Archive for the ‘Rules’ Category

Know the Rules! Balk Rule Simplified, Part 2, The Wind-up

Tuesday, March 27th, 2012

A few innings ago, we talked about pitching regulations from the stretch and today we’re following it up with part 2, pitching from the wind-up. There’s not too much to discuss until we have the pitcher in the wind-up and a runner on third breaks towards the plate, then we have a real “Whoa Nelly!” moment, as the great Keith Jackson used to say.  As in the stretch, the pitching regulations are as much about the feet as they are the arms.

Regarding feet, all you need to understand is the definition of the “pivot” foot,left foot for southpaw, right foot for right hander. Once intentionally engaged with the pitching plate, the only way to legally “step off” is by stepping backwards with the pivot foot first. This is assuming it is before the hands have come together and/or the hands have not been broken. This is typically where “innocent” balks happen by the pitcher stepping off with the wrong foot after he forgot about a runner and wants to switch to the stretch; we say “innocent” meaning the pitcher is not trying to deceive anyone but is just being a dope!

The pitching regulations above the waist kick in when the pitcher engages the rubber and our attention turns to what he is doing with his arms. This affects what is known as “time of pitch” or in other words, the point of no-return when the pitcher must deliver a pitch and does not have the option of stepping off. There is no restriction as to how he holds the ball but there are 3 ways to do this:

1. Engage pitching plate with both hands together, in front of his body.

2. Engage pitching plate with one hand in front, other hand down at side.

3. Engage pitching plate with both arms at side.

Bringing the hands together in the wind-up can be looked at the same way as you do in the set; the pitcher can legally step off before breaking the hands.  The problem scenario is situation 3 above:  moving both arms simultaneously typically will signify the start of the motion so it could be considered a balk if he then stops and steps off. It all depends on what his normal delivery is and if he typically pauses to take signs once bringing both hands together.  If the runner breaks for home as the pitcher brings both hands together and the pitcher stops and steps off, we’re not sure how any 2 umpires will rule as it’s a judgment call; once again, the riddle-mystery-enigma thing rears it’s ugly mug!

So while that is all fairly perfunctory (big word for the day), lets look at a few of the more obscure things that could happen to Ace out there on the hill:

  • If the ball slips out of the pitcher’s hands, if it does not cross the foul line, it is considered a balk with runners on base or no pitch if bases empty.  If it does cross the foul line then it is a legal pitch, a crappy one at that.
  • If a pitcher is ambidextrous, he must declare at the start of the at bat, which arm he will pitch with and stay with it for the entire at bat.
  • If a pitcher throws wild on a pick-off attempt initiated while engaged with the rubber, and the ball goes out of play, all runners advance one base, but if the pitcher steps off before throwing to kingdom-come, like lefty sometimes does, then he is just another bad infielder and the runners are awarded two bases.
  • Balks in pro ball are “delayed” so if the batter hits one out of the park, it’s a dinger.  In high school and college, the ball is dead as soon as the balk is called so if the batter knocks it out of the park, it means nada.
  • The hidden ball trick usually hinges on the pitcher completing some level of performance art to kill time in order to lull the runner to sleep.  The pro rule states “straddling” the rubber without the ball is a balk while the HS/College rule says being within 5 feet of the rubber without the ball is illegal.
  • While a pitcher cannot throw to an unoccupied base, he can legally throw to the next base to make a play on an advancing runner attempting to steal; this looks funny to anyone associated with the defense but it is legal.

