Definition of "step" in pitching

It's a little bit of a stretch but you could enforce 8.05g. At the least it isn't a legal pitching motion and he has been told this by guys all over the country. I would tell him he needs to use a legal motion or be ejected.

I have seen no stats about this, but my experience is that "loving parents" create more grief than benefit for their athlete-children.

As an aside, I've met Mike Marshall and like most ML pitchers, he wouldn't know a balk if it bit him in the a$$.

Could you guys just pull rank and ban Marshall mechanics period????? Pretty please???????

Without getting into a mechanics debate over Marshall's stuff, I'm not sure why this breaks 8.05(g). My real problem is with the second "step", or what I suggest is a "step".

The step prior to pitching is the 8.05 violation. He isn't in contact with rubber when delivering the pitch.

I was waiting for an Ump to step in on that pitching sequence.

If you were to take the first step out of his delivery, is it legal? In other words, even though he's a righty, if he had his left foot on the rubber and stepped forward with his right as he does now, is that also illegal? I guess the question is, do the rules define which foot is the pivot foot? Just curious

FED 2-28-6 "The pitcher's pivot foot is that foot with which the pitcher contacts the pitcher's plate when he delivers the ball. For example, the pivot foot is the left foot for a left-handed pitcher."

...but what about the second "step"? The one by the glove side leg.

I agree with Mr. Taylor - the kid violated the pitching rule when he started his motion to the plate with his pivot foot off the rubber.

quote:

Originally posted by Emanski's Heroes:... if he had his left foot on the rubber and stepped forward with his right as he does now, is that also illegal?

Good question. The father of this kid proposed that and it sounds legal to me. One step back and one step forward. It just happens to be with the other foot. Also, nobody calls a balk on pitchers because their back foot is off the rubber at release, so 8.05g wouldn't apply there.

Anyone else?

quote:

Originally posted by dm59:

quote:

Originally posted by Emanski's Heroes:... if he had his left foot on the rubber and stepped forward with his right as he does now, is that also illegal?

Good question. The father of this kid proposed that and it sounds legal to me. One step back and one step forward. It just happens to be with the other foot. Also, nobody calls a balk on pitchers because their back foot is off the rubber at release, so 8.05g wouldn't apply there.

Anyone else?

I wish the rule book was the "all seeing" and "all emcompassing" document that many would like it to be. we all know that wont ever happen.

In this motion, the main thing I get out of it, is the intent to deliver the ball closer to the plate and get an existing rule to allow it via the vague nature of the rule language....

Its a balk in any of my games...a few years ago a similar type mechanic was tried by a young man with a different motion...he would take a leap off the rubber (kind of a crow hop)....and his dad went all over trying to get this motion endorsed....it never was...

Maybe Michael Taylor can remember some of these details...and to steal blatantly from MST...when its you against the world....bet on the world

so in closing....find me one player in NCAA or Milb or any professional baseball who uses this motion...none do...

I'd balk the warmup pitches too.