The Official Forum - Balk in Padres game 7-20

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Quote:

Originally posted by Tim C
Another guy that is using revisonist histoy.

Rule #1:

When you get caught red handed go change the post so you can hide it.

Hmmmm, it seems we have seen that before.

Like I said Tim, I'm new, I don't know all the board intricacies of the board. Is there ever a point where you are willing to give the benefit of the doubt for my newbie feaux pas and judge me by what I post in the future?

Eric

motion naturally associated with his pitch

Your flame-a-thon is amusing, but what I find more interesting is the scenerio where R3 is trying to steal home, F1 legally disengages, but delivers a throw to F2 that is in every manner (except for the disengagement) a "motion naturally associated with his pitch while he is not touching the pitcher's plate" and batter hits that throw/pitch.

Batter could/should be in-on the play and is obligated not to interfer with it. F1 could help us all out by taking an extra step or something that makes the play NOT look like a "motion naturally associated with his pitch", but he may not have time to do so. Since the batter could/should know what is going on wrt R3, I think that I would absolve F1 of his alleged sin.

F1 did all of these things:
1. made a motion naturally associated with a pitch;
2. had the wherewithall to recognize what was going on;
3. disengaged legally; and
4. did all that he could do to get an out.

Given all these being done, I'd take the opportunity to take the out. Call no balk, batter interference.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Cripes,

Quote:

Originally posted by GarthB

This is news to me. I have never, at any level, since 1972 met an umpire or coach who believed a pitcher had to drop his hands prior to throwing to a base when disengaging from the rubber. Never. The dumbest Rat in the world would see that this is just ridiculous.

If it's one continuous move, then I agree with you.

But, I have seen F1 step off, stand there for a second with his hands together staring at the runenr, and then the umpire(s) and coaches all yell "balk" because F1 didn't drop his hands "immediately" upon stepping off the rubber. It's not a stretch to see this happening just as (or even just because) F1 tried a pick-off move after stepping off and keeping the hands together.

Quote:

Originally posted by Tim C
Shaka wrote:

"The rule book states that he should. Doesn't matter if he throws to a base the hands are supposed to be dropped first."

Another markedly wrong statement by an umpire that is attempting to tell us he works mostly college baseball.

All I know that by reading a few posts of DIFFEERENT posters on this page it certainly doiesn't take much knowledge to work college in some areas of America.

I would suggest that you read CoachJM's commnets on what the rule really says.

[Edited by Tim C on Jul 23rd, 2005 at 03:00 PM]

Even at the MLB level, countless times I have seen a pitcher come set (i.e. hands together) then quickly step off the rubber without dropping his hands or even separating them for that matter.

He eventually separates them ... but not immediately.

I believe I have read an interpretation somewhere that the pitcher only has to separate his hands BEFORE reengaging the rubber.

David Emerling
Memphis, TN

Quote:

Originally posted by David Emerling
I believe I have read an interpretation somewhere that the pitcher only has to separate his hands BEFORE reengaging the rubber.

That is correct.