This wraps up MaxBP’s public service announcements regarding pitching regulations; we hope it provided nourishing food for thought.  Teach your pitchers basic delivery fundamentals and we’re sure it will minimize balk trouble.  If you are not on our email list and would like to receive future blog entries and promos from us, please click on the link below to add your info.  We appreciate all the positive feedback and email sharing of our recent syndications.

http://maxbp.com/feedback.php

If you would like more information on The MaxBP or any of our products, call us at(888) 99-MaxBP or visit us at www.MaxBP.com.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Rules | No Comments »

Watching baseball, when the runner is hit by a batted ball…

Saturday, March 24th, 2012

In our last episode with Rocky the umpire, he was busy schooling us on the concept of the delayed dead ball following catcher’s interference.  We hope the tears have dried from that sad story because Rocky witnessed another rare one that MaxBP will share with you today…a runner who is hit by a batted ball…and is NOT out. What say you, you’ve never seen that…well then, read on…

We’ve all seen a ground ball towards short clip a too-clever-for-his-own-good-trying-to-screen-the-fielder runner; the umpire calls time, Einstein is called out and the batter is placed on first; no big deal!

Yes, that is how it usually goes down but what about this scenario: runner is on third and a chopper is hit down the third base line – the third baseman charges in and towards the line and misses the backhanded attempt on the short hop.  The runner who went back to third and is standing on the base is hit squarely in the back by the bounding fair ball. You make the call. Well obviously from our set-up you know that the answer is that the runner is NOT out because he was protected by being on the base right?  NO, not right – that’s the trick part of this question.  The only time a runner is protected from being called out while standing on a base and being hit by a batted ball is on the infield fly rule, but we digress.  No, the runner who was on third and hit is not out because he was behind the fielder who already had a chance to field the ball. The reason a runner is out in the usual scenario is because he denied the fielder the opportunity to get the job done and has thus, “interfered”.  Once the ball has passed any infielder (except the pitcher) or touched any infielder (including the pitcher) the runner will not be called out for interference if hit, provided, in Rocky the umpire’s judgment, that another fielder could have made an attempt.  Let’s say a ball was hit in the hole and went through the third baseman and hit the runner behind him advancing from second, he would be called out because the shortstop still could have had a play on this.  If it hits the pitcher, all bets are off and contact with the runner would be deemed as accidental and not interference (unless it was judged that the runner intentionally interfered) but that’s another conversation.

We’re not sure why we don’t see this scenario more often when the infield is drawn in and the runner’s might be screened by a fielder, but it just doesn’t seem to happen much.   In those rare cases, the ball is live and everyone advances at their own risk.  The same exact rules are in place if the umpire is hit but with an opposite effect on the game. Since Rocky the umpire out can’t call himself out, the offense gets the benefit of the doubt and the batter is awarded first base but using the same logic as above, if Rocky was hit down the first base line after the first baseman missed the play, the ball would still be live.  Runners and fielders beware, know the rules and when in doubt look for Rocky’s call.

Tags:
Posted in Rules | No Comments »

Know the Rules! Balk Rule Simplified, Part 1

Friday, March 16th, 2012

My good buddy Gene, a crusty, grey bearded attorney who ran the Brookline Tigers senior league team back in Boston, use to gripe over post game refreshments that the balk rule was “expletive-expletive Byzantine”, a riddle wrapped in mystery inside an enigma!  While there is no singular “balk rule”, there are pitching regulations that go back to 1845 and have evolved ever since, most notably when Whitey Herzog complained that Bert Blylevin got away with 19 balks in the ‘87 World Series.  A change in the wording to define a stop resulted in umpires calling a record number of balks in ’88, over 500 in the American League alone.  While we all know an obvious balk when we see one, who can say they fully understand the pitching regulations and can list the alleged 39 ways to balk?  The MaxBP guys paused and set and found a great way to look at this; rather than focus on all the ways to break the rules, we flipped the conversation upside down to realize that if you understand the pitching requirements, then its a much easier thought process to identify everything else as a balk.  Pitching from the set involves 4 simple steps: ONE: Intentionally engage the pitchers plate, TWO: Stretch, THREE: Set, FOUR: Pitch or Don’t Pitch – simple right?

