Thats a Balk - by the numbers

[TussAgee11]

Originally Posted by Kevin Finnerty

Oh, okay, I'm shying away from a tough call.

Yeah, I have a toughness problem. And a poor grasp of justice.

Anything else you can draw from your gross oversimplification?

A balk is not a balk like a strike is a strike. For every balk, there are at least 1000 strikes. Sometimes 2000. Or more.

Try another equation.

Does the rules say one is lesser than the other?

Better to prioritize your responsibilities, and if you end up seeing a balk, call a balk. I don't care if anyone else did. Its my JOB that if I see it, I call it.

An umpire's job is, at its basic element, to enforce the rules throughout the game. Nowhere in the book does it talk about "if the game is close." To me, this issue is similar to the issue at the end of basketball games in terms of the supposed "letting them play," which has become an official faux pas.

I rarely draw comparisons from the pro-game to amatuer ball, particularly because balk problems are much more widespread at the amatuer level. But through the grape vine, I have heard that it is better in the eyes of those who evaluate to have the balls to make a tough, non popular call that is correct in a tough spot than pass on it for whatever reason.

Frankly, other than prioritizing my responsibilities on any given play for mechanical purposes, each rule is just as important as the one that precedes it in the book. Some may come up more often, but they are all to be enforced.