Balk call

13 year old knothole baseball balk called on this pitch.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Baseball
• Balk
• Milford Cobras

[Furax02]

From this angle, it's difficult to tell how far that foot moved toward third. Regarding the 'double set' - the pitcher was not into the 'stretch' as defined in 8.01, so...I would argue that it's not really a double set. The ball was clearly in view in his hand at his side prior to getting to the actual 'stretch' position, then moved directly to the 'set' position and then threw. There was no obvious attempt to deceive the runner in that motion and we don't know if it's his natural motion.

[krsnet]

Exactly.

[YouWantMeYouCantPay]

I do not see a balk at all..

[krsnet]

I didn't either. The action the umpire called balk on was he puts his right foot on the rubber and takes the ball out of his glove at the same time. At this age, the call is nuts (there were >12 balks called against both teams in the game). I don't think the call fit either the spirit or the literal text of the rule.

Had the same ump again for a game a few weeks later and he didn't call a single balk even with some legit opportunities to call one...actually called a really nice game...

[kenrbuck]

He wiggles his shoulders before he starts to the plate. He's committed to the plate when he moves his shoulders. Any movement of the head is legal, but nothing else.

[krsnet]

That wasn't the call, but good try. There is a very slight motion of the shoulders as he starts the pitch as you mention, but that motion is "as he starts the pitch" and is consistent with every pitch he throws. The balk called was much earlier in the motion.

[wrnicoli]

The fact that the umpire called that a balk on a kid that age is a joke!

[55deck]

when he stepps on the rubber, the ball is in his glove. then he reaches in and pulls the ball out.  it's very subtle and probably unintentional, but it is a 'breaking of the hands' and technactly a balk. tough to make that call on a 10 year old

[guitarplaya2007]

I have to agree with many other of the people who posted replies to this video, this is a balk, the pitcher comes to the rubber, reaches into his glove while his pivot foot is on the rubber and removes the ball, every league defines this as a pitcher coming "set" when both hands are in contact with the glove. He then removes his pitching hand from the glove and places it back in the glove, therefore making this a double set.

[umpire20]

The balk was called because he tok the ball out of the glove and back. If someone calls makes that call at that level, then they must have personal problems. In no way should an umpire make that call at that level.

[baseballwiz07]

Movement in the head before pithcing and shoulders move When he first moved to the pitching rubber he had the ball in his glove and then releasesd

[mmacmu1]

he never came set... his shoulders were all over the place. A little stringent though for some little leaguers.

[DennieLemeux]

It's a balk. He broke his hands while on the rubber and didn't throw the ball. Nobody would have known any better if it wasn't called, though.

[knducay]

is because he has the ball in the glove as he steps on the rubber, and then he takes the ball out