Has Anyone Had This Play?
 

Interesting play last night in Dodgers/Rockies. 1st and 2d, 2 out. Visting pitcher comes set. Just before pitcher starts toward the plate, batter asks for time then starts to wave his hands as pitcher begins his motion, and starts to back out of the box. PU does not grant time, but pitcher stops his delivery.

Balk. Naturally, the batter then hits a single, scoring two runs and tying the game and the team later wins in extras.

Baseball is not my sport. I thought this was an interesting play. Is there any option for the PU here? Or are pitchers to be taught always to complete their delivery once they begin?

Batter stepped out of the box, so it's not a balk, time is called. The balk should not have been called in the situation you described.

Sorry, wish I could find video, because that was not what I meant to convey. He was not out of box yet when the pitcher stopped delivery. He was bailing out, but not out yet. Of course, as soon as the balk was called, he walked a good 15 feet away from the plate (with a slight smirk) like none of it had anything to do with him.

Rule 6.02(b) Comment: If after the pitcher starts his windup or comes to a "set position” with a runner on, he does not go through with his pitch because the batter has stepped out of the box, it shall not be called a balk. Both the pitcher and batter have violated a rule and the umpire shall call time and both the batter and pitcher start over from “scratch.

Even if he hadn't completely gotten out of the box when the pitcher came set, I would still apply this rule - the batter's actions in part caused the balk, and he should not be rewarded for it. The hand waving especially would convince me to not penalize the pitcher.

I had one earlier this year where the batter (while in his normal hitting position) verbally says the word "time" while F1 is in is stretch. Batter remains in his hitting position for probably one second or two, then F1 starts and stops his delivery. I did not grant the time request, but called the balk because in my judgement, that situation did not cause the pitcher to stop his delivery. (it's hard to describe w/o seeing it)...However, I have simply "started over" several times before. Tough for me to penalize the pitcher in these situations.

Stepping out of the box does not mean time is to be called. It's up to the plate umpire to decide whether to grant time.

Quite true, but if the batter steps out of the box and upon seeing this, F1 stops his delivery, I am not calling a balk.

I agree. Either PU didn't see what the OP did, or PU kicked it.

I think the key here is what I put in bold type. Once the batter starts to back out of the box, it distracts the pitcher enough to cause him to stop his delivery. At this point, I am invoking Rule 6.02(b), and using, of course, the Major League comment (not N.A. comment), paragraph 2, which reads:

If after the pitcher starts his windup or comes to a “set position” with a runner on, he does not go through with his pitch because the batter has stepped out of the box, it shall not be called a balk. Both the pitcher and batter have violated a rule and the umpire shall call time and both the batter and pitcher start over from “scratch.”

The actions of the batter can't cause the pitcher to balk, bottom line
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I don't think anyone here is, which is why I deleted that portion of your quote. I was focusing on the part where you stated that when a batter steps out of the box, time is called. I just didn't want you to think that time is called just because the batter steps out. It's not; it's the umpire's prerogative.

Except that Ozzy didn't say it, Canada6 did.

Not only is "Time" not called when a batter steps out, I have a strike on just about any pitch that is delivered. (Not the OP, I know.)

Well, whoever said it. My point has been made.

You must mean the pitches that are in the strike zone.

I'm willing to bet that most here will call a strike on any pitch that is close. ;)

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.

If a batter deliberately allows the ball to contact him by moving a body part into the path of the pitch, it is either a strike or ball depending on the location of the pitch. It is by no means a HBP. Umpires with nads don't give first base for this kind of chicanery.

The Official Baseball Rules are easily accessible online. Here's the link:

Official Baseball Rules