A "Balk" terminology question

[walkerbard]

Originally Posted by ozzy6900

I agree with umpjim, you are quoting the OBR rule book. What is point that you are trying to make?

It was a discussion/argument on a sports board related to a video posted of this pitch by Johnny Cueto. (video is halfway down the page)

Johnny Cueto stops, whoas, wiggles with it before throwing pitch | MLB.com

One of the posters said this should have been called a "balk". I told him that first of all, you have to have runners on base to call a balk (he wouldn't have been in the wind up if runners were on base). He contended you didn't. That triggered a search of the MLB rule book which turned up the verbiage I described above. Just thought I'd run it past a few officials here for your point of view. As someone noted above, you don't see illegal pitches/actions that warrant an automatic ball to be called at the MLB level. I guess the illegal going to the mouth on the rubber is the most common and that doesn't happen often. But I've never heard of it referred to as a "balk" unless runner(s) are on base. Just a ball called. Thanks for all of your input.