MLB umpire says that you can balk with a dead ball!

[GarthB]

Jim:

R1, Ball is batted foul. Ball is thrown to F1 who is on the grass about ten feet from the mound. After rubbing up the new ball and still on the grass, he simulates his delivery. He's off the rubber. BALK, Jim calls.

The ball is dead. There is no balk.

There is no history to call a balk during a deadball. There is no ruling to call a balk during a deadball. There is no rule to call a balk during a deadball There is no practice, outside of Little League, to call a balk during a deadball.

The ump got faked out. Shame on the ump.

Sorry if some feel the need to punish the defense for deke-ing the ump, but they do so without the sanction of the rules, tradition, history, AO or OI.

I guess "common sense" justifies it.



[Edited by GarthB on Aug 6th, 2002 at 01:57 PM]