1st to 3rd PO MOVE

[JFlores]

Very Elementary, sorry just need clarification. On 1st to third move, Pitcher steps to third and feints a throw, ball can stay in glove correct?

[UmpJM]

Jflores,

On a 1st to 3rd pickoff move by an engaged pitcher, I've got a balk every time, regardless of what he does with the ball.

JM

[jicecone]

"Very elemantary" however, JM is right. Any feint to first will result in a balk, directly from the plate. Now if the pitcher happens to feint first towards third, then goes to first, the only requirement is a step to the bag. Arm motion is not required and therefore it doesn't matter where the ball is.

[UmpJM]

Originally Posted by jicecone

"Very elemantary" however, JM is right. Any feint to first will result in a balk, directly from the plate. Now if the pitcher happens to feint first towards third, then goes to first, the only requirement is a step to the bag. Arm motion is not required and therefore it doesn't matter where the ball is.

Well I certainly wouldn't argue with any of THAT!

The one additional caveat I might offer is that....

1. If they are playing under FED rules,
2. And the pitcher remains "engaged" as he feints to 3rd then turns to 1st,
3. Then he MUST make a "legal step" AND throw on the move to 1st,
4. So, at some point, he's going to have take the ball out of his glove - and he'd best do it "continuously" and "without interruption".

JM

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by UmpJM (nee CoachJM)

1. If they are playing under FED rules,
2. And the pitcher remains "engaged" as he feints to 3rd then turns to 1st,
3. Then he MUST make a "legal step" AND throw on the move to 1st,
4. So, at some point, he's going to have take the ball out of his glove - and he'd best do it "continuously" and "without interruption".

Around here, no matter what the feet actually do, once he steps toward 3B he is off the rubber and disengaged.

[UmpJM]

Michael,

While that does have a certain appeal to me, personally, I can't help but wonder what you would call should the pitcher...

... with runners on first and third, ... while in contact with the rubber, steps toward third and then immediately and in practically the same motion “wheels” and throws to first base, ...

and successfully picks off the R1.

Me, in an OBR or NCAA game, I would balk that in a New York minute.

In a FED game, it's explicitly legal (though I have no idea why they thought this would be a good rule).

So, if the F1 is given this "innovative" advantage, I would also hold him to the FED "constraint" should he make the same move, but fail to throw - a balk.

JM

[ozzy6900]

Originally Posted by JFlores

Very Elementary, sorry just need clarification. On 1st to third move, Pitcher steps to third and feints a throw, ball can stay in glove correct?

ROTFLMAO! 1st to 3rd move? LOL!

[DG]

Originally Posted by JFlores

Very Elementary, sorry just need clarification. On 1st to third move, Pitcher steps to third and feints a throw, ball can stay in glove correct?

The title of your post is 3rd to 1st, your text in teh question is 1st to 3rd, huge difference.

[UmpJM]

Originally Posted by DG

The title of your post is 3rd to 1st, your text in teh question is 1st to 3rd, huge difference.

DG,

It certainly is.

And I would like to just "go on the record" and apologize to JFlores for taking shameless advantage of his innocent "typo" in order to shamelessly and gratuitously indulge my unfortunate penchant to engage in puerile sarcasm when it was perfectly clear from the "get go" what he was asking.

I'm sorry. I just couldn't help it.

JM

[DG]

Originally Posted by UmpJM (nee CoachJM)

And I would like to just "go on the record" and apologize to JFlores for taking shameless advantage of his innocent "typo" in order to shamelessly and gratuitously indulge my unfortunate penchant to engage in puerile sarcasm when it was perfectly clear from the "get go" what he was asking.

Learned a new word today... Had to look it up...puerile.

[MrUmpire]

Originally Posted by DG

Learned a new word today... Had to look it up...puerile.

I've been using Puerile to disinfect my hands for years...ever since I saw it in my doctor's office.

[UmpJM]

Originally Posted by DG

Learned a new word today... Had to look it up...puerile.

DG,

As always, I blame the Jesuits!

I actually had a "1st to 3rd" pick-off move in a game last year, and I'll tell ya', it was kind of WEIRD.

Very early season HS Varsity game, around the 3rd inning, tall, lanky LHP on the mound, R1 & R3 with 1 out. I'm on the bases.

The F1 initiates a decent move to 1B, and as I am stepping up and pivoting to call the play at 1st, he very "smoothly" fakes a throw to 1st and begins pivoting back to 3rd.

As I am nimbly pivoting back towards 3rd following his motion, I am thinking something like, "Ahhh. The old 1st to 3rd... WTF? He can't do THAT!" before I manage to sputter, "THAT'S A BALK!" in a tone that might be characterized as "surprised indignation".

Thankfully, the move had apparently "brain-locked" the OHC in the 3rd base coaching box a bit as well, because I managed to beat his outraged complaint by about a tenth of a second, and he morphed it into a "Thank YOU" that really conveyed more of a "About freakin' TIME" sense than any sort of true gratitude.

PU never said "Jack".

The pitcher just kind of "hung his head" and shook it in a "What was I thinking?" kind of way.

Like I said, it was kind of weird.

JM

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by UmpJM (nee CoachJM)

The pitcher just kind of "hung his head" and shook it in a "What was I thinking?" kind of way.

Like I said, it was kind of weird.

JM

F1 was probably ambidextrous, and it worked just fine when he faced the other way.