RHP pickoff at first

[mcrowder]

You guys say it's possible - I say it's difficult. One even said that saying it's difficult is absurd.

Go try this without moving your pivot foot, and try not to break your right ankle. It is certainly possible - but it is SURELY difficult. Most of the time if a pitcher actually tries this without a LOT of practice, the pivot comes off, to the FRONT of the base.

[bob jenkins]

Originally posted by scyguy
FED 6-1-3
.....the pitcher may TURN on his pivot foot or LIFT it in a jump turn to step with the non-pivot foot toward a base while throwing or feinting .... or he may LIFT his pivot foot in a step backward.

Now, I have NEVER seen a pitcher who stepped with his non-pivot to first keep his ENTIRE pivot foot in contact with the rubber. This would be such an awkward move, I don't anticipate ever seeing it. If I am visualizing this move correctly, the only way it could be interpreted a balk is if it violated not turning his pivot.

Are you saying that IF F1 somehow managed to throw to first from the set position while keeping his pivot foot perfectly still (e.g., still in the hole in front of the rubber, toes pointed to third) you'd balk this?

I think you're (again) reading the book too literally. The reason it doesn't discuss this "move" is because it doesn't happen. F1 always pivots on the pivot foot (or makes a jump turn).

Besides which, I see nothing in the original post that indicates that this is what happened -- only that there wasn't a step-off or a jump turn. I suspect it was the perfectly legal pivot-and-throw move that was in question.

[Tim C]

. . . slow down for a second, please.

50 years ago the ONLY way a RH pitcher tossed over to first was to "turn" on his pivot foot and throw to first and was ALWAYS in contact with the pitcher's plate.

By about 1962 coaches had perfected and devloped the "step off" movement. You will not find any reference to an OBR rules change that deals with this. Easy enough since we had always had a legal way to disengage from the pitcher's plate pitchers just started using in and incorporated throwing to first from this movement.

Now we fast forward to the 1980's when college pitcher's started using the "jump turn" to throw to first. It was decided, first by "tradition", that this move was legal and would be considered "in contact" with the plate. No problem.

Then that pesky Greg Maddox (or one will say Jim Porter) invented the jab step where F1 takes the pivot foot and stabs it directly towards third base then turns and throws to first. This move, again through tradition, was placed into common usage at all big boy levels. And, yet again, was considered to be "in contact" with the pitcher's plate.

So now we have a number of ways that a RH pitcher can throw legally to first base. Step off, jump turn, jab step and spin have all been accepted as legal procedures in holding a runner by a RHP.

I have read the original post three times (which means nothing since sometimes I read what I "think" is there rather than what is "actually" there) and the umpire's explanation is just plain wrong.

[scyguy]

I'm sure you are right Bob, I don't think I would ever see this either. If a pitcher did do this I would probably walk up to him and see if he broke his ankle.

[UmpJM]

Bob,

I was reading the exact opposite from the comment - i.e. that they would balk the move if the pitcher did not keep his pivot foot "motionless", toes pointing to 3B. That is, they would balk the (RH) pitcher fot "pivoting" (i.e. "turning") on his "pivot foot" in a pickoff to 1B.

Now I do agree that that would be a very difficult move - probably more likely to tear up your knee than break your ankle.

But I certainly don't think the rule proscribes such a pivot.

JM