Not just another balk question...

In my area, we give warnings for balks for the first 2 weeks of the PONY league season....thats age 13-14......anything after that there should be no balk warnings.....

Now that being said, there are 30 violations for which a balk can be called......and in 99% of all baseball games, only 5 or so are called.....

I stick to the adage I was taught when I became an umpire. My teacher was an old SAL league umpire...to him you called....

100% of the balks everyone sees......

50% of the balks that baseball people see....

None of the balks only you see........

hope this helps...

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?

This is always a difficult question to answer.
(Yes, I've been asked this many times)

I call it a "situational" balk.

For the coaches it always depends on who you're coaching. If your player is the pitcher you belive it was a cheap balk call as in..."Hey ump, he was just trying to put the batter on first base, no deception or anything like that."

If your player is standing on third base you believe it was the proper call to make as in... "Hey ump, that's a violation of the pitching rules and a balk should be called."

This, to me, is one of those discussions (and there are many) that falls under the category of... The Rules vs It just ain't Baseball.

This same scenario actually happened in an NCAA, Div I regional game last year. The ump called the balk and the winning run scored.

I can only say this:

Will the ump have to apologize for making that call? NEVER! (because by rule it was correct)
Will the ump be criticized for making it? FOREVER! (because, to many, it just ain't baseball)

In my high school JV/Varsity we dont give warnings for balks

I don't warn for balks at any level. I had a JrLL game last week and I balked a pitcher from both teams. On the first balk the coach came out and asked about a warning. I explained I didn't warn because it serves no purpose. No arguement.
My point is do you balk for all 30 types before you call it? If not then what purpose does warning a jump step with no throw and then balking a non-stop? Two different balks that the warning doesn't help prevent. Also, unless a kid sees runners move then he doesn't worry about it.

Let's take this one further, My younger sons team ( Pony but young 12 ) bases loaded and pitching from the wind up. Ump calls balk for pitcher not being on the rubber when taking signs. I know this gets called but never seen it called at a pony game....

The reason you have never seen it in a Pony game is because it isn't a balk in OBR. It is only a balk in HS rules. In OBR it's a, "Don't do that."

in my area, the 7 and 8 grade traveling teams get no warning. in pony each team gets i warning per team

The sooner you dispense with the whole 'warning' thing, the sooner the kids learn, imo. A warning is given, the ump explains it, the kid nods his head yes and generally balks again fairly soon. You start awarding bases instead and the kid thinks - "maybe I better learn what this balk thing is all about." Or the coach thinks, "maybe I better cover balks at the next practice."

quote:

Originally posted by Ruste:
Ump calls balk for pitcher not being on the rubber when taking signs.

We actually had a P last year (12u) get called for a balk for taking the signs from the catcher while he was on the rubber.

I sometimes think the coaches are the ones who want the warning, since they do not know what is a balk.

Beez, was he kinda short with real thick glasses and wore an eye patch? We might have seen the same ump.