Let it go or balk?

[aevans410]

This is why the quality of posting on this board is going down. You have been told by at least 4 different posters on why this isn't a balk but you parse the rules to make your interpretation "correct".

Bottom line :

Pitcher is not required to throw to second under any code, period. Therefore, he can't balk by throwing the ball over the fielder covering 2B.

Rather than accept the ruling that a few of our more knowledgeable members have given you, you continue to argue.

[LMan]

aw cmon, half the fun in umpiring is inventing new rules on the fly to stop plays that look 'funny' to us

[aevans410]

Originally posted by LMan
aw cmon, half the fun in umpiring is inventing new rules on the fly to stop plays that look 'funny' to us

wow, I can't believe I forgot about that. My bad

[ashley1335]

do u even know what a balk is? that was not a balk. a balk is where the pitcher winds up and in his windup he throws to a base trying to pick them off but thats illegal. even if u wind up and during the wind up stop. thats a balk. well at least i hope...

[tornado]

Ashley,

Do you know someone named Drumbum?

[aevans410]

Originally posted by ashley1335
do u even know what a balk is? that was not a balk. a balk is where the pitcher winds up and in his windup he throws to a base trying to pick them off but thats illegal. even if u wind up and during the wind up stop. thats a balk. well at least i hope...

Can you answer that same question?

Common balks :

Starting and stopping the pitching motion.
Not coming to a complete and discernable stop when coming set.
Failing to step directly to a base when attempting a pick off or legal feint.
Turning of the shoulders while in the set postion after bringing your hands together.

There are a lot more balks than what you described as a balk. Rulebooks are 5.95. Pick one up today.

[mcrowder]

Ashley is dumbrumb's little sister.

[Matthew F]

Originally posted by aevans410
This is why the quality of posting on this board is going down. You have been told by at least 4 different posters on why this isn't a balk but you parse the rules to make your interpretation "correct".

Bottom line :

Pitcher is not required to throw to second under any code, period. Therefore, he can't balk by throwing the ball over the fielder covering 2B.

Rather than accept the ruling that a few of our more knowledgeable members have given you, you continue to argue.

Well, excuse me. If you remember not so long ago, at least a dozen different posters (including myself) believed bringing your leg staight up and stepping back was properly disengaging the rubber. As it turns out, we were wrong even though we had more umpires who thought it wasn't a balk. So shear numbers on one side of a discussion don't mean squat. That's why I'm asking these questions.

I find more in the rules and rules interpretations that would imply that a pickoff attempt (The pitcher steps with his non-pivot foot towards 2B [occupied] while in contact with the rubber) needs to be towards an occupied base (or unoccupied base for the purpose of making a play).

99 BRD (only BRD I could find - lots of stuff boxed up since I moved)

PITCHER:STEPS:TOWARD BASE:FIELDER PLAYING OFF BAG
PRO: The pitcher when throwing or making a legal feint while touching the rubber must step "directly toward a base before throwing TO THAT BASE." (BRD emphasis) Penalty:balk. (8.05c Pen)

ALSO: OFF INTERP 140-356: The violation (throwing to a fielder instead of a base) can only occur on a throw to first; the pitcher may throw to the fielder at second and third, regardless of where he is stationed. (NAPBL 6.4a)


Why do the offical interpretations implicitly say it's not considered "not throwing directly to a base" if F1 throws to a fielder in the vicinity of 2B or 3B, if it was meant for F1 to throw the ball anywhere? Why restrict the interpretation to fielders at 2B and 3B? Heck, why not just say F1 has carte blanc and can throw to any position he feels like!!!

I was brought up using FED rules, so I'll admit I might be a little thick grasping the OBR interpretation. That's one of the reason I'm here - to get better (balks are one of my weak points, if you haven't noticed). Thanks for your patience.

[jicecone]

Originally posted by bob jenkins

100 times? Just how many innings are in a game in your neck of the woods?

[/B]

Actually Bob, I'm not sure anymore. I have had two dlb. headers in the last 5 days , where the second game has gone 12 innings. (Long nights)

Both games got tied in the 7th.

[jicecone]

Originally posted by mcrowder
Ashley is dumbrumb's little sister.

If I remember correctly, Garth has a copy of this "Family Tree" and it turns out that Ashley is really the girlfriend/little sister.

[aevans410]

First off, I apologize for being crass, I had a horrendous day yesterday and I apologize sincerly for taking it out on you Matthew.

I think what we have here is a situation that is allowed becuase there isn't anything specific in the rulebook saying it isn't. The maneuver you described is legal because there isn't anything in the book that says it is illegal. 1B is treated differently than 2B and 3B. If you motion towards 1st, you have to throw there. If you motion towards 2nd and 3rd, you don't have to throw there. Just like the "skunk in the outfield" play, which is very bush league. We want to penalize it, but we really can't because there aren't rules that say we can.

[Edited by aevans410 on Jun 24th, 2005 at 11:25 AM]

[mcrowder]

Except that I don't understand why anyone would WANT to penalize it. It seems like a good play that can be designed to get an out (with some risk). Sounds like good baseball to me. Similar to the double-steal play where the ball is thrown to shortstop in order to try to get R3 to break for home.

[aevans410]

I meant the skunk in the outfield play, not the overthrow to 2nd.

I edited the above post to read what I meant to say instead of what it sounded like. Trying to answer posts between phone calls and customers isn't very conductive to proofreading posts to convey the correct idea.

[Edited by aevans410 on Jun 24th, 2005 at 11:00 AM]

[ashley1335]

i am not drumbum's little sister i dont even know him and i am not a kid. think harder boys....

[drumbum565]

1. I am an only child.
2. Ashley I decided to stop being lazy and fix my grammar you should do it also.
3. Ashley there are so many types of balks I don't want to count them (for crying out loud in FED it is a balk if you lick your fingers and touch the ball before wiping them off).
4. Were did you lean balks from cause in some instances that isn’t even a balk (you can still step off while your in the wind up).
5.Why are you taking shots at me for something she said?