Balk vs Pick off

[johnnyg08]

Go to MLB.com and search "balk" and watch the Baseball Tonight (Leiter and H. Reynolds) guys talk about the balk rule. "There's a rule that says you get 45 degrees to make your move to 1B..." There's more.

Multimedia Search | MLB.com: Multimedia

Please offer your comments

[FTVMartin]

Originally Posted by johnnyg08

. "There's a rule that says you get 45 degrees to make your move to 1B..." There's more.

Multimedia Search | MLB.com: Multimedia

Please offer your comments

Do you think Mr. Leiter could tell me exactly which rule that is because I'm not finding it?

[UmpJM]

FTVMartin,

It's rule 8.05(c). What's your interpretation? 30 degrees, 52 degrees, ... something else?

From the JEA discussion:

Customs and Usage: For practical enforcement purposes, stepping directly means stepping within 45 degrees of a direct, straight line to the base. In other words, the pitcher is NOT stepping MORE toward a different base than the one to which he is throwing.

While the 45 degrees is geometrically incorrect since the rubber is not located at the geometric center of the rule-defined "infield", it is the accepted interpretation for the proper application of 8.05(c).

JM

[johnnyg08]

My understanding of the "45" is that it is a guideline, not a rule. Mr. Leiter specifically said that "it is a rule" if I remember correctly. Is that the correct understanding? Ultimately I'm understanding this as a "step balk" which can't be argued anyway. If the umpire judges an illegal step, then it's a balk. I think that's what Evans says in his balk video as well.

[UMP25]

In the NCAA rule book, this actually was a rule. It specifically stated that a pitcher must step within this 45* angle. That specific geometric wording was later removed from that section altogether. Perhaps it was because, as explained above, the position of the rubber precludes this 45* from actually existing.

[johnnyg08]

I think the guideline provides a good starting place for umpires to enforce the rule and for coaches to coach to the rule. After that, that's why we umpire.

[FTVMartin]

It's not a "rule" as Leiter said. It may be an accepted interp but it is not a rule as he says in this video. That is what I was refering to in my reply.

[ozzy6900]

Originally Posted by johnnyg08

Go to MLB.com and search "balk" and watch the Baseball Tonight (Leiter and H. Reynolds) guys talk about the balk rule. "There's a rule that says you get 45 degrees to make your move to 1B..." There's more.

Multimedia Search | MLB.com: Multimedia

Please offer your comments

My comments are simple. I do not listen to nor do I try to interpret baseball announcers when they attempt to explain the rules of baseball.

[johnnyg08]

Originally Posted by FTVMartin

It's not a "rule" as Leiter said. It may be an accepted interp but it is not a rule as he says in this video. That is what I was refering to in my reply.

I thought he said it was a rule...I misheard him

[SanDiegoSteve]

Why is everyone having trouble writing "45º?"

[UMP25]

Because it's too much of a pain in the @ss to get that little circle to show.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by UMP25

Because it's too much of a pain in the @ss to get that little circle to show.

Alt + 0 on a PC, Option + 0 on the Mac (my PC of choice).

[UMP25]

See, too much of a pain in the @ss!

And no, Alt + 0 doesn't do it on my PC. Nothing happens. Had that worked, I would've used it.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Maybe it's Control + 0 or some other combo. Bill Gates always does things the hard way.

[UMP25]

Trust me. I've tried every combo I can think of. None of them worked.