Why is the ruling on this move being changed?
 

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Hey everybody. Just wondering if there has been an official statement regarding why this move is becoming a balk next year in OBR. (RHP, step to third, look to or throw to first)

Is it a speed-of-game issue? I have never umpired at a level where this is common or even allowed, so, I'm not quite sure what the rationale would be. In my opinion it can be an effective psychological tool (or clue). Sorry if this has been widely discussed as I'm sure all rule changes are, but I couldn't find anything while searching.

I know announcers have been complaining that this should be a balk for years, because it "deceives" the runners.

Which is why it always works, right?:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

Rita

First of all, everything I have read has used the word "maybe", so that doesn't mean it definetly is.

Now , What the heck are you talking about? I have to question what level you have umpired at because, this is a common as "Ball or Strike" at all games above LL level.

"it can be an effective psychological tool"

What does that mean? This is Baseball were discussing.

Here is a quote about this move that shows the type of brillance we are dealing with here.

"I think they should get rid of it," Yankees reliever Boone Logan said. "Us lefties can't do that. If we do, they call a balk."

About the only reason I can think of, of why they want to eliminate this is, it shows up the intelligence of some of ther players. The clip already proves that it still works in the game. I don't see why they want to eliminate it but, it's their League.

Unless I am missing something, a left-handed pitcher can step toward third fake a throw there, disengage the rubber, and throw to first. Now it would look silly and I have never seen it. But there is no rule precluding a lefty from doing a third-to-first move.

Yeah, he left that part out... what he really meant was...

"We lefties can't do that very well and look foolish when we try".

Question away. I volunteer as a Little League umpire in a small Maine town where many parents can't even afford gloves for their kids. I don't get paid and I'm at this forum because I'm trying to learn how to be as good as I can. I was just curious about the rule change.

As is the case with lazy pickoff throws and any check on a runner, it is a way of letting the runner know the pitcher is paying attention. That's all I meant. Thanks for the reply.

1. No official statement AFAIK.

2. No, I believe that it's an attempt to rebalance the rules to favor runners a tiny bit. This happens every so often with OBR.

FWIW, it seemed to me that Papelbon balked in the video you posted, and not in the way you're asking about.

Actually, I think he was complaining that lefties aren't allowed to do the fake-to-first-throw-to-third move, essentially mirroring the righty move.

Ya think? :eek:

The goal of the pitcher is to catch the runner taking some extra lead when he initially thinks the ball is going to third, and then fire back to catch him too far off or leaning. It VERY rarely works, and often gets boo'ed at MLB parks.

And neither are rightys.

I had a balk on the play as well. Possibly for two reasons.

One - Looked like the free foot crossed the back plane of the rubber. (maybe)

Two - Also looked like he may have started to rotate toward home rather than step directly toward third. (or more to home than third).

Tim.

No way on either.

1. whole foot has to cross whole rubber, not even close. (see below and thanks to mbyron for updating me on this one). I still don't see him breaking the back edge here.

2. everything went towards third.

No way this is a balk.

Tony, that's the FED rule (6-2-4f).

OBR 8.05a COMMENT is usually interpreted as any part of the foot.

I don't think that is what 8.05a says. Maybe I'm getting old and fuzzy headed but I remember as a cadet at the Academy being told that it was the whole foot past the whole rubber.

I stand corrected I just found MLBUM 7.5(c).

NCAA is explicit about it in 9-1-b (3) Thanks for making me look it up, I appreciate it really. Any day I can learn something is a good day! :)

And I really got to update my PBUC manual. The one I have says in 6.4 (b)

Bad example in the OP. Beltran was going on first movement -- he didn't take a big secondary & get "deceived".

So, assuming that MLB wants to make this old standby move illegal, how would they change the rule.

I assume they would make it illegal to feint to any base, not just first, so the pitcher would have to throw on any move to a base. Seems like this would cause much more problems, not asllowing a fent to second to drive back a runner without F4/F6 being at the base to receive the throw. Seems to me the medicine will be worse than the illness...

No, feints to 2B and 3B will still be legal. See 8.05c COMMENT: where it says "This is legal," insert "not." Problem solved.

Not what I read... where I first saw this stated that they would make feints to any base illegal.

Then again ... why are feints to 2nd and 3rd ok, but not to first. Other than tradition, it seems an odd exception.

Because there would be runners diving back to first 5 times in each at bat on fakes to first. I'm thinking that it would drastically reduce the number of stolen bases.

A lead off first is vital and the pitcher has huge incentive to keep the runner close. Off second and third? Not so much.

Well, you answered the opposite of my question.

Why is it OK to feint to 3rd? Or 2nd? It might be less critical to hold a runner there, but if a pitcher is going to take the time to decide not to pitch and instead stride toward a base, obviously holding the runner was important enough. So why allow them to feint?

A baseball move is allowed until it's not.

The reason to prohibit feinting to 1B is that it's easier and more important to steal 2B than 3B or home, and harder to throw a runner out at 2B than 3B or home. Since these reasons apply only to 1B, it makes sense to limit the prohibition.

Prohibiting feinting to 1B gives a better balance of offense and defense.

In other news, it seems the minor league record for stolen bases is likely to be broken this year (145 — maybe they need to prohibit feinting in MiLB).