1. Engage with pivot foot on or in front of rubber, free foot entirely in front,pitching arm down at side or behind back, ball in glove or throwing hand

2. The Stretch is the motion before the set.  The pitcher is free to make any natural movements not associated with his delivery, like wiping off sweat, adjusting cap, turning to check on runner, waving glove to shake off catcher

3. The Set is when the pitcher brings both hands together before the pitch.  The transition to set must be in one continuous and uninterrupted motion. The pitcher must must make a discernable stop before pitching.

4a. Step towards home and pitch

4b. Step off directly backwards with pivot foot (pitcher become infielder)

4c. Step towards and throw to any base in effort to pick off a runner

4d. Step towards and feint to occupied 2nd/3rd base, cant fake to first

The rules set out to establish a standard protocol so everyone knows how the pitch or pickoff is supposed to go down.  Any deviation is considered an effort to trick the runner and is a balk. While you pitch with your arm, a proper step in the right direction is a key to following the rules.  There is one other specific requirement, that if the pitcher swings his free foot behind the back edge of the rubber, he must pitch or attempt a move to 2nd.

So, given these simple requirements, why is there so much dispute around balk calls and non-calls?

Was that a stop or simply a change of direction?   Did the lefty step towards first or was it more towards home?  Did the free foot go behind the rubber?  Did the pitcher step properly before throwing?  These judgments by the umpire are not as black and white as safe/out, strike/ball and in an effort not to over-umpire, most blue have to be 100% sure an action is a balk before stopping the game and awarding bases.  The more that is left to interpretation, the more leeway coaches and fans have to see what they want to see, something that favors their team. Additionally, the umpire must take into account each pitcher’s natural delivery and intent (remember Luis Tiant) so the interpretations and subsequent call might vary not only from umpire to umpire but from pitcher to pitcher and situation to situation. In amateur ball most balks are not the result of deception and inconsequential to the action so unless it’s a grievous violation, it is usually ignored in a backwards kind of way to maintain the integrity of the game.

So considering the pitching regulations, umpire judgment, varying natural deliveries as well as pitcher intent within the  context of the game’s several hundred pitches, its not so much a riddle wrapped around a mystery inside an enigma but a……….Dang…Gene in Boston was right!

Coming soon, part 2, pitching regulations from the windup.

If you are not on our email list and would like to receive future blog entries and promos from us, please click on the link below to add your info.  We appreciate all the positive feedback and email sharing of our recent syndications.  http://maxbp.com/feedback.php

Tags:
Posted in Rules | No Comments »

KNOW THE RULES! Catchers Inteference, What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

Monday, March 5th, 2012

The MaxBP staff stay involved with baseball in every possible way including officiating.  Our inventory manager Rocky umpires at the high school level here in San Diego County and in his first game of the season, he reported a dramatic unusual play which we’ll call “the sordid tale of catcher’s interference and the delayed dead-ball” or “the comedic turned tragic tale of the advancing would-be-hero protected-runner.”

With the winning run on 2nd base in extra innings, the batter took a mighty swing and was interfered with by the catcher resulting in a slow roller down the 3rd base line, the swinging bunt if you will.  The third baseman charged the ball and made a desperate play to 1st but the speedy batter-runner beat it out.  With the base vacated by the charging third baseman, the runner from 2nd took a huge turn towards home and, as an eager/foolish young man might, just kept goin’ on the throw in a mad dash to catch everyone sleeping and be the hero of the day, Thursday. The first baseman was wide awake as it turned out and quickly threw home to nail the runner in a very close play. (Hero to chump, by Rocky the ump!)  When the dust settled, the offensive team was sure the obvious catcher’s interference would roll-back the trouble and keep the rally alive but were in shock to discover the play stands as described, the runner is out at home and the batter runner stays at 1st…where he died one out later ending the game in a 2-2 tie.  So what the…?

