Balk?

[illiniwek8]

OK...runners on 1st and 2nd...right-handed pitcher starts motion...lifts front leg....completely stops...throws shoulders to home then turns to second with throw......is this a balk? After I get your responses.....I'll tell you what I called.....maybe.....hehehe..........Thanks for your insight!

[UmpJM]

Originally Posted by illiniwek8

OK...runners on 1st and 2nd...right-handed pitcher starts motion...lifts front leg....completely stops...

illiniwek8,

Right there, I've got BALK!

Having a little trouble picturing what you mean by "throws shoulders to home...".

JM

[illiniwek8]

by throwing shoulders....he was herky jerky with his shoulders trying to deceive the runner by opening up his shoulders to home, then after he stopped with his front leg...he hurled to second......it was not one motion...it was a herk and jerk motion....the stop and pause is what got me......is this right? I would almost say it was questionable that he might have motioned to home slightly.....i did not sell the call to coach after he came out from dugout to protest.....i explained it as the pitcher completely stopped but i don't think this was right.....i got to look it up.....

[RPatrino]

Anytime a pitcher stops his movement, I have a balk. Particularly when the left hander tries to "freeze" the runner by holding his right leg up and stopping.

I would feel safer with the "herky jerky" motion then trying to explain the shoulder turning toward home. Most right hander's on the move to second turn their left shoulder toward home to turn to throw to second.

Now, any movement toward the plate commits the pitcher to the plate.

Bob P.

[jwwashburn]

I apologize for not running outside to my car to get my rules book...it is POURING rain right now.

The phrase that popped into my head immediately is "continuous motion". You got it right, it was a BALK!

You can't discernibly pause twice.

Joe In Michigan

[David Emerling]

As previously stated, if for no other reason, this is a balk for the PAUSE in his motion.

Without the pause, such a maneuver would STILL be balk - when executed by a left or right-hander.

From your description, it seems as if the pitcher is trying to employ the deception that is typical with the "inside move" but is actually going the long way around, like the "spin move."

The reason this is a balk is because the pitcher is not moving his non-pivot foot directly toward the base. He is taking too much of a circuitous route.

I would allow the pitcher to spin the long way around, but not by making it a 2-part movement, as it would almost HAVE to be after first picking his leg up. Basically, if doesn't look continuous and direct, it's a balk. If the move offends the eyes, it's a balk.

And only experience (on the part of the umpire) can tell the difference.

David Emerling
Memphis, TN

[LMan]

Originally Posted by David Emerling

If the move offends the eyes, it's a balk.

now this is interesting! Some would say C.C. Sabathia offends the eyes but I haven't seen him balked for standing on the mound