What is balked here?

[johnnyg08]

I watched this video clip a bunch of times. What is the balk here?

Obviously I missed something. Thanks.

Baseball Video Highlights & Clips | SD@TB: Hairston gets into scoring position on a balk - Video | MLB.com: Multimedia

[MrUmpire]

Originally Posted by johnnyg08

I watched this video clip a bunch of times. What is the balk here?

Obviously I missed something. Thanks.

Baseball Video Highlights & Clips | SD@TB: Hairston gets into scoring position on a balk - Video | MLB.com: Multimedia

Listening to the announcers, it's obvious: "You have to step off in front of the rubber before you throw to first."

[johnnyg08]

I know...I thought that was a good one.

[JR12]

Originally Posted by johnnyg08

I watched this video clip a bunch of times. What is the balk here?

Obviously I missed something. Thanks.

Baseball Video Highlights & Clips | SD@TB: Hairston gets into scoring position on a balk - Video | MLB.com: Multimedia

cant tell from the angle of the video, but I am guessing he moved his left leg, or bent his left knee before the pivot foot. I have seen a few RHP getting called on that lately watching MLB games. Seems they might have recently been instructed to keep an eye on this.

[johnnyg08]

I'm sure he did something...yeah, I didn't post it to show anybody up, but on these videos I will search "balk" and try to see what F1 did and I just couldn't see it on this one...the camera angles aren't that great on the ones called by PU unless it's the super obvious ones.

[bob jenkins]

Looks to me like he spins on the front foot and then steps.

That said, and as I've said before, the balk rule in MLB and the balk rule in amateur baseball are the same, but the way it's called is different. Most MLB balks are for things that we wouldn't see and don't affect play (as in the video) and most MLB pitchers wouldn't do the stuff that our pitchers do. Conversely, if we called every litle twitch, every base runner would be balked home in about 6 pitches.

[zm1283]

I'm thinking that Bob is right here. He didn't step toward first with his free foot. Matt Garza got balked the next night for breaking his front knee on a pickoff attempt to first, which in turn led to Joe Maddon getting dumped.

[asdf]

Slow it down and you can see the torso and his shoulders turned with the front foot still planted. The step follows too late....

Good balk call in my opinion.

[jicecone]

I'm with the pitcher here, "What happened?"

"Slow it down and you can see the torso and his shoulders turned with the front foot still planted. The step follows too late....

His free foot gained distance to first and was planted before he release the throw over. I can see that without slow motion.

I love the announcer's "He has to step off to the front of the rubber before you move your shoulders" Now thats funny!!!!!

But, when I get to the "Show", (NOT) then I can call it my way too.

[Matt]

Originally Posted by jicecone

I'm with the pitcher here, "What happened?"

"Slow it down and you can see the torso and his shoulders turned with the front foot still planted. The step follows too late....

His free foot gained distance to first and was planted before he release the throw over. I can see that without slow motion.

I saw what Bob saw, in real-time. The question for you, where was his foot when he started his throw?

[jicecone]

Saw that!

I repeat, when I get to the "Show", (NOT) then I can call it my way too.