Is it just me, or have others been seeing more and more balks being committed in MLB and NOT being called?

I have been seeing pitchers, while in contact with the rubber in stretch position with men on base, taking the ball out of their glove, taking hat off while wiping off sweat using their pitching arm with the ball in hand, winding up arm as to losen up or pull jersey sleeve up. Why is this not being called a balk?

Also, are the PU's getting away from going to their partners on check swings? I have seen more and more check swings being called strikes by the PU rather than waiting for the inevitable appeal. Are they going to begin the practice of calling those variable swings strikes based on the batter's attempt at the pitch?

I have to somewhat agree with you.. In the Boston/NY game Sunday, Kim from Boston started to come up to the set and then went back down all the while with the foot on the rubber, and they did not call one. They (not the same crew) called a balk for what appeared the same thing against a Texas pitcher earlier in the week.

Which part of 8.05 do you think is being violated by these motions?

Remember that MLB has it's own "rhythm" - separate from youth baseball. During times of "unrelaxed" action, everything is truly relaxed -- you don't see R1 dancing off the bag at first while F1 is distractedly wiping the sweat from his brow, for example.

Most (but not all) of the balks that are called in MLB wouldn't be balks in youth baseball -- we'd attribute the motion to the "nervousness" of the pitcher. OTOH, most (but not all) of the balks we call in youth level either won't be committed by ML pitchers, or will be during these times of "very relaxed" action.

Quote:

Also, are the PU's getting away from going to their partners on check swings? I have seen more and more check swings being called strikes by the PU rather than waiting for the inevitable appeal. Are they going to begin the practice of calling those variable swings strikes based on the batter's attempt at the pitch?

I think some studies have shown that a lot of what was called "no swing" actually was a "swing" -- ML umps are going away from giving all benefit of the doubt to the batter. Just a guess.

Alot of non balk calls happen when the ball is dead alot of MLB umps wait not only until players are ready but also until all ball boys/girls are sitting on their little stools. Many times I see a ball fouled off to the back screen and the pitcher has a new one and is ready to pitch and the ball boy hasn't even moved to pick up the foul.