Catcher's Balk

[chsbasebal]

I had a catchers balk called against my team last season as an opponent tried to steal home, unfortunately it was with two outs in the bottom of the seventh of a 1-0 ballgame. I was unaware that there was a catchers balk in High School (so I definitely take the blame for it) The umpire explanation of the rule at the time was plausable enough, so no protest was lodged. However after consulting many different umpires throughout last season I have been getting all kinds of different interpretations of a catchers balk. (The rule book also confused me even more with the various interpretations)

If possible could someone explain the cathers balk to me and if anyone disagrees with this explanation, please comment as to why.

Thanks for your help.

Michael Mitchell
Christian High School
El Cajon CA

[bob jenkins]

Originally posted by chsbasebal
I had a catchers balk called against my team last season as an opponent tried to steal home, unfortunately it was with two outs in the bottom of the seventh of a 1-0 ballgame. I was unaware that there was a catchers balk in High School (so I definitely take the blame for it) The umpire explanation of the rule at the time was plausable enough, so no protest was lodged. However after consulting many different umpires throughout last season I have been getting all kinds of different interpretations of a catchers balk. (The rule book also confused me even more with the various interpretations)

If possible could someone explain the cathers balk to me and if anyone disagrees with this explanation, please comment as to why.

Thanks for your help.

Michael Mitchell
Christian High School
El Cajon CA

I don't think there's any such term as "catcher's balk" in the FED rule book.

That said, if the catcher interferes with the batter, including reaching the glove over the plate, then it's obstruction on the catcher. Runners attempoting to steal are awarded the next base. The batter is awarded first. Runners forced to advance do so. Runners not forced or stealing remain.

See case 8.1.1F for an example.

If that's not what happened, then describe the play and we'll give you a ruling.

[David Van Milligen]

I assume your catcher committed obstruction.
A catcher obstructs the batter when he steps on or across home or pushes the batter to reach the pitch or by touching the bat. If catcher obstuction is called, it is a delayed dead ball, the batter gets first and any runner stealing shall be awarded the base. Other runners will advance only if forced. The coach, of the team at bat, shall indicate whether or not he elects to decline the obstruction and accept the results of the play.

[Skahtboi]

I am with the other two in assuming, without having an exact play to judge it on, that your catcher was indeed called for obstruction. Now in fastpitch softball, by Fed rules it is possible for an illegal pitch (which many people think is the same as a "balk")to be called when the catcher is not within the confines of the catcher's box, but we aren't talking softball here. We are still talking baseball, aren't we?!

[whiskers_ump]

Originally posted by chsbasebal
I had a catchers balk called against my team last season as an opponent tried to steal home, unfortunately it was with two outs in the bottom of the seventh of a 1-0 ballgame. I was unaware that there was a catchers balk in High School (so I definitely take the blame for it) The umpire explanation of the rule at the time was plausable enough, so no protest was lodged. However after consulting many different umpires throughout last season I have been getting all kinds of different interpretations of a catchers balk. (The rule book also confused me even more with the various interpretations)

If possible could someone explain the cathers balk to me and if anyone disagrees with this explanation, please comment as to why.

Thanks for your help.

Michael Mitchell
Christian High School
El Cajon CA

Michael,
Your question "Could someone explain the catchers balk to
me and if anyone disagrees with this explanation, please comment as to why.
What explanation? You only said that the umpire involved
had explanation that was plausable enough to avoid a
protest. I think most of us here would like to
know what he said. No rule book that I have ever read has
ever mentioned a catcher's balk. Obstruction, yes. Was
obstruction his explanation? As noted by all replies that
were made (Skahtboi, David, Bob) all indicated the act of
obstruction. You also stated that the rule book confused
you with the various interpretation. Did you find mention
of *Catchers Balk*?

Looking forward to reply.

glen

[ballsandstrikes]

A catchers balk as far as I know means the catcher was not in the catchers box at the time of the release of the pitch. I have never called it myself but have seen it called on an intentional walk when the catcher jumped outside too quickly

[ballsandstrikes]

rule 8.05l (major league)
the pitcher makes an illegal pitch : the pitcher while giving the intentional bases on balls pitches when the catcher is out of the catchers box
PENALTY the ball is dead and each runner shall advance one base without the liability of being put out unless the batter reaches first on a hit, error etc etc.... IN WHICH CASE THE PLAY PROCEEDS WITHOUT REFERENCE TO THE BALK
In effect, a catchers balk.

[Tim C]

But the balk is charged to the pitcher for an illegal pitch so it is NOT "in effect" a catcher's balk.

