Is it a balk?

[Rock Chalk]

R1, R3. RHP. Pitcher steps back off the rubber with right foot and slowly turns and does a pump fake to first base. Is this a balk or does the fact that he stepped off the rubber first make him an infielder so the faked throw is meaningless?

[BigUmp56]

Originally Posted by Rock Chalk

R1, R3. RHP. Pitcher steps back off the rubber with right foot and slowly turns and does a pump fake to first base. Is this a balk or does the fact that he stepped off the rubber first make him an infielder so the faked throw is meaningless?

As long as the pitcher didn't begin a motion to pitch like rasing his arms as he stepped off for example, it's not a balk.


Tim.

[Rock Chalk]

he stepped off with his right foot behind the rubber. The umpire admitted that. Then said that you can never fake a throw to first, even if he does step off the rubber correctly. Cost us a ball game Friday night.

[BigUmp56]

Originally Posted by Rock Chalk

he stepped off with his right foot behind the rubber. The umpire admitted that. Then said that you can never fake a throw to first, even if he does step off the rubber correctly. Cost us a ball game Friday night.

The umpire misapplied the rule then. Also, unless the winning run was balked in on the call it didn't cost you the ball game.


Tim.

[ozzy6900]

Originally Posted by Rock Chalk

he stepped off with his right foot behind the rubber. The umpire admitted that. Then said that you can never fake a throw to first, even if he does step off the rubber correctly. Cost us a ball game Friday night.

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?

[sargee7]

How did the protest come out?

[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 sargee7

How did the protest come out?

We will find out in a few days.

[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.

[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.

[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.