Balk on appeal
 

Sorry to ask but I do not have access to a rule or case book.

Situation - Runner on 3rd. PU puts ball in play. Pitcher attempts to appeal runner leaving to soon on previous live ball sit. He balks. Runner on third is now awarded home. Is the appeal still valid? It didn't matter in this sit because the runner did not leave early BUT... had the runner left early, and the pitcher balked on the appeal. Is the appeal still valid.

I ask mainly for Fed rule but appreciate all rule interps. Thanks in advance.

Nope--the balk is a play and he can no longer appeal. Sorry pitch, but you just gave up a run and lost a potential out.

scott you are right for OBR but I am not so sure for FED...in fact I think you might be wrong...i am not a fed guy so I can't answer for sure

Fed 2.29.6b "because an appeal is NOT a play,the defense may appeal after making an err on its first appeal"

BRD 2008 pg 16

It is very difficult to lose the right to appeal in FED. Firstly, FED allows verbal dead ball appeals, and if time is requested in order to make an dead ball appeal, the umpire must grant it (presumably once action has relaxed).

So it would be pretty uncommon to see a relaxed action live ball appeal. There is a risk and no gain by doing so.

Caseplay 2-29-6B shows that even if the pitcher, during relaxed action, throws the ball into a dead ball area during a live ball appeal, the defense hasn't lost its right to appeal, provided the pitcher announced the appeal. (The runners do get 2 bases.)

If a live ball appeal is attempted, and the offense successfully initiates a play on a runner, the right to appeal isn't lost.

However, to get to your question, the appeal has to be attempted before the next pitch or illegal pitch. I'm not sure if a balk is necessarily an illegal pitch, but many balks are also illegal pitches. Anyway, an illegal pitch costs the defense the right to appeal.

Dave-

Under FED rules, I believe the defense has lost the right to appeal since the defense (in this case the pitcher) initiated a subsequent play (a balk in this case). The only exception to this is if the offense initiates a play first (ie attempts to steal and the pitcher attempts to drive back the runner). Unfortunately I don't have my rules/case book with me but I believe that is the ruling.

-Josh