Calling the game

[Bfair]

Originally posted by Jim Mills
Interesting. About this same time last year, the same type of issue was debated on another board (i.e., do you grant the appeal of a missed home plate on a walk-off HR.) The question is whether you call a technical violation that you determine does not result in an advantage.

Excellent points to compare, Jim................

IMO, the primary goals of the game include:

1. Offensively, to advance to score runs by hitting the ball and touching all bases before being retired, and
   
2. Defensively, to retire the offense before they can score.

Added to support that goal are the varying rules regarding how that is to be accomplished fairly. Many rules have evolved from attempts of one team to gain an advantage over another which the rulesmakers did not originally intend on occurring. Some of those advantages---specific to your question and this thread---deal with missed bases and balks.

It's obvious the bases were meant to be touched. That's why the rules require they be touched even on awards. Afterall, after a home run they could merely add the score if touching of the bases was not included in the primary goal of the game. Still, it also became apparent that proper touching of the bases didn't always occur. The rules of appeal are a tool for the defense to assure that primary goal of touching the bases is adhered to. IMO, the official should not withhold that tool from the defense when they properly wish to use it---even when a base was missed only by an inch. If the official is aware that the defense has properly used their tool, he should support their awareness within the game that the offense did not meet that primary objective of touching the bases as required.

Balks were established to prevent a pitcher from deceiving the offense into believing he was doing one thing when,in fact, he wasn't. The rules set limits of legality to prevent such deception. Addressing deception in written word is not quite as easy as addressing a black/white judgment of whether a base was or was not touched. Unfortunately, that written word can sometimes encompass situations not meant to be encompassed within the rule. Balks are also established as punitive measures for when a the defense has done something not deemed legal which infringes upon the game (Ref: delay of game, rule 7.07).

In the case of a base not being touch, the intent of the rule has been infringed upon. In the case of the pitcher improperly disengaging while holding a live ball and waiting for the offense to prepare to play, the intent of the rule has not been infinged upon when the offense has not been deceived nor has tried to be deceived.

That is what I see as a significant difference..........


Just my opinion,

Freix