Anyone see the Braves-Mets game tonight? Shane Reynolds was called with a balk. There was a runner on third and Reynolds was pitching from the windup. He was on the rubber and stepped back with his left foot first. The announcers said that was the reason for the balk because it looked like he was starting his delivery. When you step off the rubber, does it matter with which foot? I'm wondering if it wasn't something else.

A left-handed pitcher must step off with his left (pivot) foot, and a right-handed pitcher must step off with his right foot. The step must be back, behind the rubber. This is how one properly disengages the rubber.
With runner(s) on base, it is a BALK if the pitcher does not properly disengage.

And, if he was moving his hands ala his windup as he stepped off, that, too, would be a balk.

Yes, and as a big Braves fan, I am very disappointed that the umpire was so attentive. (I didn't catch it, but here is what I saw on the replay.)

Right handed pitcher, steps back to disengage with his left foot. As he steps off, the batter then steps out of the box. The plate umpire looks at the batter as if checking what the batter is doing, it looks like he does not even notice the balk. The PU is then kind of stepping out glancing down toward third. Pitcher is stepping on the rubber again when the PU looks at him and yells balk and signals the runner home. The call is maybe a second to a second and a ½ after the balk. In the arguments it appears to me that he is saying to Bobby Cox, you can't step off with your left foot.

As for what the announcers said... were they talking? Who listens to the announcers' opinions on rule issues? (And I <i>like</i> most of the Braves announcers.)

Did the pitcher seperate his hands after stepping off an before stepping back on the rubber. If he didn't that would be a balk and maybe the reason why it was called when he stepped back on the rubber.

It's not a balk if a pitcher steps back off the rubber, legally, and doesn't seperate his hands. The rule is there so he won't jump back on the rubber and throw a quick pitch.

Even if he does step back on the rubber with his hands together it is still not a balk, it is a don't do that.

It appears this right handed pitcher stepped back with his left (FREE) foot. In and of itself, there is nothing wrong with that as the pitcher in a windup motion is allowed to take 2 steps with his free foot before he releases the ball, one back which he did and one forward.

What he did after the legal step back seems to be the problem. G.