High school aged baseball game yesterday. Runner on 2nd. Pitcher in stretch. Coach has R2 intentionally take off for 3rd before the pitcher starts for home. Pitcher throws to 3rd. R2, seeing the pitcher is throwing to 3rd, immediately stops running at which point coach yells "balk." Umpire incorrectly agrees with him and gives him the balk.

 

While I was not at all happy with the umpire for not knowing the rule I was even more upset with the bush league tactics of a coach whose only goal was to get the balk called. He didn't know the rule but even if the rule was written as he thought it was, its a terrible bush league move.

 

What do you find so bush league about this? The coach having his player take off early in an attempt to get the pitcher to balk? (I don't find this bush league at all). The coach yelling 'balk' when the pitcher did not throw to 3B? Yes, the coach was wrong in that it is not a balk in that situation, but if he truly beleived it to be a balk (and I'll bet 80% of coaches at that level probably do), I think it's kind of a normal, instinctive reaction for a coach to yell out that he felt a balk occurred. Unless I'm missing something in your story, I don't see anything "bush league."

 

Im wondering if he is not remembering the situation right. I really have never seen or heard of a coach telling a player to take off to third before he pitches while he just in the stretch. I have seen that done with people on first and third and having the guy on first take off to second. But not just with a guy on second base only, unless the pitcher was in full wind up. I mean that just makes no sense at all to even tell the player to take off if the player is just sitting there in the stretch, because you can just throw it to third. So I honestly think that maybe he not remembering right and the pitcher was in a full wind up. When your in a full wind up if you are a righty you have to make sure you set off the rubber with your right foot first, because if you do with your left first then it would be balk. So I bet the guy was in a full wind up and stepped off with his left first and then threw it to third. So in that case it would be a balk, and as a coach I know I would yell balk as well. So I agree with you, I wouldn't think that was bush league at all.

 

I know I just really can't see a coach sending his player though while pitcher just sitting in the stretch. That just don't make sense to me, so I really think clyde just not remembering the situation right and the pitcher was in a full wind up not the stretch. Because that would make much more sense in that situation.

Im wondering if he is not remembering the situation right. I really have never seen or heard of a coach telling a player to take off to third before he pitches while he just in the stretch. I have seen that done with people on first and third and having the guy on first take off to second. But not just with a guy on second base only, unless the pitcher was in full wind up. I mean that just makes no sense at all to even tell the player to take off if the player is just sitting there in the stretch, because you can just throw it to third. So I honestly think that maybe he not remembering right and the pitcher was in a full wind up. When your in a full wind up if you are a righty you have to make sure you set off the rubber with your right foot first, because if you do with your left first then it would be balk. So I bet the guy was in a full wind up and stepped off with his left first and then threw it to third. So in that case it would be a balk, and as a coach I know I would yell balk as well. So I agree with you, I wouldn't think that was bush league at all.

 

I know I just really can't see a coach sending his player though while pitcher just sitting in the stretch. That just don't make sense to me, so I really think clyde just not remembering the situation right and the pitcher was in a full wind up not the stretch. Because that would make much more sense in that situation.

 

Dead-on, Great Post. The coaches reaction was what he saw as a balk, which is what he called out (whether it was or wasn't a balk). But you are right, it's deffinitely not something that a coach would call in that situation.

These days every game, practice game, even get together games with friends are competetive. It doesn't matter if it's in-season, summer ball, or even fall ball. The boys that play i'm sure care more about winning than the little things. Where I come from a little pick up game can be the talk of the week if its big enough... It's all about competiton like it or not... :fight:

These days every game' date=' practice game, even get together games with friends are competetive. It doesn't matter if it's in-season, summer ball, or even fall ball. The boys that play i'm sure care more about winning than the little things. Where I come from a little pick up game can be the talk of the week if its big enough... It's all about competiton like it or not... :fight:[/quote']

 

Whether we like it or not, that is the way it is today. Let's face it, youth baseball is now 50 games a year. 20 years ago, it was 15, including the tournament. When next years team starts this year, you tell me how serious it is!

It's not bush league - it's against the rules. Coaches and players CANNOT yell out balk whether it's intentional or unintentional that causes the defensive team to break a rule.

 

So by rule this isn't a balk (ump screwed up) and when the coach yells balk it's still not a balk (coach and ump screwed up)

It's not bush league - it's against the rules. Coaches and players CANNOT yell out balk whether it's intentional or unintentional that causes the defensive team to break a rule.

 

So by rule this isn't a balk (ump screwed up) and when the coach yells balk it's still not a balk (coach and ump screwed up)

 

Hunh? It's a rule?

It is a rule. Think of it like this........to call a balk one (or maybe both) of the umps yell balk and it's automatically a dead ball and everything comes to an end. Now let's say you got a kid on the mound who barely pauses in his set position. The third base coach yells out balk and the kid stops his motion because he heard balk. How fair is that?

 

If it was legal then you would have coaches doing this all the time - then it would be bush league.

It is illegal for either of the coaches to yell balk during a live play.

It is illegal for either of the coaches to yell balk during a live play.

 

I'm from Missouri..... Where in the rulebook is this?

 

In all levels of baseball, if a pitcher appears to balk, they first person to yell balk is the basecoach. That is as much part of the game as peanuts. There is an unwritten rule where coaches won't make a mockery of the game (which is not always followed), but I have never heard that there is anything in the rule book about this.

I'm from Missouri..... Where in the rulebook is this?

 

In all levels of baseball, if a pitcher appears to balk, they first person to yell balk is the basecoach. That is as much part of the game as peanuts. There is an unwritten rule where coaches won't make a mockery of the game (which is not always followed), but I have never heard that there is anything in the rule book about this.

 

In a game this past season at Transy, the pitcher balked. Our coach yelled balk and the umpire said he wasn't allowed to do that. I do not know if he rule is the same for high school though.

Give me a day or two to look it up. I'm not sure where it is in the rulebook but I know it's there.

Give me a day or two to look it up. I'm not sure where it is in the rulebook but I know it's there.

 

Much appreciated

Here you go skunk. I went to an umpires forum and asked them

 

FED rules:

3.1.1 A coach, player, substitute, attendant or other bench personnel shall not: ...(o) call “Time” or use any command or commit any act for the purpose of causing a balk;"

 

NCAA 5-15(2) and OBR 4.06(a)(3) both have very similar language.

 

OBR 4.06

PENALTY: The offender shall be removed from the game and shall leave the playing field, and, if a balk is made, it shall be nullified

Here you go skunk. I went to an umpires forum and asked them

 

FED rules:

3.1.1 A coach, player, substitute, attendant or other bench personnel shall not: ...(o) call “Time” or use any command or commit any act for the purpose of causing a balk;"

 

NCAA 5-15(2) and OBR 4.06(a)(3) both have very similar language.

 

OBR 4.06

PENALTY: The offender shall be removed from the game and shall leave the playing field, and, if a balk is made, it shall be nullified

 

:thumb: Thank you

Not a problem. I'm by no means an expert on the rules but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.