when is inside pick to 2nd a balk?

[wpiced]

davekoch

Coach, I can't immagine why anyone would want to teach 11 year olds FED ball with its annual rule changes, errors, and general prostitution of real baseball, but the answers to your original post can be found in the OBR.

8.01(C) states: "At any time during the pitcher's preliminary movements and until his natural pitching motion COMMITS him to the pitch, he may throw to any base...

When a pitcher commits himself to the plate, he can hardly position himself to throw to second. Therefore, as his free leg is dropping down, he has a choice of "committing" to the pitch or pivoting around to second. It is real easy to see a committed pitch aborted in favor of a pickoff movement. Let's allow the OBR to further explain.

8.05(a)"If there is a runner, or runners,it is a balk
when-" (case book comment) "If a lefthanded or righthanded pitcher swings his free foot past the back edge of the pitcher's rubber, he is required to pitch to the batter EXCEPT THROW TO SECOND BASE ON A PICK-OFf PLAY."

If you are teaching your 11 year old pitchers this move, you can imagine that they will either have to swing their free leg in a 180 degree movement to enable a step toward second base or while their foot is hanging over the back of the rubber, pivot and step directly to second base. The 180 degree pivot is not a commitment to the plate. That requires the free leg to glide out toward the plate.

Either way coach, if your pitcher has "committed" himself to the plate, he isn't going to be able to step to second.

One of the other posters said that you can't balk to second.
Except for the step toward, I think he might be right.

[Edited by wpiced on Mar 1st, 2003 at 05:52 PM]