Because every other comment seems to be "What is a balk?" - Generally speaking a balk is a vague term that describes an illegal action by the pitcher made intentionally or unintentionally to deceive the runner. Once a pitcher 'engages the rubber' (sets his foot in place in contact with the pitching rubber), there's only a handful of legal movements he's allowed to make, generally constrained to one of two things: delivery of the pitch (by first coming to a pause in a set position, and then making one continuous motion home), or by disengaging the rubber by removing the plant foot (touching the rubber) to behind the rubber. Anything outside of these established motions constitutes a balk. There's a handful of distinct exceptions, and whole ton more interpretations, but that's what it is in terms of a basic (but encompassing) definition. Nine times out of ten, if you see a balk called, it's because a pitcher did one of these three things: -moves some part of his body (hands or shoulders usually, but head is OK) when in his set position that's not part of the beginning of his delivery -delivers the pitch without coming to a complete stop (doesn't need to be longer than an instant, as long he clearly paused his movement. announcers usually call it a quick pitch but that's a separate thing (the pitcher throws before the batter is set in the box)) -doesn't step directly towards a bag on a pickoff move (this is one of the exceptions: a pitcher can start his delivery but step and throw towards first/third (depending on lefty/righty) as long as his body doesn't move towards home at all. he's supposed to step 'directly' towards the bag, but this is generally interpreted as to mean closer to the bag then home ("45 degrees"))
And because apparently I really do have way too much time tonight, here's what each pitcher did: A. Didn't complete delivery home B. Moved (twitched) before delivering or stepping off the rubber C. Leaned towards first/third before delivering or stepping off the rubber (kinda b.) D. Didn't set (come to a complete stop) before delivering E. Didn't step behind the rubber with plant foot to disengage F. Having Johnny Cueto's bullshit delivery G. Didn't step directly towards first/third on a pickoff H. Didn't keep foot in contact with the rubber throughout the delivery 0:00 A. 0:25 B. 0:32 B. 0:48 B. 0:58 A. 1:25 B.? 1:43 B.? 2:04 D. 2:26 E. 2:49 A. 3:08 D. 3:30 B. 3:49 A. 4:02 E. 4:19 D. 4:31 D. 4:55 D.? 5:12 A. (Also could be argued b. as well) 5:28 F. 6:02 B. 6:15 E. (Had to look it up, he was switching from windup to stretch) 6:40 G. 7:02 A. (Hard to not call d. as well) 7:17 B. 7:54 H. (A good example of the fact that a pitch that makes you go "whoa, that looked weird" is probably a balk) 8:17 I looked up the full video and I still have no idea 8:31 D. (Might be ticky-tack, but maybe made more sense based on prev pitches) 8:58 Why even include this 9:28 D. times a bazillion 9:46 D. 10:08 D. 10:47 B. 10:58 B.
boomer60451 I'm glad you had the time because this cleared so much up for me. The whole balk thing was beyond confusing for me before since it seemed like there wasn't one set definition for it
You did a great job of explaining most of these balks but I have one issue with your "E" explanation. There is no requirement to disengage the rubber before picking to any base, so that was not the reason for the balk call. At 4:02 you can see the movement of the pivot foot before the pick, and at 2:26 I'm wondering if the balk was called because he did not gain distance and direction with the non pivot foot.
boomer60451 This is true to an extent as well, if you do not disengage from the rubber to pick someone off you must actually throw the ball. If the ball is not thrown and you don't disengage the rubber. It is a balk as well.
I was an umpire for almost 30 years and I was known for being pretty particular on balks. When I was a player in college, I stole a lot of bases and I hated balk moves!! So, to give a runner a chance, you have to hold these pitchers to the rules. What was interesting to me in this video was the number of times the pitcher balks with runners on third base!! Almost half of these balks were with runners on third!! If you think about it, that is particularly stupid because there are very few runners who will attempt to steal home. So, why be so concerned about a guy on third getting too far off when he is probably not going to be running with the pitch!! It seems particularly bad this year. Plus, if you have a good move (and most lefties do) to first, you will be balked every so often. But, in the grand scheme of things, you are better off to be balked for a great move, than to not have it called with a so-so move.
Marty Mac My guess why pitchers balk with a runner on third is that the runner draws more attention to himself than he does on first or second (if the pitcher is right handed). The pitchers generally aren't concerned about the runner, but the sight of one just adds another thing onto their mind that distracts from the task at hand
It is a balk. 507(a)(2): After assuming Set Position, any natural motion associated with his delivery of the ball to the batter commits him to the pitch without alteration or interruption. The fact that he sometimes does a shimmy, sometimes doesn't, and sometimes changes how many times he shimmies is an alteration of his natural motion.
It's the motion a pitcher would normally use when throwing to the plate. If he alters it in any way it's technically a balk. Since Cueto's normal motion doesn't have a shimmy, any addition of a shimmy in his delivery is a balk.
