Quote:
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Originally Posted by CO ump
Let me give you a sitch and tell me how you'd handle it.
I was doing 3 man last week when this happened.
R1, live ball, I'm in C
F1 steps on rubber in set position, PU is behind F2 but still casual.
PU had just asked for more game balls, a coach from 1st base dugout catches PUs attention (non verbal) and had two previously fouled gameballs.
PU steps out from behind plate as a bench player runs out the balls.
F1 seeing the PU step away to retrieve balls casually steps off the rubber but with wrong foot first. In C position I'm seeing the same thing F1 is and I let the balk slide. My P in short A however does not notice what's happening at the plate and calls a balk.
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The bolded areas show the mistake that was made in this case. The PU should have done the same thing a pro umpire does when he requests more baseballs from the dugout. The umpire will signal the number of balls he wants from the bench, then wait until after the next pitch or play to have the ball boy run them out to him. He does not hold up the game with the pitcher on his plate and ready to go, which wastes time and interupts the flow.
This was poor game management. The PU should have held up his hand like a stop sign toward the coach who was getting his attention, and said something to the effect of, "next play, Skip," or "Hang on to 'em." Then after the next pitch or play, had the bench player trot out the baseballs. The pitcher should not have been put in that position to start with, as he was ready, and the ball was alive and in play.