DET @ CLE No Balk call two ejections
 

Baseball Video Highlights & Clips | DET@CLE: Leyland, Brookens ejected arguing for a balk - Video | MLB.com: Multimedia

Looks like a balk to me.

More so from the view from above than the view from second base.

Rita

You think MLB umpires screwed up? I'm shocked, shocked!

Leyland was trying to light a fire under his offense to avoid a sweep. Didn't work.

Definite balk in HS and youth. MLB, on the other hand, gets away with a lot. There was a minor stop which may be okay for MLB.

That was a definite balk. Trying to defend that makes us all look bad as umpires.

If you look at the first replay, it also appeared that he went to his mouth while on the rubber.

An all too common scene in today's environment.

The Tigers are 4 games under 500 and 3-7 in their last 10 games including the sweep by the indians. In addition they had their ace Verlander on the hill and still could not salvage a game.

The Tigers were picked by the so called "experts" to run away with the Central Division. The Tigers are playing bad baseball, cannot score if they were facing a HS pitcher so let's blame the umpires.

We as amateur umpires see it most of the time. How many times have you officiated games where the score was 14-13 or some other rediculous score, a gazillion errors etc. etc. and you hear "Blue cost us that one"

It's todays' society. let's not blame ourselves let's blame someone else.

Pete Booth

We have had so many discussions on this board about calling balks, or when not to call a balk. I have always been in favor of, if you see a balk, call a balk! Especially early!

I think arguing to U1 about it was the wrong choice. U3 and PU had a much better look at it. Not that it would have made a difference. I love the way PU said he didn't see it. At least that what it looked like his lips said.

He does have an excuse, he is an umpire so you know he's blind;)

Which isn't a balk. (Unless he separated his hands to do so after coming set.)

Rita

I realize that going to his mouth is not a balk. But shouldn't he have been charged a ball?


8.02 The pitcher shall not—
(a) (1) Bring his pitching hand in contact with his mouth or lips while in the 18 foot circle surrounding the pitching rubber. EXCEPTION: Provided it is agreed to by both managers, the umpire prior to the start of a game played in cold weather, may permit the pitcher to blow on his hand.
PENALTY: For violation of this part of this rule the umpires shall immediately call a ball. However, if the pitch is made and a batter reaches first base on a hit, an error, a hit batsman or otherwise, and no other runner is put out before advancing at least one base, the play shall proceed without reference to the violation. Repeated offenders shall be subject to a fine by the league president.

Agreed. I see a few veteran pitchers who get away with what would be considered illegal in youth ball, particularly coming to a complete stop at the chest, then stopping again at the belt.

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.

You do not think they screwed up?

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.

When those pitchers act legally, there's often something else moving during the first pause of the hands — legs wiggling, knee moving, that kind of thing. Not in fact a double stop and not illegal at any level.

It can be effective against overeager runners.

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.

The point of my post was to wonder what on earth we would all do without you around to point out the "errors" you perceive committed by your superiors.

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.

Hmmm...as Hawkeye Pierce said to Frank Burns when Burns said he was a superior officer to Hawkeye, "You have a higher rank, but you are not superior."

Davidson would have called it, and people would have been all over his a$$.

Don't get all offended, SDS, if you don't fit the bill, but the average professional umpire of amateur ball is ignorant, ch!cken$sh!t, or both when it comes to calling balks.

In my roughly 2200 game career of probably 90% 2-man, 10% 3-man, I have outcalled my partners on balks I'll bet 20-1.

My new hero...we are not worthy!!!!!!!!!

No offense taken. I agree with your assessment. I would go one step further and say that a better than average percentage fit the bill, based on some partners and umpires I have observed over the years.

I wonder what I would do without you pretending not be interested in these threads that you read.

I know exactly what you'd do, because you keep doing it.

MB,

There have been several threads this year about MLB umpires. I posted one recently asking about mechanics-several people responded.

I posted this one and several people responded.

You obviously have an interest in this topic or you would never have clicked and posted.

Maybe you have a personal grievance with me? I have no idea. To my knowledge, we have never met.