I'm not a baseball fan to any great extent, though I do follow the Cleveland Indians. That said, I do not understand balks. From what I've read, there are 16 ways a pitcher can balk, including doctoring a ball. But one of the most common is the 45 degree line that a pitcher has to cross when throwing to first base. If this is so important, why don't they chalk a line on the mound at 45 degrees?
Doctoring a ball is not a balk. And there are 13 conditions. Rule 6.02a. The most common is not the "45 degree angle". Most are deviations from the normal cycle the pitcher must complete before either delivering the pitch or disengaging from the rubber to become a defensive player.
I understand what a balk is, but I don't notice anything different from the hundreds of other pitches that are completely fine on a lot of these. Do I just have an untrained eye or are some of these calls just BS?
By rule once you start your motion you can't stop your motion. If you start toward the plate you must throw the ball.. as wild of a pitch it might be you have to release the ball towards home. Many of these balks were called for flinching. Again once you start you can't stop or reset. You must step o Back off the rubber with your pivot foot and reset. The a lefty while throwing to first has to be less than a 45 degree angle made with his foot anything more than that is considered stepping towards home. Anytime a pitcher crosses his front leg with his back leg he must throw it home or turn toward second base (if there is a runner on second or a play being made at second). In wind up position every wind up must be the same. If you deviate from that motion you are confusing the batter making it illegal. I'm not sure why a few of the rightys were balked going to first thow. Basically the way I think of it is who is getting the disadvantage of said moves. If someone is getting a disadvantage it is a balk. If pitcher does everything legal and guy gets picked off.. that's his own fault
@@curveballmick You wrote "Anytime a pitcher crosses his front leg with his back leg he must throw it home or turn toward second base...." The rule says if his entire pivot foot goes past the back edge of the rubber he must pitch or throw to second. There is no nothing stating his front leg going past his back leg anywhere in the book. You also wrote "In wind up position every wind up must be the same." That is not true. He can change his delivery and is legal as long as he doesn't violate a rule.
The rules are clear about what a pitcher may or may not do after he contacts the rubber. Now of course it is up to umpire judgement as to whether or not those rules have been violated.
You're not showing enough of some of these clips to see why the pitchers are getting called for balks. A lot of it has to do with the routine a pitcher sets. There are things pitcher A can do, but pitcher B cannot because they are part of pitcher A's routine but not pitcher B's. You have to show how what a pitcher does that is out of their routine to understand why they are getting called for balks.
I don't understand how 3:09 was a balk? Someone please explain!!! Just watched LAD vs D-Backs and they called a balk and I didn't understand why . Please explain!
A balk will be called when a pitcher who is on the rubber makes any motion naturally associated with his pitching delivery and does not actually deliver the ball so i hesitates or falls off the rubber. it misleads the baserunners.
There are 13 ways to balk so you would have to read the rulebook to get it all. The most common ones are not coming set for a full second, When you throw to first, not stepping to the first base side with the landing foot, not completing a pitch home (with runners on) like falling after starting the pitch, there are others, but those are the most common. There is even a catcher balk, but you never see that one called. The catcher has to have both feet inside of the catchers box before receiving the pitch. I've seen guys, on a pitchout or an intentional walk, have one foot completely out of the box before the ball left the pitchers hand. They used to NEVER call the coming to set for a full second. Pitchers used to just bounce their hands and come home, but they are cracking down on that now.
If he releases the ball and it goes past the foul lines, it is a ball and not a balk. If there are runners on base, which is a condition of the balk rule (actually the 1st) it is probably the same outcome
Kohl, When the pitcher, after coming set, starts a movement, he must continue without interruption. You can see him start to move then stops. That is a balk.
The stopping in the motion before the throw. An easy balk call is any motion associated with normal pitching while engaging or disengaging from the rubber. Any stop & starts, or stuttering for a common term, is going to draw a balk call.
I know what a balk is, but probably half of them would have needed an explanation for me. Either because I could not see it or because the camera was not even on the pitcher when it happened. The game of pitching suddenly became harder in my mind. Also, I probably balked 1000 times when I was pitching in little league but never got called on it. I guess even the refs in my hometown could see things so subtle....
The subtle balks would be more obvious if each clip had a second more or two to show the pitcher coming to rest at the start of the wind up. It appears most of these are cut off, and the compilation is just "called balks". Because of this, it's obvious the uploader doesn't fully understand what a balk is 😞
I don't think a balk should be called if the pitcher is falling during a pitch. If he's mid pitch and falling, he can't control what happens. Just my opinion
If the pitcher sees a runner stealing home or identifies a suicide squeeze he could just hold on to the ball if it was a "no pitch" situation. Change your opinion?
Okay, around 5:38 that wasn't a balk. Johnny Cueto does that every time. I guess umpires just don't see teams enough to know that, and they should though. Also, it was a late balk call.
