Was this a rule at any time?????

quote:

Originally posted by coach2709:
Tonight the other team's RH pitcher would engage his right foot on the rubber and take signs. When he did this his throwing arm would hang loosely in front of him. Didn't this used to be a balk? Some people call it a gorilla arm I believe. If this was a rule when did it stop being a rule.

I asked the first base ump and he said it wasn't a rule. I checked the rule book and couldn't really find anything due to the game was pretty close and I kept watching it instead of reading.

Did this used to be a rule or am I getting too close to the field painter????

A few years back, FED's Elliot Hopkins provided an interpretation that basically said the intentional swinging of the arm in this scenario should be considered the start of the pitcher's motion and a commitment to pitch. Thus if the pitcher does not pitch and there are runners on base, it should be a balk.

I have not seen any published comment that rescinds his interpretation.

This is one of the most inconsistently interpreted and enforced rulings in FED, mostly because it is not a violation in any other code and it does not appear to be deceptive at all, much less illegally deceptive. That said, over the years FED has gone as far as issuing POE's to get it enforced.

From the Case Book:

6.1.3 SITUATION P: With a runner on first, Team A right-handed pitcher is in the set position, bent at the waist and his pitching arm naturally hangs down slightly in front or to the side away from his body. As he looks to the catcher for a signal, a) the pitcher’s arm is stationary or b) the pitching arm rocks slightly from side to side. RULING: In a), the position of the arm is natural and can be considered by his side in meeting the rule. Any movement would then start the pitch. In b), any movement of the arm is considered the start of the pitching motion and a pitch must be delivered to the plate so this motion results in a balk.

Thanks guys - I don't remember if the guy's arm last night was moving or not but I'm just glad that I'm not completely crazy. I knew there was some sort of rule in dealing with this situation but couldn't remember what it was exactly.

It's one of those "no good reason for it" FED rules. Another one requires the pitcher to come to a complete stop (from the set position) with no runners.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought I heard at some point in time that the pitcher had to have the ball in his throwing hand for this to be a balk. If he kept the ball in his glove it was OK. Any truth to that?

quote:

Originally posted by bballman:
Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought I heard at some point in time that the pitcher had to have the ball in his throwing hand for this to be a balk. If he kept the ball in his glove it was OK. Any truth to that?

Nope.

I see some signatures that say "the kids today don't throw enough/swing enough".
My sig for today is "the kids today watch too much TV"
This would be a great place to record the things we see this year like: non-pivot foot in front of the rubber and no stop; gorilla arm, slding towards the SS (and 2b man) and not the bag, ...
They get it from TV, IMHO.

"the kids today watch too much TV"

Dash:
I'm totally with you on the 'must stop in stretch with no one on base' nonsense...

and for about 10 years now they've been infatuated with a foul ball ticked off the catcher's glove into the air and the pitcher (or other fielder) catching it. I've never seen it and if i live to be 100 i bet i don't.

quote:

and for about 10 years now they've been infatuated with a foul ball ticked off the catcher's glove into the air and the pitcher (or other fielder) catching it. I've never seen it and if i live to be 100 i bet i don't.

Fed finally got around to changing this one for 2011. It's catcher only on a foul tip.

quote:

Originally posted by trojan-skipper:
and for about 10 years now they've been infatuated with a foul ball ticked off the catcher's glove into the air and the pitcher (or other fielder) catching it. I've never seen it and if i live to be 100 i bet i don't.

That's a foul tip. Well, it was.