Another Joe Morgan funny

[SanDiegoSteve]

Okay, Luke...what is the correct slang term for the official scorer charging a pitcher with an infraction? I couldn't find a listing in the Baseball Slang Dictionary. Aren't we allowed to use our own slang terms for anything we choose, including baseball? I'll bet you any amount of money that I know baseball slang terms that aren't listed in this dictionary.

Try to follow along: Kevin wasn't the official scorer that day. The official scorer did not charge a balk, and he did credit Cabrera with a stolen base. Kevin was at the game, but not the official scorer. The umpires did not call a balk on the play, whether correctly or incorrectly, otherwise the official scorer would have entered it that way in the scorebook, wouldn't he? So, why in the hell is everyone holding Kevin accountable for the decisions of both the umpires and the official scorer, when he is merely telling you what happened on the play, which resulted in Billingsley not completing his delivery after seeing Cabrera slide in safely?

[Kevin Finnerty]

I just broke my chair.

[LDUB]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

So, why in the hell is everyone holding Kevin accountable for the decisions of both the umpires and the official scorer, when he is merely telling you what happened on the play, which resulted in Billingsley not completing his delivery after seeing Cabrera slide in safely?

Because he has said, multiple times, that he agrees with the call on the field that it should not be a balk.

Originally Posted by TussAgee11

Technically speaking it should have been a balk, no SB. And the official box score be damned

Even though it was a balk it would probably be scored as a stolen base also. Just because there is a balk does not mean that a runner cannot steal a base.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by LDUB

Because he has said, multiple times, that he agrees with the call on the field that it should not be a balk.

I agree also. The pitcher did not stop his motion until the runner had touched home plate. No runners on base at that time, so nobody on base to award a base on a balk, which is the purpose of the balk rule, to reward the offense for a pitcher illegally deceiving a runner. And regardless of whether Kevin agreed with the call or not, it was the call that was made. Don't believe it? Look in the scorebook.

Originally Posted by LDUB

Even though it was a balk it would probably be scored as a stolen base also. Just because there is a balk does not mean that a runner cannot steal a base.

This is also true, but it wasn't a balk because it wasn't called. "It ain't nothin' till I call it." - Bill Klem.

[yawetag]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

Try to follow along: Kevin wasn't the official scorer that day. The official scorer did not charge a balk, and he did credit Cabrera with a stolen base. Kevin was at the game, but not the official scorer.

I never accused the Official Scorer of screwing up. I simply stated that if the pitcher began his pitching motion and then stopped, it's a balk. I couldn't care less what the umpires called or didn't call, and I doubt an Official Scorer could go against what's called on the field ("Hmm. That was technically a balk, but the umpires didn't call it. I'll write it in as one anyway.").

I'm done talking about it, simply because the topic's gone far away from my original argument.

[SethPDX]

Originally Posted by yawetag

I doubt an Official Scorer could go against what's called on the field ("Hmm. That was technically a balk, but the umpires didn't call it. I'll write it in as one anyway.").

That's because the official scorer can't do that. OBR 10.01b (1). "The official scorer shall not make any decision that conflicts with an umpire's decision." If the umpire decided, right or wrong, it was not a balk, the official scorer can't decide to charge a balk anyway.