At first, it wasn't. But he twisted toward the plate, then back to second (which was the balk), then home. I watched Cueto pitch against the Cardinals, but never saw him twist back to second
He has been doing this for the last year or so, but I know last year at least (haven't watched Cueto too much this year now that he is out of the NL Central), he didn't do it every time in the wind up, so it maybe it's not perceived as a natural movement if still doesn't do it every time? Or maybe it's because his shoulders go towards home, then second, then back towards home on the pitch? I'm honestly not sure on this one. Until he and the Giants get clarification on why he got the balk call, he should just not do that with runners on base.
0:33 Kershaw, 1:44 Quintana, 3:09 De la Rosa, 3:31 Syndergaard, 4:04 Giants #22, 4:19 Ventura. There are more, but my eyes hurt. These Calls I do not get. Anyone want to enlighten me on some of them. Please?
A balk isn't an immediate dead ball.. it's only immediately dead in high school (maybe college). If a pitcher balks and a batter hits a home run in major league. It's a home run. If the batter hits a dribble and the runner from first to second gets thrown out.. he remains on second base because of the balk. The balk is nullified once the runners reach the base they would have been awarded on the balk. It only becomes dead if there is no action at the plate happening
I don't think stumbles should be balks. Runners should be allowed to run if they want but the ball should be considered live and if the runner can be tagged out then that's that
WaywardBrigand Well if a runner from first gets an amazing jump on a pitcher and leaves a second before the pitcher delivers the ball, the pitcher could "stumble" and hold onto the ball on purpose
when a pitcher does not get of the rubber when picking to first for right handers and third for left handers, also, a pitcher must throw to the base his leading foot go towards, also, trying pick offs when getting signals, also, when a pitcher comes to set, and fails to pitch in time or slips of the rubber, there are many others, but these are preety common when they happen
Yeah it's not the most obvious quick pitch like others that were included, but it was cool that you get to see it almost the same as the 3rd base ump saw it (who was the one that called it). I've noticed that umps are calling the quick pitch more recently, which is something that could happen even more going forward with the emphasis for speeding up the game.
It can take hours and hours of study and experience to understand the balk. There is more to baseball than balls and strikes. It's necessary to the game, to not deceive the runner. Are ALL balk calls accurate? No. Same with balls and strikes and out calls. That's the human element. And if I wanted to remove the human element, I would play computer baseball games where much is based on algorithms and not human observation and interaction. I'd really like to see a manager, who sent a runner home and was thrown out, have the owner come onto the field and severely yell, shout, scream and berate that manager for 5 full minutes in front of 50,000 fans, kick dirt on his manager, then stomp off the field in disgust. That would be awesome.
Because a pitcher could fake falling off the mound in order to catch runners off of the bag and pick them off. Once a pitcher starts his motion toward home, any movement that doesn't deliver the pitch toward the plate is considered a balk...
Nope, still a balk. If a pitcher was able to get the ball somewhere close to over the plate while falling down, the ump might *not* call it a balk. But since I don't know that that's ever happened, it's just usually a balk...
whether it's one's fault or not the rule specifically states that once you start your delivery you MUST complete it which includes the delivery of whatever pitch is coming otherwise it's a balk. The rule is designed like that so that Pitchers can't fake out a batter or a runner by 'pretending' to fall.
Whenever a pitcher come set, it has to be for a full second before he can move. If you watch, when he came set, he rocked off his front foot and then delivered the ball. That is a balk. It's called a "double set".
Yes, that is not in the rule book per se, but it is in many Case Books as an approved ruling. Most people think of a discernible pause would be a full second. Some pitchers do a "bounce" when they bring their hands down and that is not a discernible pause. The key is that there is a time when he stops his motion before delivering the ball.
Marty Mac, I haven't seen a one second pause in the case book either. You are correct that some pitchers "bounce" and that would be a balk. All I need to see is that there is a discernible pause. Even it is for 1/10th of a second, the pitcher has met the requirement of the rule. Any umpire who tells a coach he called a balk because the pitcher did not pause for "a full second" would seriously jeopardize his future advancement, as well as lose any protest.
Also, once a pitcher is on the rubber, he has to come to a set position, come to a complete stop, and then deliver his pitch. If he doesn't come to a complete stop, it what they call a "quick pitch," and is also a balk...
some are hard to tell unless you put them in slow motion. Casilla for example is a definite balk as were Sabathia and Jimenez but others such as Kershaw, Quintana and Salazar were harder to tell. Abad was also hard to tell at first but I think I see why he got it called on him.
Because every other comment seems to be "What is a balk?" - Generally speaking a balk is a vague term that describes an illegal action by the pitcher made intentionally or unintentionally to deceive the runner. Once a pitcher 'engages the rubber' (sets his foot in place in contact with the pitching rubber), there's only a handful of legal movements he's allowed to make, generally constrained to one of two things: delivery of the pitch (by first coming to a pause in a set position, and then making one continuous motion home), or by disengaging the rubber by removing the plant foot (touching the rubber) to behind the rubber. Anything outside of these established motions constitutes a balk. There's a handful of distinct exceptions, and whole ton more interpretations, but that's what it is in terms of a basic (but encompassing) definition.
