Balk or Not
 

Teener league game....14/16 major league rules: Pitcher is intentionally walking batter, catcher steps out for pitch as pitcher releases ball......coach is calling for balk , by the third pitch he is screaming for balk. After fourth pitch he is ejected.

Please advise..........watching the majors, I have never seen any call on this and the catcher is alot farhter out than this guy was.

By rule, F2 is required to be in his "box" until the time of the pitch -- which is the first movement that commits the pitcher to pitch. At that time, F2 can move.

Coach is not wise. Don't let him argue same point for 4 pitches. One pitch, he gets explanation. Shouldn't happen again.

That is correct for FED not OBR. The commonly ignored rule states "until the ball leaves the pitcher's hand" for intentional walks only. TOP is actually used in practice in OBR when it rarely if ever is called.

Ball 1 - Ignore
Ball 2 - "He's fine. Enough."
Ball 3 - Bye bye
Ball 4 - Silence

Ahhh, Yes, another archaic OBR that has long outlived its usefulness.

OBR also at one time required the pitcher's pivot foot to be entirely within the 24" confines. But that was rarely enforced, and eventually the ruleswriters came to their senses and changed 8.01 to require only contact with the rubber. They need to do the same with 4.03(a).

balk or not
 

Well put Manny, I agree the rule is outdated because the catchers box is no where like it was years ago ( not to many). And when the Majors do it they do the same thing, stick out the glove and jump way outside BEFORE pitchers releases the ball.

But rule 4.03 does state "until the ball leaves his hand", so therein I believe my fellow ump was wrong????

Are you listening?

N O B O D Y calls that a balk.

I'd call it a balk.

But only on one of your pitchers, Rich.

And because Manny told me to do it...............


Tim.

Troublemaker........:D

I'm not sure what you're getting at. Which "fellow ump" are you talking about? You said in your OP that the defensive coach was complaining and then got ejected. What did the umpire do (or fail to do) that was wrong with what is said in 4.03?

My interp was that it was because he didn't call a balk when 4.03 says it's a balk.

From the OP: "Pitcher is intentionally walking batter, catcher steps out for pitch as pitcher releases ball......

Sounds like the umpire was properly applying 4.03 here, since he didn't call a balk and the coach was complaining. So I'm not sure why 3ump felt the umpire was wrong.

3Ump seemed to be saying it was a balk because the catcher moved out before the ball was released - which is what the rule actually says, but his partner didn't call it. His partner went with the TOP convention - what else could 3Ump be thinking his partner was wrong about?.

Tim wins the Internet today.

Birdman's authority ends at the Pentagon door. :D

Situation: OBR. 1 out. Fast runner on 2nd. 1st base open. Coach tells catcher to call for intentional walk. Catcher sets up 10 feet up 3rd baseline to recieve pitch in order to prevent R2 from stealing 3rd.

Obviously, in a ridiculous case like this you may want to call a balk. Otherwise, let it go.

No. I can't allow the pitcher to pitch until the catcher gets into the box. If the catcher is set up way over there, we don't have a pitch - we have infielders throwing the ball to each other.

He has to be in the box until the TOP.

Penalty?

No penalty - just no pitching.

To get this particular balk, catcher has to be in the box and pitcher ready to pitch, and THEN get out of the box entirely before the pitch (without the umpire seeing him getting up and out and wondering what was going on, and calling time). Very unlikely scenario. Would almost have to be intentional by the catcher.

Don't.

Call.

This.

Balk.



EVER.

My mistake guys....he was not my partner I was not umpiring in this game....merely meant that I to umpire so therefore he is my fellow ump.

Just trying to get some confusion out of the way here, because by rule" until ball leaves his hand " certainly is not enforced in majors......coach was ejected because of his violent explosion after ump explained why he was not calling it a balk......however I to was involved in this same scenario two years ago....I did not call the balk either. Mine came bottom of 7th score tied 3-3, runners on 2nd & 3rd....I be dam game was not going to end on that .

That mentality can be found in association umpires as well.

It's not a matter of association. It's a matter of training.

Rita

Considering that I would only call it on a Rich Ives coached pitcher shows only how much I'd like to see the look on an old Internet friends face the moment I called it.

Nothing more, nothing less..............

And welcome back to the board. I heard they'd torn down your bridge and you lost Internet access whilst moving.

Tim.

I no longer have any authority. I retired June 1, so now I'm a lowly civilian. ;)

Congratulations, and many thanks for your service!

Thanx, all. 30 years in the Army is a long run, and for the most part quite rewarding. I just hope my second career as a contractor supporting "another" Federal Department is equally fun. So far, it's not too bad.

The worst part is trying to figure out what suit, shirt and tie to wear. It was too easy when it was a military uniform!

I feel your pain..

Congratulations on your retirement, Manny!

As an old "Internet" friend, please allow me to say thank you for your many years of service to our country. You have my utmost respect and admiration.

Tim.

reported

Tattletale.

I guess they were right when they said true love never dies.......derranged much.

Congrats - thanks for being there. Now us former US E4's are on equal footing I guess.

We had a former Navy O6 quite a few years back now. Took him awhile to get used to people saying "yeah sure" and other such insubordinate stuff when he was requesting something. :D