Balk

[UmpJM]

During a game I was coaching tonight, one of the opposing team's pitchers had a delivery that I thought was a balk. After waching it twice in a row, I requested time and spoke to the home plate umpire about my belief. The umpires found me unpersuasive. At one point the opposing manager joined the conversation and, just as I was certain that his pitcher was balking, he was certain that his pitcher was perfectly legal. I dropped the discussion but told the other coach that I would post this question and send him the responses that I got regardless of what they said.

So, is the following a balk (please answer for both FED and OBR).

13/14 yr. old boys, 80 ft. diamond. RHP is pitching from Set with runners on base. After taking the rubber and getting his signs he comes to a legal set position with his hands together and comes to a complete stop. He then begins his delivery and starts to raise his left leg to balance. As his left leg reaches balance (thigh more or less parallel to the ground) he hangs his leg and comes to a complete stop. Momentarily, no part of his body is moving. He then completes his delivery of the pitch to the better.

I suggested that this was a balk because the pitcher was failing to meet the requirement to complete his delivery "without interruption". The opposing manager suggested that since this was how his pitcher normally did it, it was part of his "continuous motion" and therefore fine.

Everyone's judgement agreed that the pitcher came to a complete stop in the middle of his delivery - mine, the opposing manager's, and both umpires.

I was alone in the group in suggesting that this was a balk.

If you do feel this is a balk, I would also appreciate it
if you would comment on whether you would you consider this a "technical" balk that you might "overlook" at lower levels of play, an "elephant" balk that you would call at any level of play, or something in-between.

What say you? If there's anything I need to clarify, feel free to ask.

JM

[Bfair]

Technically a balk, coach, provided the umpires agreed the motion stopped (was interrupted) as you say.

Umpires attempt to consider both the technical aspects of the rules and the intent of the rules. Most consideration in balks is generally given to the attempt to deceive the runner and/or actual deception of runner---whether or not intent is present. With a RHF1 the hanging of his nonpivot foot is of no advantage gain to him with runners at 1B since once he breaks the left knee and raises the leg he cannot legally step to 1B. Thus, the delay was actually an advantage to your team----additional time to scramble to 2B if desired.

IMO, however, I think the official should have warned the pitcher to deliver without interruption since the same motion if not balked with runners at 1B only is legitimized for when runners are at other bases when the advantage then could go to the defense.

I don't know if pickoff attempts were made at 2B or 3B by the pitcher using this same motion, but if so, the legitimizing of the motion by the official gave an advantage to the defense. If it never occurred at those other bases, the umpire still dug himself a deep hole difficult to crawl out of.

Of course, coach, my comments are all based on your statement that the officials agreed that the pitcher was stopping in his motion. If they did not agree with your statement, then it's merely a case of your judgment vs. theirs..........and it's theirs that counts. That being the case, Rosanne Rosanadana would merely advise you, "Never mind."


Just my opinion,

Freix

[Macaroo]

OBR
I would judge this a balk for the "pause" (interruption) in his delivery. Just because he does it every time does not make it legal.

Age 13/14 I (as umpire) would let the kid or coach know what he is doing wrong so he can correct it. Older kids, briefly explain why this is a balk.

Your problem seems that the umpire did not feel it was a balk, or he does not understand the rule or whatever. So, you have to decide to live with it, or keep bringing it up each time the kid pitches. Even if you know your are right, it is sometimes better to let it go.

The rule requires that he must join hands, pitch, throw, or disengage without hesitation or interruption. If the umpire is allowing this, perhaps instruct your runners to "GO!" when he is in his pause. Likely he will balk (again).

Maybe some others will deem this "raised leg pause" to be legal. As far as trying to decieve a runner, I don't think any balk I ever called was an attempt by the pitcher to purposely "decieve the runner." I think the pitcher just screwed up and committed an illegal movement.

[largeone59]

JM,

This is a balk. The pitcher needs to make his move to the plate in a continuous motion. The rubbish the opposing coach was feeding you about since he "does it every time, it's legal" is exactly that, rubbish. It's not in any rulebook or interpretation. By that coach's logic, if the pitcher balked every time he delivered the ball, it should be legal, since he does it every time.

As for your question on how i'd enforce it.... younger levels, i'd give em a little warning: "pitch, make sure you don't pause when you lift your leg up there, or it's a balk, ok?" I had to do this in a game earlier this year.

Older levels, i'd probably balk them, but i'm not totally sure (you'd need some experience to judge the value of the rule, and since i'm a rookie, i'd probably have to ask some of the vets in my assoc.)

That's just my two cents.