Nine times out of ten, if you see a balk called, it's because a pitcher did one of these three things:
-moves some part of his body (hands or shoulders usually, but head is OK) when in his set position that's not part of the beginning of his delivery
-delivers the pitch without coming to a complete stop (doesn't need to be longer than an instant, as long he clearly paused his movement. announcers usually call it a quick pitch but that's a separate thing (the pitcher throws before the batter is set in the box))
-doesn't step directly towards a bag on a pickoff move (this is one of the exceptions: a pitcher can start his delivery but step and throw towards first/third (depending on lefty/righty) as long as his body doesn't move towards home at all. he's supposed to step 'directly' towards the bag, but this is generally interpreted as to mean closer to the bag then home ("45 degrees"))
And because apparently I really do have way too much time tonight, here's what each pitcher did:
A. Didn't complete delivery home
B. Moved (twitched) before delivering or stepping off the rubber
C. Leaned towards first/third before delivering or stepping off the rubber (kinda b.)
D. Didn't set (come to a complete stop) before delivering
E. Didn't step behind the rubber with plant foot to disengage
F. Having Johnny Cueto's bullshit delivery
G. Didn't step directly towards first/third on a pickoff
H. Didn't keep foot in contact with the rubber throughout the delivery
0:00 A.
0:25 B.
0:32 B.
0:48 B.
0:58 A.
1:25 B.?
1:43 B.?
2:04 D.
2:26 E.
2:49 A.
3:08 D.
3:30 B.
3:49 A.
4:02 E.
4:19 D.
4:31 D.
4:55 D.?
5:12 A. (Also could be argued b. as well)
5:28 F.
6:02 B.
6:15 E. (Had to look it up, he was switching from windup to stretch)
6:40 G.
7:02 A. (Hard to not call d. as well)
7:17 B.
7:54 H. (A good example of the fact that a pitch that makes you go "whoa, that looked weird" is probably a balk)
8:17 I looked up the full video and I still have no idea
8:31 D. (Might be ticky-tack, but maybe made more sense based on prev pitches)
8:58 Why even include this
9:28 D. times a bazillion
9:46 D.
10:08 D.
10:47 B.
10:58 B.
boomer60451 I'm glad you had the time because this cleared so much up for me. The whole balk thing was beyond confusing for me before since it seemed like there wasn't one set definition for it
You did a great job of explaining most of these balks but I have one issue with your "E" explanation. There is no requirement to disengage the rubber before picking to any base, so that was not the reason for the balk call. At 4:02 you can see the movement of the pivot foot before the pick, and at 2:26 I'm wondering if the balk was called because he did not gain distance and direction with the non pivot foot.
boomer60451 i
boomer60451 This is true to an extent as well, if you do not disengage from the rubber to pick someone off you must actually throw the ball. If the ball is not thrown and you don't disengage the rubber. It is a balk as well.
I was an umpire for almost 30 years and I was known for being pretty particular on balks. When I was a player in college, I stole a lot of bases and I hated balk moves!! So, to give a runner a chance, you have to hold these pitchers to the rules.
What was interesting to me in this video was the number of times the pitcher balks with runners on third base!! Almost half of these balks were with runners on third!! If you think about it, that is particularly stupid because there are very few runners who will attempt to steal home. So, why be so concerned about a guy on third getting too far off when he is probably not going to be running with the pitch!! It seems particularly bad this year.
Plus, if you have a good move (and most lefties do) to first, you will be balked every so often. But, in the grand scheme of things, you are better off to be balked for a great move, than to not have it called with a so-so move.
Marty Mac My guess why pitchers balk with a runner on third is that the runner draws more attention to himself than he does on first or second (if the pitcher is right handed). The pitchers generally aren't concerned about the runner, but the sight of one just adds another thing onto their mind that distracts from the task at hand
For some of these, you should let the clip go longer for the replay/explanation bit from the commentators. I was lost for a couple of them.
BrotherNumber3 The truth is announcers have a very limited knowledge of the rules so you wouldn't learn much from them.
@6:02 - his "stepping off" wasn't the balk - the slight twitch of his body before he stepped off was.
Imagine a world series ended with a balk
One does not simply balk into Mordor.
SCE2AUX2 😂
BALKED BALKED BALKED BALKED BALKED BALKED BALKED *-chicken*
Lol most of these are Padres or against the Padres
Yup. The joke is that the only way the Pads can win a tied game in the ninth is if the opposing pitcher does it for us... :)
Yeah it was either the Padres or the Indians as one of the teams.
Sdd
I think you need to check your math because there are at least 20 clips in this video and only like 4 are Padres.