Catcher’s interference is one of a few baseball plays that results in adelayed dead ball where the ruling is applied at the end of the play. The reason many people think its an automatic dead ball is because most of these violations don’t produce a ball in play or everyone stops and the umpire calls time, which he shouldn’t.  Yes, there is a violation but the play is allowed to finish so the baseball action can take precedence if advantageous to the offensive team, up to a point.  The classic example is that if the batter hits the ball over fence, it’s a home run, no harm, no foul.  A more realistic example might be that the batter hits a dribbler to the second baseman that allows the runner from 3rd to score.  In this case, the offensive team might trade the out for the run, you know, the bird-in-the-hand thing.  They could also opt to take the award and play for the bigger inning, or go for the two-in-the-bush, and let the batter be awarded 1st and all runners stay or go back to the base they occupied at the time of the infraction (unless attempting to steal, they would be placed on the next base).  But here is the trick with this rule, if the batter-runner makes it to 1st safely and all other runners advance one base, the interference is ignored (egad!). In our example, once the batter-runner made it to 1st and the runner on 2nd made it to 3rd, the case was closed, end of story. The lead runner was not protected one inch beyond 3rd base so his attempt to advance was at his own peril…which it most definitely was, and now everyone who was in attendance knows the story of interference and the delayed dead-ball.  What are the odds of Rocky seeing this in the first game of the season?  Apparently pretty good.  What weird play will Rocky see next?  We’ll keep you posted.

We have no clever segue from this sad tale to a sales pitch so if you would like to check out our on-line store, proceed as though you we’re just award an extra base on an overthrow:  http://store.maxbp.com/category_s/48.htm

Tags: ,
Posted in Rules | No Comments »

BYOB, Bring Your Own Bat, BESR/BBCOR Explained

Friday, March 2nd, 2012

Ask any coach, player or parent about bats and the resulting conversations will remind you of the kitten roundup.  What’s legal/illegal? Do we need to buy new bats?  Can I use a minus 7?  Is BESR certified still good?  Hey, wait…no you can’t use a minus 7 unless you are hitting fungos but that’s a different issue.

While 2011 was a transition year, starting this year with the 2012 season, high school and college baseball have completely switched bat performance standards from BESR to BBCOR alleviating the confusion about what bats they can use.  Now it’s quite simple, for non-wood, if the bat is permanently labeled “BBCOR .50″, it’s legal; NOT labeled, NOT legal. While rules vary slightly by association and level of ball, in general, if the batter steps in the box with an illegal bat, and is discovered by anyone before the first pitch to the next batter, the batter will be declared out and any positive outcome of that at bat will be undone.  In high school, to add insult to injury, the coach will be restricted to the bench after the first offense as it is ultimately his/her responsibility that players are legally and properly equipped.

So what exactly are these “beezers” and “BBs” anyways?  This certification change-up represents a fundamental shift in how performance is measured.  BESR stands for“Ball Exit Speed Ratio” which measures how fast the ball comes off the bat.  BBCOR stands for “Ball-Bat Coefficient of Restitution” which measures the “springiness” of the ball and bat or the “trampoline effect” if you will.  With out going all math and science on you, BESR was simply considered not an accurate enough measurement and opened the door for the confusing list of exempted bats.  Think about the difference between jumping up and down on a hard wood floor and doing the same on a trampoline; you get difference results that has to do with how energy is lost or absorbed; this is what BBCOR measures. The result is a more balanced performance from bat-to-bat and player-to-player and a narrowing of the gap in performance from wood to non-wood which addresses both competitive and safety concerns.

Got all that?  There will be a test later.  One important item to note, you’ll never damage your game bats when taking batting practice with the MaxBP mini-wiffle pitching machine! You’ll get the advantage of taking cuts with the feel of your game bats with no worries of wearing them out.  Just another benefit of using our fantastic portable machine (Bet you didn’t see that one coming – remember, look fastball but be ready for the curve).

MaxBP wishes everyone a great weekend on the diamond or in the cages.  As always, check out our specials at the link below:  http://store.maxbp.com/category_s/48.htm

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Rules | No Comments »