High school fake to 3rd play

[David Emerling]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

Worst advice ever. I'm sure you've discarded that since then.

You're taking it too literally.

With every pitch, do you tell yourself, "That was not a balk"?

No! You don't. And that's because nothing looks unusual about it.

It doesn't even occur to you to call a balk.

But, when something looks odd, even if at the very instant it occurs you could not immediately say WHY it's a balk - your mind is racing to determine why, indeed, it is a balk. What sets our brain in motion is precisely because "it looks wrong".

The key is that you have to be able to intelligently and properly articulate why it was a balk once you call it.

SIDENOTE: Whenever I'm a BU, with a runner on 1st, I have to confess that I do, specifically, tell myself "That was not a balk" - especially if the pitcher has already demonstrated that he is on the edge legality.