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

[Jim Porter]

Originally posted by bob jenkins

I'm only on page two of this thread, and this might be covered elsewhere, but ...

5.02 "While the ball is dead, ... no bases may be run ... except ... as the result of acts which occurred while the ball was alive."

So, while you might be able to have a "balk", I don't think you can award bases for it. And, if you can't award bases for it, what's the point?

I agree that your logic is quite sound, Bob. However, it is this same rule that tells us, "After the umpire calls "Play" the ball is alive and in play . . ."

Well, we know that's not true. It's not just the umpire's call of play that is required to put the ball in play.

You could be right. Both sides seem to have sound arguments. That's what makes this such a debate. But it is possible that the language of 5.02 simply includes an oversight like so many other OBR entries. Or, I could be flat-out wrong.