Another balk video

I got nothing...

I'm not an ump, but it looks to me like he brings his front leg up and hesitates. While is hesitating with his leg in the air, he turns his front shoulder towards 1st. This could be construed as a balk since it is not all one fluid motion.

Looks ok to me too. I don't see a hesitation (stop & start). I think I hear the announcer say "can't tell if his foot went behind the rubber." Probably trained by Tim McCarver.

Did the HC ask why the balk was called? He's entitled to that answer.

Dash - Thank you for the informed opinion. The HC did question the call, my son was privy to the conversation, but he wasn't clear on what why it was called either. I don't want it to sound like sour grapes on my part, but the opposing coach was yelling balk every time he went to first base. It's nothing new, and I'm sure that just about every LHP goes through the same thing each time they take the mound

That clueless announcer was probably me... I was up in the pressbox making the video with the guy operating the scoreboard. He asked me about the balk, neither of us had a "clue."

Hard to see what I am talking about with the video in small screen, but if you maximize it, you can see a little disjointed movement in it. Not sure if it happens everytime he pitches though, since this is the only pitch shown.

bballman - Another video for you to look at is located here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...feature=channel_page

This is the first two innings of the same outing from last Monday. Lots of pitches to look at, but I don’t think he made many throws over to first. Not his best outing. Unfortunately he didn’t make it out of the third inning which is when the balk occurred…

Awful mechanics by the plate umpire.

quote:

Originally posted by JeNeSaisQuoi:
the opposing coach was yelling balk every time he went to first base.

I would put an end to that toute de suite. Keep that up, and he'd be yelling balk out the bus window.

The more I look at it. What I am seeing is when he lifts his leg, then looks to 1st, then back home when he comes to the plate. I don't really think it's a balk, but it is a little different than when he goes home withuot looking to 1st while in the delivery. Maybe the ump just saw something different and called it a balk.

On that last video, look at pitches at 0:48, 1:08, 3:27 & 5:08. Each one of these I saw the look to first in the middle of his delivery. On the last two, it is a little more evident that when he looks that way, he turns his front shoulder a little more towards first. Just an observation that the delivery looks different than all the other pitches and maybe that ump took that as a balk. Let me know what you think.

No balk.

Yep, no balk.

First of all, thank you all for your insights. It’s good to get some “professional” opinions of what transpired… Believe me; the balk call had little to do with my son’s poor performance on Monday. It was just a bad day at the office for him - his team provided him with a 4-0 lead in the first, they scored another 5 runs in the second, but he didn’t make it through the 3rd inning and was pulled after allowing 4 runs in the third. The final play prior to his being pulled was a full-count bases-loaded safety squeeze with one out. He bounced one up there and it got by his catcher and rolled to the backstop allowing two runs to score.

I had another conversation with him last night a few days after the incident and he’d had a chance to think things over a bit. He told me that the base umpire told him that he called the balk was because in his opinion there was a hesitation in his delivery. Whatever... It’s the first time he’s been called for a balk this season (3 picks so far).

One final question for everyone - during another game (last summer, 18U) on a suicide squeeze R3 was nearly at home plate when the pitch was released. Being a lefty with his back to third base and a good-sized kick he’s sometimes slow coming home from the wind up. What is the ruling if R3 arrives at home with the pitch (right-handed batter)? In this case the batter fouled the 2-1 pitch off, but darn, that R3 was nearly in the batters box with the hitter!

Thanks again. Given his short outing on Monday maybe he'll get a chance to pitch a bit tonight (double header).

Bill T.

bballman - as a lefty that’s part of his “normal” shtick. He sometimes looks at home when going to first, and vice versa. I’m so used to watching it that it looks normal to me. It’s a lot of fun watching the opposing team lined up on the rail yelling “back” when he delivers home.

Unfortunately during the first game this season he picked off his first baseman as well and threw one into right field. He’s been a varsity starter for the last 3 years, so I think that most of the local umpires have seen his “act” before. Picks are getting harder to come by, but he and his senior catcher are pretty good at shutting down the running game.

quote:

Originally posted by JeNeSaisQuoi:


One final question for everyone - during another game (last summer, 18U) on a suicide squeeze R3 was nearly at home plate when the pitch was released. Being a lefty with his back to third base and a good-sized kick he’s sometimes slow coming home from the wind up. What is the ruling if R3 arrives at home with the pitch (right-handed batter)? In this case the batter fouled the 2-1 pitch off, but darn, that R3 was nearly in the batters box with the hitter!

It depends on what happens next.

If the pitch hits the runner, call the pitch, the ball is dead and all runners move up one base, unless it's strike 3 for the 3rd out.

If the catcher catches (or attempts to catch) the pitch in front of the plate, it's catcher's obstruction. Score the run (because he was stealing on the pitch), award the batter 1st base, other runners move up if they are forced by the batter or were stealing on the pitch.

If neither, live ball, play it. The batter is entitled to his place in the box until the pitch is over. After that, he must vacate the area if he has time to do so, or he can be called for INT.

Its a good idea for the batter to know when R3 is stealing home.

Not a good idea for the runner to catch a ball or bat in the teeth because the hitter takes a cut...

My son is also left handed with a big leg kick. He always works from the stretch with runners on third to avoid the steal of home \ squeeze threat.