Just curious -- question for you umps out there. Do you ever decide to call or not call a balk based on the situation as opposed to age? My son was 14 when this happened:
Tie game, bottom of the last, runners on 2nd & 3rd. Coach decides to walk the batter intentionally. My son throws ball one. Throwing from the stretch he throws ball 2, but doesn't come to a complete pause before he throws it.
Ump calls balk, winning run scores, game is over.
I guess it truly was a balk, but many dads (myself not included) were saying the ump shouldn't have called it in that situation.
My son was unbelievably upset with himself, but actually chuckled a few days later when I told him that rather than a game being over because of a walk-off homer, he had issued a balk-off run.
Not exactly hilarious ... but it broke the tension!
So umps, do you call that one or give a warning?