PS- I posted pretty much this exact same question on another forum, and the response i got was "balk."

http://www.umpire.org/modules.php?na...ewtopic&t=1911

[Edited by largeone59 on May 26th, 2005 at 11:52 PM]

[UmpJM]

BFair & Macaroo,

I only noticed the pitcher doing this with runners at 2B, 3B, or both. It seemed to me that he was doing it intentionally to "freeze" the runners. I say this because I don't believe he did this with only an R1 (couldn't swear to it). In that situation he employed a fairly quick "slide step" delivery to the plate.

One of the first things I said to the umpire after requesting time was that it looked to me like the pitcher was coming to a complete stop during his delivery. I'm pretty sure that he agreed he was (as did his coach), he just didn't think it was a balk.

I did end up just "dropping it". The pitcher never made a pick-off throw to 3B or 2B, so it really wasn't a big deal. It just seemed to me that he was not being properly taught and the umpires did not recognize what seemed to me to be an obvious balk.

JM

[Bfair]

Originally posted by CoachJM
BFair & Macaroo,

I only noticed the pitcher doing this with runners at 2B, 3B, or both. It seemed to me that he was doing it intentionally to "freeze" the runners. I say this because I don't believe he did this with only an R1 (couldn't swear to it). In that situation he employed a fairly quick "slide step" delivery to the plate.

One of the first things I said to the umpire after requesting time was that it looked to me like the pitcher was coming to a complete stop during his delivery. I'm pretty sure that he agreed he was (as did his coach), he just didn't think it was a balk.

I did end up just "dropping it". The pitcher never made a pick-off throw to 3B or 2B, so it really wasn't a big deal. It just seemed to me that he was not being properly taught and the umpires did not recognize what seemed to me to be an obvious balk.

JM

I'd guess that you'd have a protestable situation if the umpire agreed (in writing) that the pitcher was stopping his motion midstream and you followed appropriate protest procedures.

While you say it wasn't a big deal relative to pickoff moves, the pitcher's motion could still have a limiting effect on distance gained on secondary leads. A step lost at the beginning of the play may be the determining distance on safe/out at the end of the play.

IMO, you handled it well by not blowing it out of proportion on the field. Still, bringing it to league's attention later as an instrument toward umpire training would not be out of line----AGAIN, assuming the umpires agreed the motion stopped.


Just my opinion,

Freix

[UmpJM]

Bfair,

My only intentions in posting this question in this forum were to:

1. Try to convince the other coach that he was not properly instructing his pitcher in regards to what is and is not a balk.

2. Instruct the umpires on the same subject.

I didn't mention this before, but the umpires at the game were "youth" umpires. I may be off by a year or so, but I believe one of the umpires is a HS Senior & the other a HS Junior. In my opinion, the PU is a very good umpire and the BU is OK, but needs some work and is not as good as he should be.

I was very surprised that neither recognized the pitcher's complete stop in the middle of his delivery as a balk. In my mind, it was an "elephant balk". I will be contacting their Supervisor, who I know quite well and have a very high opinion of, regarding their understanding of balks.

This particular league is an "open" league - anyone who signs up is put on some team. Some of the players are quite good for their age, some appear to have never played baseball before in their young lives. This can make for some "interesting" baseball to say the least. I coach in this league because I think it is better for these adolescents to be playing baseball (or at least trying to play baseball) instead of playing video games and watching TV. Besides, I really like baseball.

When I coach in this league, I "dial it back" quite a bit. I had no interest in protesting the umpires' incorrect ruling on this matter, and I am quite confident that it had no material impact on the outcome of the game - which my team lost, by the way.

I think it is a good thing that we have a youth umpire program and some of the "blown calls" and lack of rule understanding comes with the package. It's frustrating at times, but I have come to hold the position that it is OK for the umpires as well as the players to have an "instructional league" where they can develop their skills.

The only reason I bothered to call it to the umpires' attention during the game was that I thought the pitcher might be illegally "setting up" my runners for an illegal pick-off move. He was, as you cogently observed, restricting their lead-off.

Thanks for responding to my question.

JM

[Dave Hensley]

Originally posted by Bfair
That being the case, Rosanne Rosanadana would merely advise you, "Never mind."

No, that would be Emily Litella. Roseanne Rosannadana would have said "It just goes to show, it's always SOMETHING!"

I don't know how much confidence the coach can place in the advice of an umpire who can't even keep his Gilda Radner characters straight.

[Dave Hensley]

If the umpire judges that the pitcher has interrupted a continuous motion, then it should be balked with runner(s) on base.

There is authoritative support for this interpretation in the Jaksa/Roder manual.

[DG]

I called this one in a 16-18 tournament game last summer. R3 starts to home as soon as pitcher, who was in the set, commits to home. The pitcher stopped his motion as if he wanted to throw to 3B, realizes he can't and then hurriedly started his motion again and threw home. After the half was over the coach wanted an explanation, and I just told him he stopped his motion and then started again, easy call.