balk vs illegal pitch [FED]

[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.