Yeah, it is a bit difficult to judge what a strike is when the batter is out of the box!:p Makes it a bit bigger zone.

25, I'm gonna have a strike if the pitch just leaves the pitcher's hand!

I found video. Turns out -- as often happens -- the video was different from how I remember it. The batter wasn't really "bailing out" as I said -- he took a step back with his front foot, but then steps back toward the plate when he realizes time won't be granted. It's at about 1:00 of this video. (What the video doesn't show, interestingly, is that the 2B U called the balk too, a split second before the PU.) I don't think there's any question that the actions of the hitter caused the pitcher to hesitate, but seeing the replay, I'm not sure the crew had a choice.

Baseball Video Highlights & Clips | 06.29.09: Ethier, Dodgers walk off on the Rockies - Video | dodgers.com: Multimedia

I think it's only an automatic strike in FED

Yes this happened in a Legion game I was doing.

While the pitcher was in he set position, (R3 & R2), the batter took a step forward in the box and turned around and took a step back , then stepped out. The pitcher balked and all hell broke loose with yells of "thats a balk."

I called time and exercised the "Do Over Option." The HC argued that there is no such thing as a "Do Over" in baseball. I explained the other option I had was to eject his batter for attempting to cause the pitcher to balk. He insisted that I was wrong. I explained to him that the discussion was over and this is what were doing. I said I would be glad to point out the rule in the book after the game.

He spent the rest of the game reading the book and never asked the question again.

It's a do-over. Here you go:

I should note that this paragraph is prefaced by the comment that this ruling applies only to MLB. The Legion rule book probably has something similar, if not identical, in approximately the same place (the rule on the batter).

I should note that I already posted this rule back in post #9 of the thread.

The rule (or the comment in this case) applies to all OBR-based games except National Association (minor league) games. They have a special rule that doesn't apply anywhere else. That is what is meant by "major league only." I is just to tell the difference between the bigs and the minors. The wording was added at the last rules change.

It's an automatic strike (for stepping out) and then a second strike if the pitch was in the strike zone in FED, right?

I think you can get away with it if he does it in an intentional attempt to get the pitcher to balk...I've never seen it called...but I think the FED rule does allow for a penalty strike and the pitch shall also be called a strike regardless of location.

I wonder what you do though if the pitch hits the batter (FED)...dead ball strike?

Interesting. Because, the batter would be moving into the pitch (since he's moving out of the box). And, isn't the penalty for moving into a pitch a strike, also?

If it's in the strike zone yes we can and should call it a strike. However the situation has already established itself as being an automatic strike, plus a penalty strike as the ball is pitched.

But, what would we do in the situation I asked above?

I don't think we can ever get more than two strikes though.

Where do you get this stuff?

No, a strike is not called for simply "moving into the pitch." A deadball strike is called when a batter is hit by a pitch in the strike zone.

I believe it is a rule in Calvin Ball.

I had someone tell me it was a strike regardless. That's why I asked the question.