RIP Ventura
Finally gave that balk on Cueto. He does that all the time and it really pisses me off.
Seriously, umps need to crackdown on that shit. He needs to be taught he can't do that anymore.
DukeofThanksgiving But it's not a balk
It is a balk. 507(a)(2): After assuming Set Position, any natural motion associated with his delivery of the ball to the batter commits him to the pitch without alteration or interruption. The fact that he sometimes does a shimmy, sometimes doesn't, and sometimes changes how many times he shimmies is an alteration of his natural motion.
Andrew Edelson so how do you determine a natural motion, rule book guy?
It's the motion a pitcher would normally use when throwing to the plate. If he alters it in any way it's technically a balk. Since Cueto's normal motion doesn't have a shimmy, any addition of a shimmy in his delivery is a balk.
Clip problems in that so many don't show the entire motion before and up to the balk. Helpful, tho'.
I'm not a baseball fan to any great extent, though I do follow the Cleveland Indians. That said, I do not understand balks. From what I've read, there are 16 ways a pitcher can balk, including doctoring a ball. But one of the most common is the 45 degree line that a pitcher has to cross when throwing to first base. If this is so important, why don't they chalk a line on the mound at 45 degrees?
Doctoring a ball is not a balk. And there are 13 conditions. Rule 6.02a. The most common is not the "45 degree angle". Most are deviations from the normal cycle the pitcher must complete before either delivering the pitch or disengaging from the rubber to become a defensive player.
@7:40 - same thing... he twitches his body before stepping off... THAT'S A BALK!
I enjoy these videos, but replays would help as there isn't much time for an explanation.
What was the balk on Venture at 4:19? I'm not seeing it; probably because my grasp of the balk rule is pretty weak
looks like he didn't stop in his set position, he's still shifting around and then delivers the pitch
Some umpires are really bad with these calls
Never stopped in the set position
@@AyjAy011 you're just really bad at rules
That Houston balk was one of the more obvious but everybody BUT the 2 base umpire missed it.. crowd, announcers, homebase ump, hitter, pitcher, :) LOL
0:59 LOL at his name
I understand what a balk is, but I don't notice anything different from the hundreds of other pitches that are completely fine on a lot of these. Do I just have an untrained eye or are some of these calls just BS?
Chris M I feel you on this one. I don't understand why they call the balk if the pitcher is falling down during the pitch
By rule once you start your motion you can't stop your motion. If you start toward the plate you must throw the ball.. as wild of a pitch it might be you have to release the ball towards home. Many of these balks were called for flinching. Again once you start you can't stop or reset. You must step o
Back off the rubber with your pivot foot and reset. The a lefty while throwing to first has to be less than a 45 degree angle made with his foot anything more than that is considered stepping towards home. Anytime a pitcher crosses his front leg with his back leg he must throw it home or turn toward second base (if there is a runner on second or a play being made at second). In wind up position every wind up must be the same. If you deviate from that motion you are confusing the batter making it illegal. I'm not sure why a few of the rightys were balked going to first thow. Basically the way I think of it is who is getting the disadvantage of said moves. If someone is getting a disadvantage it is a balk. If pitcher does everything legal and guy gets picked off.. that's his own fault
@@curveballmick You wrote "Anytime a pitcher crosses his front leg with his back leg he must throw it home or turn toward second base...." The rule says if his entire pivot foot goes past the back edge of the rubber he must pitch or throw to second. There is no nothing stating his front leg going past his back leg anywhere in the book.
You also wrote "In wind up position every wind up must be the same." That is not true. He can change his delivery and is legal as long as he doesn't violate a rule.
Top 10 Baseball Players from the 1980s
Thank you
at the 7:30 Ish mark. why are the pirates wearing those colors? that's a good looking jersey. not a pirates fan but those colors are dope
Father’s Day
Thanks for doing my request
There needs to be more concrete rules for a balk. A balk is completely up to the umpire judgment and cannot be argued.
The rules are clear about what a pitcher may or may not do after he contacts the rubber. Now of course it is up to umpire judgement as to whether or not those rules have been violated.
Good vid. Thanks for sharing.
Nothing like a good balk
4:09 I was at that game.
"There is no way that you could turn that into anything other than a double play."
Narrator: it was not, however, a double play.
You're not showing enough of some of these clips to see why the pitchers are getting called for balks. A lot of it has to do with the routine a pitcher sets. There are things pitcher A can do, but pitcher B cannot because they are part of pitcher A's routine but not pitcher B's. You have to show how what a pitcher does that is out of their routine to understand why they are getting called for balks.
When the umpire says a Balk, Game Over!!!
I don't understand how 3:09 was a balk? Someone please explain!!! Just watched LAD vs D-Backs and they called a balk and I didn't understand why . Please explain!
He didn’t pause.
His knees are moving. There is no pause.
