What did he do?

[mbyron]

I'm so sick and tired of umpires calling technical, nitpicky balks. What on earth happened with this one?

[john5396]

I didnt see ANYTHING.... ;^)

[johnnyg08]

Based on this clip, he didn't pitch the ball.

[MD Longhorn]

Watch his left foot. It seems to wiggle deceptively in the air as he's coming forward, just prior to him failing to pitch the ball. That might be where the balk was. :--)

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by johnnyg08

Based on this clip, he didn't pitch the ball.

I'm pretty sure he aborted the pitch when he heard someone yell Balk.

His left foot did hit the ground, then came back up as he completed his step towards home, essentially contacting the ground twice. But I find it hard to believe that's why the balk was called. And I don't see any deceptive wiggle that Mike mentioned.

What I find even more interesting was that Ozzie didn't go ballistic.

[jdmara]

He didn't pitch the ball. When he stubbed his heal on the ground he decided not to throw the ball. I certainly don't hear anyone yell balk prior to him not throwing the ball.

-Josh

[MD Longhorn]

Some people wouldn't know humor if it punched them in the smiley face.

[Welpe]

The right knee buckled 1/64".

[CT1]

Originally Posted by Manny A

His left foot did hit the ground, then came back up as he completed his step towards home, essentially contacting the ground twice.

Not illegal.

Nolasco caught his heel when he went to plant, & decided to take the balk penalty rather than throw a pitch who-knows-where, or risk injury.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Welpe

The right knee buckled 1/64".

Ah, yes, I see this too now. Just before the foot wobble, before he failed to throw the ball - you're right. That's probably what this nitpicky balk was called on. Umpires today... sheesh!

[Welpe]

They need to realize not everybody came to watch them.

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

Some people wouldn't know humor if it punched them in the smiley face.

Okay, okay...I didn't have enough coffee this morning when I posted my response.

Yeah, it probably was the case where the first foot touch threw Nolasco off, and he decided not to pitch. The reason I thought a Balk call may have been made before the aborted pitch was because the PU made no Balk call. Geez, something this obvious should've been called by all four umpires, the official scorer, the PA announcer, the beer dude behind the first-base dugout...

[jicecone]

That is one of those, and we all had them, (Hmm. this is way to obvious to be a balk, it is a balk) "BALK".

[Ump29]

Also had one lately. Only about 3rd time in 23 years a pitcher dropped the ball while on the rubber. As I thought to myself (on bases) "Did he really do that?" my partner calls "Balk" !!!

[LeeBallanfant]

Great call by Rob Drake. I nominate him to work Game 7 of the World Series.