Calling The Balk

by Jeff Cisneros

Start with the basics ....

From his plate position the plate umpire or base umpire, who is in hands-on-knees set, point at the pitcher at shoulder level declaring loudly,"That's a balk!" They instantly return to their ready position since the ball is not automatically dead. When the pitcher hesitates, then you may call "Time!" If the pitcher delivers the pitch, you have a delayed dead ball situation.

If the batter lets the pitch through, the plate umpire will call the pitch in the event of ball 4 and declare time, awarding advancements.

If the batter hits the baseball, then the umpire has the responsibility to immediately determine the status of the balk against the status of the play. For instance...balk is declared, pitcher delivers, batter hits a home run, the play resulted in a a home run instead of a balk. In the case of the batter hitting a ground ball, scoring a winning run, but resulting in an out at first base, the balk must be enforced. The offense cannot "accept" the out. A balk is never an option play. In the event of an out occuring before every runner, or the batter runner advances to the next base, the "most favorable result" may not be relevant, you will enforce the balk.

In the instance that the runners are awarded bases, they are entitled to one base only and are in jeopardy if they try to advance beyond the entitled base.

In the instance that the runners on base advance beyond their entitled bases on a base hit, they are in jeopardy and may be put out.

Finally, in the event of ball 4, the batter may advance to first base only if all aother runners would be forced to advance one base as a result of the ball four. (It is possible for the umpire to judge that all of the runners had already advanced on the pitch by stealing a base. In this case the call is "ball four.") Otherwise, enforce the balk and advance the runners.

Then get down to business ....

1. If the balk immediately is followed by a pitch that permits the batter and each runner to advance a minimum of one(1) base, the balk is ignored and the ball remains live.(Wild pitch, base hit, etc.)

2. If a balk is immediately followed by a wild throw to a base that permits a runner(s) to advance to or beyond the base to which that runner is entitled, the balk is ignored and the ball remains live.

3. If only the runner advances to or beyond the base which he is entitled because of a wild pitch after a balk, the balk is still acknowledged and the pitch is nullified. The batter will resume the at-bat with the same pitch count as before the balk was committed.

4. The runner advances beyond the base to which he is entitled at his own risk.

5. In the case of a caught fly ball, the play is called dead by the crew allowing no actions to be taken. The balk is then acknowledged, pitch and result of pitch nullified, runner(s) advance, batter returns to bat with the pitch count adjusted to the count before the balk.

6. A walk is only awarded to the batter in the event of ball four, and all the base runners are still entitled to their awarded one base: for example, R2, balk, ball 4, BR to 1st, R2 to 3rd or another example R3, balk, Wild Pitch Ball 4 or Strike 3, as long as the BR makes first base and R3 scores, the balk is ignored.

And call it very loudly ....

My advice is simple, try to avoid the situation by killing the play before it gets too out of hand, remember that a balk is essentially an illegal pitch or violation of the set or wind-up positions. Don't be too eager to kill the play, but try to intimidate or prevent that pitcher from pitching.

Only the Interference/Obstruction rules are tougher than the Balk rules. We had an old saying in minor league ball, "see a balk, call a balk." Which was a code meaning, unless it's bloody obvious don't call the balk!

Be good and call 'em as you see 'em,

Jeff Cisneros
Written: July 8, 1997