Can someone explain what a balk is? I am trying to learn baseball. Thanks.
A balk will be called when a pitcher who is on the rubber makes any motion naturally associated with his pitching delivery and does not actually deliver the ball so i hesitates or falls off the rubber. it misleads the baserunners.
+Jaime Ramirez yes, you gave a better explanation XD thanks
There are 13 ways to balk so you would have to read the rulebook to get it all. The most common ones are not coming set for a full second, When you throw to first, not stepping to the first base side with the landing foot, not completing a pitch home (with runners on) like falling after starting the pitch, there are others, but those are the most common.
There is even a catcher balk, but you never see that one called. The catcher has to have both feet inside of the catchers box before receiving the pitch. I've seen guys, on a pitchout or an intentional walk, have one foot completely out of the box before the ball left the pitchers hand.
They used to NEVER call the coming to set for a full second. Pitchers used to just bounce their hands and come home, but they are cracking down on that now.
Marty Mac, there is no requirement to come set for a full second. A discernible pause is all that is required.
CC falls during the delivery. I would think that would be a wild pitch. I could be wrong.
If he releases the ball and it goes past the foul lines, it is a ball and not a balk. If there are runners on base, which is a condition of the balk rule (actually the 1st) it is probably the same outcome
Can someone explain how 6:05 was a balk? Stepped off with the correct foot, but still called a balk
Probably because he had started his pitching motion.
More than likely he stepped of when he started his motion
He flinched ever so slightly forward before taking his foot off. Pretty clear balk.
Yep, that's it. Almost imperceptible, but it was there.
He leaned forward before he stepped off.
What was the reason for the balk at 10:47? He wasn't moving and they called it.
Kohl, When the pitcher, after coming set, starts a movement, he must continue without interruption. You can see him start to move then stops. That is a balk.
Wait. That lean he did that moved his head maybe an inch forward is a balk? That seems a bit ridiculous.
He moved his whole upper body. It is subtle, but it is still a balk.
Can someone explain why 0:33 is a balk? Just tryna learn the rules of a balk.
Is it because he looks down a lil b4 the throw?
The stopping in the motion before the throw. An easy balk call is any motion associated with normal pitching while engaging or disengaging from the rubber. Any stop & starts, or stuttering for a common term, is going to draw a balk call.
Hard to see because his back is turned but maybe a quick pitch?
I know what a balk is, but probably half of them would have needed an explanation for me. Either because I could not see it or because the camera was not even on the pitcher when it happened. The game of pitching suddenly became harder in my mind. Also, I probably balked 1000 times when I was pitching in little league but never got called on it. I guess even the refs in my hometown could see things so subtle....
Do you think a little league ref wants to call a balk in a child league when the purpose of the rule is to even the tables in a professional sport?
Padres Pride!
The subtle balks would be more obvious if each clip had a second more or two to show the pitcher coming to rest at the start of the wind up. It appears most of these are cut off, and the compilation is just "called balks". Because of this, it's obvious the uploader doesn't fully understand what a balk is 😞
ladams00 now you know how umpires feel when they have to make real time calls
Need to show replays on this, I can't tell what happened
I don't think a balk should be called if the pitcher is falling during a pitch. If he's mid pitch and falling, he can't control what happens. Just my opinion
brian versansky yeah but then he can do it on purpose to throw off base runners and batters timing
If the pitcher sees a runner stealing home or identifies a suicide squeeze he could just hold on to the ball if it was a "no pitch" situation. Change your opinion?
at 4:19 why is that a balk? i don't really understand balks because in little league there is no balks
There are. It's just that no one wants to prolong a little league game more than it has to be
@ 11:17 is a balked shouldnt it a dead ball(no pitch)!?
why did they call a double play?
the manager was yelling double play not the umps the umps called a balk looked like 2 sets
A balk is a delayed dead ball not a dead ball
Okay what the heck is up with Joe West and the White Sox? Like my gosh dude!
Idk why but these are very unsettling for me to look at
THOR, HOW COULD YOU
Okay, around 5:38 that wasn't a balk. Johnny Cueto does that every time. I guess umpires just don't see teams enough to know that, and they should though. Also, it was a late balk call.
At first, it wasn't. But he twisted toward the plate, then back to second (which was the balk), then home. I watched Cueto pitch against the Cardinals, but never saw him twist back to second
+Xeno Monicals he's been doing that for like 1-2 years now
+Wyatt German He twisted too much to the point of starting his motion, that was easily a balk.
No he didn't.
He has been doing this for the last year or so, but I know last year at least (haven't watched Cueto too much this year now that he is out of the NL Central), he didn't do it every time in the wind up, so it maybe it's not perceived as a natural movement if still doesn't do it every time? Or maybe it's because his shoulders go towards home, then second, then back towards home on the pitch? I'm honestly not sure on this one. Until he and the Giants get clarification on why he got the balk call, he should just not do that with runners on base.
