Dead ball balk?

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by rbmartin

Situation: OBR Rules. Runner on 3rd, no outs. Ball is dead via timeout or foul ball. Pitcher is given new ball by HP. While ball is still dead, infielder conference near, but not on the mound. F1 slips the ball to F5 unnoticed by anyone. As fielders return to position F5 has ball concealed in his glove. F1 takes place on rubber. Umpire calls "play". R3 takes lead and is then tagged by F5.

The correct call/action would be:

a) Since F1 did not have posession of the ball on the rubber, ball is still dead so umpire rules "no play".

b) Balk since F1 was standing on the rubber without the ball.

c) Do-over since umpire should never have called play to start with.

d) Other please explain.

A few years ago, I had a 12 yr old travel league game when the situation (after a foul ball) above occurred. The pitcher, evidently, had be told by his coach that he could not get on the Pitchering Plate without the ball; his reluctance to get on the PP led my partner and I to belive that he did not have the ball. I kept motioning the pitcher to get on the PP and he wouldn't, this went on for about 30 sec, and he was about to burst into tears. I then called Time and brought his coach out because I thought his pitcher was injured, . That enabled him to discretely get the ball into the pitcher's hands and away we went.

MTD, Sr.