DET @ CLE No Balk call two ejections

[jwwashburn]

I have wondered when this changed....I do not think the rule has changed(at least not much) but, the enforcement sure has changed.

Saw some World Series game from the Late 60's and from 1975 not too long ago on ESPN Classic and many of those pitchers did not even pretend to stop...My guess is it changed right around when Lou Brock broke the Stolen Base record?

There is no way anyone was stealing 100+ bases with the way those guys were quick pitching.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by jwwashburn

I have wondered when this changed....I do not think the rule has changed(at least not much) but, the enforcement sure has changed.

Saw some World Series game from the Late 60's and from 1975 not too long ago on ESPN Classic and many of those pitchers did not even pretend to stop...My guess is it changed right around when Lou Brock broke the Stolen Base record?

There is no way anyone was stealing 100+ bases with the way those guys were quick pitching.

It changed in the 80s when they added the word "discernible" for one season and the umpires called a TON of balks. The players union, I believe, never approved the word discernible and it was removed the next season.

No More 'Discernible' Stop, So Balks Will Be Balks Again - Los Angeles Times

Once the word discernible disappeared, the pitchers still seemed to stop a lot better than they did prior to this change.

[jwwashburn]

Originally Posted by GROUPthink

It changed in the 80s when they added the word "discernible" for one season and the umpires called a TON of balks. The players union, I believe, never approved the word discernible and it was removed the next season.

No More 'Discernible' Stop, So Balks Will Be Balks Again - Los Angeles Times

Once the word discernible disappeared, the pitchers still seemed to stop a lot better than they did prior to this change.

Hey thanks! I think I kind of remember that now.

I wonder if certain umpires just let it fly and did whatever they liked before that? I cannot see any way for Rickey Henderson, Tim Raines, Lou Brock, etc to have been able to do what they did if what I saw on ESPN was typical.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by GROUPthink

It changed in the 80s when they added the word "discernible" for one season and the umpires called a TON of balks. The players union, I believe, never approved the word discernible and it was removed the next season.

No More 'Discernible' Stop, So Balks Will Be Balks Again - Los Angeles Times

Once the word discernible disappeared, the pitchers still seemed to stop a lot better than they did prior to this change.

Yes, 'discernible' was removed, leaving only 'complete' behind. And as we have all been taught, a change of direction does not equate a complete stop. Some of these guys are only changing direction these days. Maybe it's time to start enforcing the 'complete' part of the rule more consistently.

[JR12]

Originally Posted by jwwashburn

I have wondered when this changed....I do not think the rule has changed(at least not much) but, the enforcement sure has changed.

Saw some World Series game from the Late 60's and from 1975 not too long ago on ESPN Classic and many of those pitchers did not even pretend to stop...My guess is it changed right around when Lou Brock broke the Stolen Base record?

There is no way anyone was stealing 100+ bases with the way those guys were quick pitching.

Not to change the subject, but anothe major differnce I notice watching games from 30-40 yrs ago is check swings. You could damn near do a helicopter swing before a base umpire would call a strike on an appeal.