Is it a balk?

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by ozzy6900

An incorrect balk call cost you the game?

Sounds like your team didn't get enough runs - but of course, that was the umpire's falult, wasn't it?

I second the motion. Better get your 10-year-olds to the batting cages, coach.

[RPatrino]

Why do coaches teach pitchers to step off and then throw to 1b? can't the pitcher's learn the correct pick off move? I love it when they airmail a ball and I get to put R1 at 3b.

[waltjp]

Originally Posted by RPatrino

Why do coaches teach pitchers to step off and then throw to 1b? can't the pitcher's learn the correct pick off move? I love it when they airmail a ball and I get to put R1 at 3b.

The same reason that coaches want a balk when the opposing pitcher throws to first from the rubber.

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by waltjp

The same reason that coaches want a balk when the opposing pitcher throws to first from the rubber.

My theory is different. Some coaches, especially at lower levels, can't be bothered to figure out the balk rule. Other coaches misunderestimate their pitchers' intelligence. Coach knows that a pitcher who steps off cannot balk by feinting or throwing to any base, so they just teach that to keep it simple.

[Rock Chalk]

Originally Posted by RPatrino

Why do coaches teach pitchers to step off and then throw to 1b? can't the pitcher's learn the correct pick off move? I love it when they airmail a ball and I get to put R1 at 3b.

In this situation, R1 had taken a huge lead and was told by the first basement to step off. It's the right move. The pitcher stepped off and just did a pump fake to try and see what the runner on 3rd was doing.

[RPatrino]

Originally Posted by Rock Chalk

In this situation, R1 had taken a huge lead and was told by the first basement to step off. It's the right move. The pitcher stepped off and just did a pump fake to try and see what the runner on 3rd was doing.

Stepping off the rubber and freezing the runner at third in this situation might have been the right thing go do. However, I was speaking about a routine throw to first. I've seen some pitchers that don't know how to do the jump turn. Two issues with that are, 1) a ball gets thrown OOB, 2 base award and 2) runners are never picked off.

I suspect it's because the coach doesn't know how to teach the move.

[Rock Chalk]

Originally Posted by mbyron

I second the motion. Better get your 10-year-olds to the batting cages, coach.

Perhaps you should find out information before you type things that make you look like a moron.

I am not a coach. It's an amatuer league game that had a big bearing on the standings and it's two teams that love to compete against one another.

The fact that the run that scored won the game on a balk that was called that wasn't a balk is what is bothering me. If we get beat by them hitting the ball or us not throwing enough strikes, I can live with that, but the fact that with a 1 and 2 count with 2 outs ump makes a call that even his partner admitted was a bad call(later after the game) is what makes me angry.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by Rock Chalk

Perhaps you should find out information before you type things that make you look like a moron.

You really should have followed your own advice in your own posts.

1) A pump fake is something a quarterback does on the Stop And Go play.

2) You didn't supply more information prior to mbyron's post. Maybe if you had supplied us with more information, we could give you better answers. But I doubt it, the answers you got are all good ones.

3) You say you are not a coach, but you refer to the team as "us" and "we" when writing, which means you have some interest in this team. Get your team to the batting cages so they can learn to score some more runs.

4) One call by the umpire does not decide the outcome of the game. Your team should have scored more runs (see # 3), then they would not have found themselves in such a bad situation when a call didn't go their way.

5) You said, "the fact that with a 1 and 2 count with 2 outs ump makes a call that even his partner admitted was a bad call(later after the game) is what makes me angry." This tells me that the call happened earlier in the game, not on the last play to end the ballgame. How in the hell can you blame a call that happened earlier in the game for "your" team's inability to score runs (see # 3) the rest of the freakin' game?

And you're calling people here that you don't even know "morons?"

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by Rock Chalk

If we get beat by them hitting the ball or us not throwing enough strikes, I can live with that, but the fact that with a 1 and 2 count with 2 outs ump makes a call that even his partner admitted was a bad call(later after the game) is what makes me angry.

Cry me a river, rat.

Nice post, Steve.

[UmpLarryJohnson]

Yet AGAIN, the SQUEEKING of a RAT is heard. Lies, and cheats is ALL you get from them. dont WASTE time explaining rules, they will just use it on you EVERY chance they get.

admit NOTHING to a rat. NOTHING. He thinks you are HORRIBLE no matter what, so who cares about his questions?

[Tim C]

Since all I do as an umpire is report what I see any game I umpire is the easiest thing I do that day.

Regards,

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by Tim C

Since all I do as an umpire is report what I see any game I umpire is the easiest thing I do that day.

Regards,

WHAT????

You mean you don't realize you have the fragile fate of 18 young men and the consequences of all their effort and skill in your hands to crush or crown as you see fit?

[Don Mueller]

Hitters get 'game winning RBIs', Fielders routinely get credited with 'game saving catches' a reliever comes in at the bottom of the ninth with 2 outs pitches to one batter and gets a 'save'. These are all one play or one batter episodes
Why is it so outlandish to suggest that an umpire who screws the pooch on a rules interp which definitively results in a score can't have some responsibility in the outcome?

If, instead of a balk, the batter hits a single and scores R3 everyone will look to that play as the game winning hit. If the ump blows a rules interp that results in the same run scoring we're not to think it has any bearing on the game?
If the ump makes any judgement call that results in a run, good bad or indifferent from the perspectives of any onlooker, player or coach I would never credit the ump with any responsibility for the outcome, but a blown rules interp is different.
Which is exactly why there's a thing called a protest.
The fact that there is a provision for protests acknowledges that a blown rules interp can effect outcomes.

Which is exacly why as umpires we need to know our rules!

[UmpLarryJohnson]

Originally Posted by Don Mueller

The fact that there is a provision for protests acknowledges that a blown rules interp can effect outcomes.

then WHY didnt' the rat protest the game? Isnt' that his JOB (among other things)?

[Don Mueller]

Originally Posted by UmpLarryJohnson

then WHY didnt' the rat protest the game? Isnt' that his JOB (among other things)?

I don't know that he didn't, do you?

Besides, I don't particularly care one way or another, I was speaking generally to the sentiment on this thread that an umpire has no effect on the outcome.
I don't minimize the role of the ump so much to say that his calls aren't crucial to outcomes. They most certainly are.
They are so crucial that we spend much time and effort to learn proper mechanics and positioning so that we have the best opportunity to make the correct call. If the calls were not important who cares if we don't hustle to get in good position or if we have a good angle or not, heck if it's not important and crucial then I'll just stay in A and minimize my risk of injury.
A blown rules interp can impact a game, nothing wrong with admitting it, it's the truth.
In the rare instance that a coach knows you blew the rule then mark one up for the rats the score is already so lopsided they can never catch up.