0:33 Kershaw, 1:44 Quintana, 3:09 De la Rosa, 3:31 Syndergaard, 4:04 Giants #22, 4:19 Ventura. There are more, but my eyes hurt.
These Calls I do not get. Anyone want to enlighten me on some of them. Please?
Blade1301 for kershaw, he can't throw it to first base while on the rubber
Martinn13_ idk I saw it on google
Damian you can totally throw to first on the rubber. But you have to come set first an Kershaw didn’t.
Delarosa didn’t pause. Syndergaard made a body movement like he’s coming home and then turned back. Very subtle but it is a balk.
Giants guy didn’t come set before going to first.
That first one was a ball off!
:p
Dudun chhhh
What a way to begin the video...a balk-off win...! 😂😂😂😂
0:50 I was there.
10:07
He just turns away
who could explain me what exactly is a balk?
It's when a pitcher makes an illegal motion
or if the pitcher is trying to trick the runner by switching up his motion.
When the pitcher is trying to decieve the runners with some illegal motion
On the first one I was at that game
evidently balks only happen with a guy from the winning team on third.
what happens if the pitcher balks but the batter hits the ball and it's a grand slam? can the offensive team challenge?
James Scobie balk is a dead ball
auto45 ...sounds legit.
A balk isn't an immediate dead ball.. it's only immediately dead in high school (maybe college). If a pitcher balks and a batter hits a home run in major league. It's a home run. If the batter hits a dribble and the runner from first to second gets thrown out.. he remains on second base because of the balk. The balk is nullified once the runners reach the base they would have been awarded on the balk. It only becomes dead if there is no action at the plate happening
curveballmick yeah my rule knowledge is based of the high school rules so yeah.
The home run counts. This has happened. A balk is not a dead ball immediately.
I don't think stumbles should be balks. Runners should be allowed to run if they want but the ball should be considered live and if the runner can be tagged out then that's that
WaywardBrigand like someone else said, it's easier to enforce rules when there aren't any exceptions to them
WaywardBrigand Well if a runner from first gets an amazing jump on a pitcher and leaves a second before the pitcher delivers the ball, the pitcher could "stumble" and hold onto the ball on purpose
Matthew Robinett "Runners should be allowed to run if they want." The "want" is important.
WaywardBrigand 1. The runner could be halfway already and be caught in a rundown. 2. They already get the next base whenever the pitcher balks.
Matthew Robinett So you're saying there's a risk with stealing bases?
Never seen a walk off balk before lmao
Eliminate the balk rule to make baseball more interesting
There would never be a stolen base
What is a balk?
when a pitcher does not get of the rubber when picking to first for right handers and third for left handers, also, a pitcher must throw to the base his leading foot go towards, also, trying pick offs when getting signals, also, when a pitcher comes to set, and fails to pitch in time or slips of the rubber, there are many others, but these are preety common when they happen
+NightRed Gaming and not coming set before the pitch
to put simply any play by the pitcher in order to unfairly decieve baserunners or the batter, the guy above listed some very common ones
its basically just an illegal way of picking off, stumbling, or your pitching motion be ti quick.
Thanks!
Change the video name to "2016 balks against the padres"
What I learned here is that I can't spot a balk 90% of the time...
Cueto always does that rock. How is that a balk?... They really need to redefine a balk more clearly
Looks like his free foot broke the plane as it swung behind his pivot foot. Don't remember if the plane is the front, back, or any part of the rubber.
What's the balk at 10:46?
Rachel Ann he leaned towards home plate
He bent slightly without completing the motion to come set.
Can someone explain to me what Abad did to balk around 2:12?
He came to two sets. One before he did his three steps, and one after, hard too notice, great call by the umpire.
His hands didn't come to a complete stop for a full second before he threw the pitch.
Oh okay, thank you.
Oh okay, thank you.
Yeah it's not the most obvious quick pitch like others that were included, but it was cool that you get to see it almost the same as the 3rd base ump saw it (who was the one that called it). I've noticed that umps are calling the quick pitch more recently, which is something that could happen even more going forward with the emphasis for speeding up the game.
Can someone please explain 10:47 to me? The dude wasn't even moving.
I believe he leaned forward and made an unnatural stop.
Watch him start to lean forward and lean back to the set position
He sort of leans forward abruptly and stops. Balk.
Issa balk
What the? I've never heard of a balk
How is joe west not fired
santana had like 5 baulks alone in this vid
What is a balk
10:34 " jason castro throws a strike to second base" hahaha wtf
Has to be double play?!! NO! Ball is not dead on a balk.
Number one what a way to lose a game
3:08 to 4:18, the Colorado Balkies
It can take hours and hours of study and experience to understand the balk. There is more to baseball than balls and strikes. It's necessary to the game, to not deceive the runner. Are ALL balk calls accurate? No. Same with balls and strikes and out calls. That's the human element. And if I wanted to remove the human element, I would play computer baseball games where much is based on algorithms and not human observation and interaction.
