Balk for moving the Ball.

If you are talking HS rules it covered under 6-2-1c. Iilegal acts include rubbing the ballon the glove, clothing, or person if the act defaces the ball.
Penalty:
For defacing the ball the ball is dead imediately. The umpire may eject the pitcher.
So basically IF the ball is defaced then the umpire MAY ejaect the pitcher. Nowhere does it say anything about a balk.
Now if he pitches then it would be an illegal pitch and with runners it would be a balk, no runners a ball.

AKFirstbaseman;

I wondering what level of play this balk was called. Technically it is as MST describe, but I have never seen it called.

If on the bases, the BU should call time, walk up to the pitcher, take the ball, and tell him what he is doing is not legal. I would bet 99 out of 100 the pitcher has no "illegal motive in mind"

This is one of the situations as an ump you need to have good game management. And to paraphrase piaa_ump. You always call the balk that everyone know; you sometimes call the balk the only the coaches know, and seldon call the balk that only you know as an ump. That is great advise for game management.

IF the ball is defaced.... When I pitched (many years ago now) after about 2 piches the ball was "defaced" from being in the dirt, or a line drive to left (I didn;t pitch much).

I always "twiddled" the ball waiting for the sign, was is illegal?

I play Junior Baseball which is a step below JV because i am not old enough for high school baseball yet

AKFirstbaseman;

If you are playing Junior Baseball, or what we call Junior JV, I think the ump over-reacted. Did he make the right call? Probalbly. But it was not a call that needed to be made.

Jr league is the 13/14 yr olds in LL and use basically pro rules with youth additions. The rule that covers your sitch is 8.02a4. Everything is still the same answer just another rule number. As I and others have said unless you are really defacing the ball it is nothing and should be handled as Pirate Fan said. We had a ump toss a pitcher for rubbing the ball up with dirt when the opposing team threw in a pearl late in the game. The PU didn't rub it up and it was straight out of the wrapper. Technically a balk but he did nothing more than what we do before every game.

quote:

Originally posted by Michael S. Taylor:
when the opposing team threw in a pearl late in the game. .

What does that mean - pearl reference

catcher09,

Michael is referring to a brand new baseball.

As a collector of baseballs.....new,old, autographed ect..... as pilsner states, a pearl is a baseball term to describe a brand new baseball......white and smooth as a pearl.....

I have baseballs that date back to the 1920's and on....youth balls, college balls...tons of examples of the different pro balls, of course all horsehide........cowhide was not prevalent until the 70's.......but a pearl is one of the true joys in collecting......

Thanks for all the replies my coach questioned the umpire and the ump made excuse and is not going to umpire are next few Tourney games

Hey AKFirstbase,
This is completely off the subject but we both live in Eagle River and I was jsut wondering who you were. Go Stangs!

I play for Knik Allstars Junior on 1B Tyler is the name.

Tight, Tyler
Are you going out for Chugiak's team?

Ya definently! i am practicing with you guys today on Monday the 25th (JV) practice!

AK 1st base,
I sent you a PM