Baseballcomesthird posted:

I noticed that Marcus Stroman lifts his leg and pauses on some of his pitches. Is this legal in youth baseball. I began pausing on certain counts and was wondering if this is illegal?

Technically, it is illegal. 

From the windup, this is often not called because it actually gives the pitcher a disadvantage.

From the stretch it's illegal.....though if you do it on every pitch the same way, you may get away with it....as it's part of your motion.  Changing it up depending on counts should get a balk call....but depending on the ump who knows lol

Buckeye 2015 posted:

From the stretch it's illegal.....though if you do it on every pitch the same way, you may get away with it....as it's part of your motion.  Changing it up depending on counts should get a balk call....but depending on the ump who knows lol

No...

Having a consistent motion is irrelevant if the motion itself is illegal. There is nothing that allows for illegal actions during a motion as a matter of consistency, and conversely, there is nothing that prohibits inconsistent motions as long as they are legal.

A few years back Daisuke Matsuzaka had this strange pause in his motion with his hands above his head, hip to the batter, as he turned to deliver... Long story short, he was asked/compelled to add a hip wiggle into his motion to ensure he stayed within the spirit of the no stopping your motion once delivery of a pitch has started. IIRC some team complained about it and thus the adjustment.  If no one complains about Stroman's delivery, then doubtful anything gets called.  Unless it's the first time done, if you balk (or illegal pitch) that pause you better throw on your kevlar because the coach is coming... God forbid it costs his team a run too

Coaches know it's illegal, but if it's effective they won't have their pitcher changing  especially if it's being done to disrupt the hitters timing...

Johnny Cueto pauses and doesn't get called for it.

BTW in other news, and crossing to other current topic here.

Cueto apparently saw Dr. Andrews today, to have his elbow examined, and here's a rarity of rarities:

HE IS NOT HAVING UCL SURGERY !

JCG posted:

Johnny Cueto pauses and doesn't get called for it. 

 

There's a few things that don't get called in MLB (usually because "everyone knows that's what (certain pitcher) does.") I would not advise taking that chance at any other level.

Matt13 posted:

Buckeye 2015 posted:

From the stretch it's illegal.....though if you do it on every pitch the same way, you may get away with it....as it's part of your motion.  Changing it up depending on counts should get a balk call....but depending on the ump who knows lol

No...

Having a consistent motion is irrelevant if the motion itself is illegal. There is nothing that allows for illegal actions during a motion as a matter of consistency, and conversely, there is nothing that prohibits inconsistent motions as long as they are legal.

Correct.....that's why I said "you may get away with it"   My son has been pitching for 15 years.  He has been coached by or worked with 3 former MLB pitchers over the years.  It's amazing what those guys would see in a game from opposing pitchers....and explain to umpires (usually younger umps) why it was or wasn't legal.    What's legal and what you can get away with are two different things depending on the umpire....or maybe even what kind of mood the umpire is in that day lol. 

We have played the Japan National HS team for 17 years. All Japanese pitchers have 2 pauses in their "wind up". This is a Zen philosophy. The pitcher is connecting to the sky

with the pause. To provide help to our hitters, in BP we practiced this "delivery".

Bob <www.goodwillseries.org>