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Old Mon May 31, 2010, 11:11am
David B David B is offline
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Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 1,772
Quote:
Originally Posted by mbyron View Post
I disagree with both your general claim and your specific claim.

Virtually every balk I see in MLB is obvious to me. Usually it's a flinch after coming set, or more properly, starting and stopping. Sometimes it's hard to see given one camera angle, but another one will show the balk.

I believe that both balk calls against Buehrle the other day were called because he made a move to home and then stepped and threw to 1B. One was quite obvious: though his foot moved to 1B, his entire upper body was moving toward the plate. That's a balk.

IMO, the only reason people have trouble understanding balks is that they don't bother to learn the rules. I'm including the announcers. It just ain't that difficult.
Well if its that obvious then I wonder why we have some very good umpires who have debated this for days on this site.

And the pitcher in question has been making this same move all season long and suddenly now its a balk?

Hmm. I agree that its not that hard, but in MLB its not always cut and dry.

At least that is my observation. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion of course.

Thanks
David
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