balk vs illegal pitch [FED]

[Rich]

Originally Posted by ozzy6900

As Tim C pointed out, the OP is start & stop. It is a violation of pitching rules and is a ball with no runners on, a balk with runners. Yes, it's nice to say that you will ignore this, or call no pitch but then..... what other rules are you choosing not to enforce?

Not that canard again. We *all* choose to not enforce everything according to the letter of the law.

[ozzy6900]

Originally Posted by Rich

Not that canard again. We *all* choose to not enforce everything according to the letter of the law.

Try not to be a total dolt, Rich. You know perfectly well what I am saying.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

I know I am jumping into this debate kind of late, but I would like to relay a play that MTD, Jr., had last May. The game was the freshmen championship game of the league that consists of most of the largest high schools in NW Ohio.

Junior was on the bases. Bottom of the seventh inning, one out, runner on third base, and the scored tied. Junior was in the C position. The Pitcher assumed the Windup Position. As the Pitcher started his pitching motion his coach yelled for him to stop and pitch from the Set Position. The Pitcher stopped his motion for a full second and Mark balked in the winning run. Why? The Pitcher committed an illegal act, i.e., an illegal pitch, which is a balk when runners are on base. If the Pitcher had done the same thing with no one on base, it would still be an illegal pitch, for which the penalty is a ball awarded to the batter.

MTD. Sr.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by ozzy6900

Try not to be a total dolt, Rich. You know perfectly well what I am saying.

It's a worn out phrase, Ozzy. Local practice dictates crap like this -- I'm not going to be the only umpire in the area to call this when all the rest call it "no pitch."

[umpjim]

Originally Posted by Rich

It's a worn out phrase, Ozzy. Local practice dictates crap like this -- I'm not going to be the only umpire in the area to call this when all the rest call it "no pitch."

Not germane to this infraction but similar. The F1 foot position in the WU and set is now a POE. Because it was ignored in many locations due to rule ignorance or local practice (because nobody was confused) it now should be strictly enforced. The "start and stop" (used to describe this OP infraction but also another infraction in the set which is not penalized in OBR but in practice is) is in the same category but has not been a focus yet for FED. Maybe it should be a POE next year. It's not a big deal whether you ball it or nothing it (with no runners) as long as everybody knows the code.

[DG]

Originally Posted by Rich

It's a worn out phrase, Ozzy. Local practice dictates crap like this -- I'm not going to be the only umpire in the area to call this when all the rest call it "no pitch."

Ditto around here. I know no one who has called a ball, and no coaches who have complained.

[Steven Tyler]

Originally Posted by ozzy6900

Try not to be a total dolt, Rich. You know perfectly well what I am saying.

It's a good thing you train umpires. We can use the laughs from time to time.