[Thom Coste]

Originally posted by ballsandstrikes
A catchers balk as far as I know means the catcher was not in the catchers box at the time of the release of the pitch. I have never called it myself but have seen it called on an intentional walk when the catcher jumped outside too quickly

With all due respect to the others who have posted, the "catcher's balk" applies to OBR 7.07 wherein with a runner on third attempting to score by steal or squeeze, "the catcher or any other fielder steps on, or in front of home base without possession of the ball, or touches the batter or his bat, the pitcher shall be charged with a balk, the batter shall be awarded first base on the interference and the ball is dead."

Isn't this the same as obstruction, you ask? Well, no. It isn't, for two reasons.

First - and this is a semantic difference - the OBR does not recognize "obstruction" on the batter. It is "defensive interference" when the batter is hindered.

Second - and here is the real distinction - when the batter is hindered (what you are all calling 'obstruction'), the ball remains live and in play. The manager may elect to take the result of the ensuing play, and outs can be recorded if there are advances beyond the awards. In contrast, under OBR 7.07 the ball is dead at the time of the infraction. The pitcher is charged with a balk for the sole purpose of giving the scorekeeper a ruling with which to justify the advance of the baserunner to home. It's a special case in the rules.

Typically it is the "Catcher" who interferes with the batter (although it could be another fielder) and it is the pitcher who is charged with a "Balk." Hence the term, "Catcher's Balk."

[bob jenkins]

Originally posted by Thom Coste

With all due respect to the others who have posted, the "catcher's balk" applies to OBR 7.07 wherein with a runner on third attempting to score by steal or squeeze, "the catcher or any other fielder steps on, or in front of home base without possession of the ball, or touches the batter or his bat, the pitcher shall be charged with a balk, the batter shall be awarded first base on the interference and the ball is dead."

Isn't this the same as obstruction, you ask? Well, no. It isn't, for two reasons.

First - and this is a semantic difference - the OBR does not recognize "obstruction" on the batter. It is "defensive interference" when the batter is hindered.

Second - and here is the real distinction - when the batter is hindered (what you are all calling 'obstruction'), the ball remains live and in play. The manager may elect to take the result of the ensuing play, and outs can be recorded if there are advances beyond the awards. In contrast, under OBR 7.07 the ball is dead at the time of the infraction. The pitcher is charged with a balk for the sole purpose of giving the scorekeeper a ruling with which to justify the advance of the baserunner to home. It's a special case in the rules.

Typically it is the "Catcher" who interferes with the batter (although it could be another fielder) and it is the pitcher who is charged with a "Balk." Hence the term, "Catcher's Balk."

The original post said "High School" -- I assumed that meant FED. It's possible the game was in a state that uses OBR.

Thom:
In FED it is obstruction. In OBR it's catcher's interference. Basically same rule different name.

[JJ]

"...the pitcher is charged with a balk....". I still don't see where anyone finds the term "catcher's balk" in any book I've ever seen. The catcher cannot balk. He can cause the pitcher to be charged with a balk, but that is not explained in any book I know of as a "catcher's balk".
Let's try to explain the cases as clearly as we can using commonly known terms...ty.

GBA

[ballsandstrikes]

I dont know that I have seen it written in a rule book but I have heard it many times over the years and it seems to me I HAVE seen it in a casebook. whether that was baseball or softball I cant remember.

[ballsandstrikes]

I dont think it throws dirt at all. It is a "slang term" for a ruling. I have heard the term used for the catcher out of box situation and now that I think about it, I have ALSO heard it used for 7.07. While perhaps the term should be kept among umpires as a quick explaination of a situation, it probably should not be used to explain to a coach on the field. But slang is used in all parts of society and officiating is no different when plays are being discussed among each other.
EDITED to add that this post was in response to a post which is no longer here ?

[Edited by ballsandstrikes on Oct 19th, 2001 at 10:31 PM]

[bob jenkins]

Originally posted by Jim Mills
Apparently, OBR considers the catcher's balk a particularly dastardly deed. The ball is dead and every runner, including the B/R and regardless of circumstance, advances one base. It combines the balk penalty with the CI penalty. If the OBR left the ball alive instead of killing it, in the same manner as a normal instance of catcher's interference, the batter would be awarded first and R3 would score anyway as he was trying to advance on the pitch. In nearly every case, 7.07 would be superfluous. The balk call is used not to justify the advance of R3, but the advance of R2, who is awarded third on the interference even if he was not forced and was not trying to advance. R1, of course, is always forced.

The balk is merely for the sake of consistency to explain the advance of a non-stealing, non-forced R2 when that is the case.

SOME (but not all) OBR sources hold that 7.07 is an error and should be ignored entirely. That is, an non-stealing, non-forced R2 would not be awarded third on CI during a steal / squeeze.

Like so many other things in OBR, we'll have to wait for that long-rumored rewrite to resolve the issue.