I'd really like to see a manager, who sent a runner home and was thrown out, have the owner come onto the field and severely yell, shout, scream and berate that manager for 5 full minutes in front of 50,000 fans, kick dirt on his manager, then stomp off the field in disgust. That would be awesome.
Why is someone falling, considered a balk? That's just unfair man.
cause they made a motion to home and didnt throw
I know it's freaking stupid
Because a pitcher could fake falling off the mound in order to catch runners off of the bag and pick them off. Once a pitcher starts his motion toward home, any movement that doesn't deliver the pitch toward the plate is considered a balk...
+Cheezzy0 so if a pitcher throw the ball while falling wouldn't be call a balk...
Nope, still a balk. If a pitcher was able to get the ball somewhere close to over the plate while falling down, the ump might *not* call it a balk. But since I don't know that that's ever happened, it's just usually a balk...
Balkoff
I watched this entire video and still don't understand what the fuck a balk is.
I love how at 10:11 the announcers had absolutely no idea that it was called a balk and basically making themselves look stupid XD
Yeah, that happens a lot and, when they finally get it that a balk was called, they then will argue saying that it wasn't a balk!!
@@marmac2768 99% of announcers are clueless.
@@alanhess9306 fer shor!!
lol Norris scored like 4 times in this video
how is it a balk if you stumble off the mond? It's not your fault you stumble
The rule states intentional and unintentional. Stumbling is clearly unintentional, but a violation none the less.
whether it's one's fault or not the rule specifically states that once you start your delivery you MUST complete it which includes the delivery of whatever pitch is coming otherwise it's a balk. The rule is designed like that so that Pitchers can't fake out a batter or a runner by 'pretending' to fall.
Any motion associated with your pitching delivery without delivering the ball home, is a balk. Intentional or not.
9:29 to 9:36 shows a VERY obvious balk!
Hi
One of the stupidest rules in baseball!!!
how was 3:10 a balk?
Whenever a pitcher come set, it has to be for a full second before he can move. If you watch, when he came set, he rocked off his front foot and then delivered the ball. That is a balk. It's called a "double set".
Marty Mac, No, that is wrong. There is no mention in any rule book about pausing for a full second. A discernible pause is all that is required.
Yes, that is not in the rule book per se, but it is in many Case Books as an approved ruling. Most people think of a discernible pause would be a full second. Some pitchers do a "bounce" when they bring their hands down and that is not a discernible pause. The key is that there is a time when he stops his motion before delivering the ball.
Marty Mac, I haven't seen a one second pause in the case book either. You are correct that some pitchers "bounce" and that would be a balk. All I need to see is that there is a discernible pause. Even it is for 1/10th of a second, the pitcher has met the requirement of the rule. Any umpire who tells a coach he called a balk because the pitcher did not pause for "a full second" would seriously jeopardize his future advancement, as well as lose any protest.
There’s no one-second rule, but there must be a discernible pause. The pitcher didn’t pause - he was still wiggling.
what's a balk? I'm a huge fan of baseball but what hell is a balk
Any kind of hesitation or form of deception from the pitcher once he has initiated his pitching stance/motion
when a pitcher messes up on a throw like falls off the rubber
Highly subjective misstep, intentional or accidental, in the pitching stance and/or windup.
Also, once a pitcher is on the rubber, he has to come to a set position, come to a complete stop, and then deliver his pitch. If he doesn't come to a complete stop, it what they call a "quick pitch," and is also a balk...
It's pretty much when the pitcher is trying to decieve the runners
Half of them WEREN'T balks.
some are hard to tell unless you put them in slow motion. Casilla for example is a definite balk as were Sabathia and Jimenez but others such as Kershaw, Quintana and Salazar were harder to tell. Abad was also hard to tell at first but I think I see why he got it called on him.
Nope. You're just not familiar with the rules
Some of these aren't balks
TipyDog Vlogs, which ones?
saw the first one live i was laughing #Letsgopadres
clap, clap; clap, clap, clap.
Dont see the balk at 4:19
He leaned back after setting his front foot.
+Max Gee Gotcha
What Dalton said, he never came set for a full second.
Ryan Altfillisch, there is no mention in the rule book regarding stopping for a full second. You are posting incorrect information.
orz
Every comment is asking what a balk is? Pathetic children.
Ugly Ass I'd day you're the pathetic one here.
Nice
queto should get a balk everytime. that stupid shimmy is a joke
dudeman94 Not a balk
Not a balk
if something's a balk every time it's when Kershaw comes to the set above his head and at the belt, twice every pitch
Cueto*
most exciting play in baseball! you can't spell baseballk without balk!!!
Walk off balk lol
to me balks are unfair because if a pitcher falls and the score is 7 7 and he falls the other team could win
Look, it spells bastard
Hi
why hello
Oh hey