Fair or foul

[oyaisee]

4.03 When the ball is put in play at the start of, or during a game, all fielders other than the catcher shall be on fair territory.

(a)The catcher shall station himself directly back of the plate. He may leave his position at any time to catch a pitch or make a play except that when the batter is being given an intentional base on balls, the catcher must stand with both feet within the lines of the catcher’s box until the ball leaves the pitcher’s hand.

PENALTY: Balk

I read this as a Balk is the penalty!!!!! for all of 4.03 that is what I will call in my games!!!

If it's not a balk then what is it? what is going to make them stop breaking the rule every rule has a consequence it has to or else it is a moot rule!!!!

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by oyaisee

4.03 When the ball is put in play at the start of, or during a game, all fielders other than the catcher shall be on fair territory.

(a)The catcher shall station himself directly back of the plate. He may leave his position at any time to catch a pitch or make a play except that when the batter is being given an intentional base on balls, the catcher must stand with both feet within the lines of the catcher’s box until the ball leaves the pitcher’s hand.

PENALTY: Balk

I read this as a Balk is the penalty!!!!! for all of 4.03 that is what I will call in my games!!!

If it's not a balk then what is it? what is going to make them stop breaking the rule every rule has a consequence it has to or else it is a moot rule!!!!

the penalty fro failing to comply is an ejection. See 9.01 something (or maybe it's 9.02 or 9.03).

In any event, the play originally described is not a balk as has been explained over and over in this and other threads.

[oyaisee]

Well a blak is better then getting an ejection? Wow I like the balk better that could cost them a run if they don't stop breaking the rules!

Throw them out that is a bit harsh dont you think?

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by oyaisee

Well a blak is better then getting an ejection? Wow I like the balk better that could cost them a run if they don't stop breaking the rules!

Throw them out that is a bit harsh dont you think?

I doubt that it's ever happened. If you tell a player to stay in fair territory, he (generally) will.

[oyaisee]

Ya but what if he keeps forgetting like at first base? When he holds a runner on. I mean that is a balk if the pitcher throws over to first and he is in foul ground right?

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

I doubt that it's ever happened. If you tell a player to stay in fair territory, he (generally) will.

Bob:

After reading his recent flurry of posts in a number of threads, I think it's become evident that we've been had.

"O ya I see" is a troll.

[UmpLarryJohnson]

he has a certian great white north air about his posts.......

[oyaisee]

Originally Posted by UmpLarryJohnson

he has a certian great white north air about his posts.......

I don't get it?

[oyaisee]

Why the name calling? I'm playing the devils advocate some times. sorry

I'm pretty new at this about 3 years off and on.

I don't mean to annoy you guys but I really thought that was a balk. I get that from reading the rule.

[celebur]

Originally Posted by oyaisee

I don't mean to annoy you guys but I really thought that was a balk. I get that from reading the rule.

Yes, and you declared your 'understanding' of this rule as correct. The problem is that the correct understanding had already been explained earlier in this thread, so you obviously ignored it.

Look at rule 4.03 in its entirety. It starts with one general rule and then has three articles (a, b, and c). The balk penalty is listed after article 'a' only, and in the MLB website, it's even indented the same as article 'a'. If this penalty was truly meant to apply to all of 4.03, then it would not have been written like this! The logical (and correct) interpretation is that this balk penalty applies only to 4.03a.

Do you get it now?

For your convenience, you can see the rule on the MLB website here.

[UmpLarryJohnson]

Originally Posted by oyaisee

Well a blak is better then getting an ejection? Wow I like the balk better that could cost them a run if they don't stop breaking the rules!

Throw them out that is a bit harsh dont you think?

your new at this, aint ya? or is this yet another troll come to annoy??

[celebur]

Originally Posted by oyaisee

Well a blak is better then getting an ejection? Wow I like the balk better that could cost them a run if they don't stop breaking the rules!

Throw them out that is a bit harsh dont you think?

In a close game with a runner on third, a balk's a bit harsh, don't you think?

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by oyaisee

4.03 When the ball is put in play at the start of, or during a game, all fielders other than the catcher shall be on fair territory.

(a)The catcher shall station himself directly back of the plate. He may leave his position at any time to catch a pitch or make a play except that when the batter is being given an intentional base on balls, the catcher must stand with both feet within the lines of the catcher’s box until the ball leaves the pitcher’s hand.

PENALTY: Balk

I read this as a Balk is the penalty!!!!! for all of 4.03 that is what I will call in my games!!!

If it's not a balk then what is it? what is going to make them stop breaking the rule every rule has a consequence it has to or else it is a moot rule!!!!

Let me take a crack at this you guys!

oyaisee, this is your last chance to understand that you are wrong. Pay attention now:

The balk penalty applies only to 4.03 (a), not to (b) or (c)! That is why the penalty follows 4.03 (a).

It does not follow the body copy preceeding (a), nor does it follow (b) or (c). This means it only applies to the letter that it follows. Not the general part of the rule, and not the specific sections (b) and (c) of the rule.

If it were covering the whole rule, the penalty would have been listed following section (c), to include all three sections of the rule.

I hope this makes it clear that if you call a balk for F3 standing in foul territory for a pickoff, then you are misapplying the rule. It is a simple "Don't do that." If F3 persists in disregarding your order to stop, he is subject to ejection, which is the proscribed penalty for failure to obey the order of the umpire.

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by Steven Tyler

I think Jim Evans has identified 237 errors in the Official Rules of Baseball. Perhaps more by now. Odds are you may have stumbled across one.

Puhleeze.

The rule is written correctly. The penalty applies only to paragraph (a) just as it is written. No mistake. Just idiots who can't read.

[Richard_Siegel]

Originally Posted by GarthB

Puhleeze.

The rule is written correctly. The penalty applies only to paragraph (a) just as it is written. No mistake. Just idiots who can't read.

Last March I was at the Jim's Liberty Classic in NJ. This "fielder's balk" concept was been brought up and Jim immediately shot it down as something that does not exist. The balk penalty, he explained, only applies to the (a) sub-part that refers to the catcher.