on base and the pitcher in contact with the pitcher's plate any time that pitcher goes to his mouth it is a balk. The NFHS documentation says it is "for a motion that is associated with the start of a pitch." This does not matter if the pitcher is in the wind-up or set position. (It should also be noted here that the spring newsletter of 1994 (?) also noted that any movement by a pitcher -- eg: adjusting his cap, wiping his face, or shaking off the pitcher with his glove is also illegal and penalized by the call of balk.)
4) A pitcher that goes to his mouth while NOT in contact with the pitcher's plate and then goes directly to the pitcher's plate without wiping has violated a different rule (defacing the ball) and is either warned or an umpire (using his judgement) can simply call "TIME" ask for the ball and warn the offender.
Regards,
Tim Christensen
National Federation of State High Schools
Publication Committee
"High School Today"
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