pitcher balk?

Question

If a pitcher balks and delivers a pitch and the batter hits the ball, Is it the coaches option to take the hit or take the balk

Answer 1

this is the rule from mlb.com on the issue you are talking about.

(b) If a play follows the violation called by the umpire, the manager of the team at bat may advise the plate umpire-in-chief that he elects to accept the play. Such election shall be made immediately at the end of the play. However, if the batter reaches first base on a hit, an error, a base on balls, a hit batsman, or otherwise, and no other runner is put out before advancing at least one base, the play shall proceed without reference to the violation.
(c) Even though the team at bat elects to take the play, the violation shall be recognized and the penalties in subsection (a) will still be in effect.
(d) If the manager of the team at bat does not elect to accept the play, the umpire-inchief shall call an automatic ball and, if there are any runners on base, a balk.
(e) The umpire shall be sole judge on whether any portion of this rule has been violated.

Answer 2

Ryan R has give a proper answer. THe rest stink!

Under MLB rules, a balk is a "delayed dead ball" allowing for the play to continue. Very few will, rather the pitcher will stop, then the penalty is enforced. The reasoning for this is that IF the pitch is completed and the batter hits the balked pitch out of the park, he gets the home run.

NFHS (high school) calls the balk an immediate "dead ball" and that batter would NOT get his home run. Yes I actually had that one happen, in a very close state playoff game! The offensive coach (who was ignorant of the rules) went nut's and eventually was tossed. That's the ONLY HS ejection I have ever made.

FWIW, All fastpitch softball the call is a delyed dead ball on all illegal pitches. There are NO balks.

Answer 3

The 3rd guy has it 100% correct as well as the 4th while the 1st two answers you received were from ppl who obviously never pitched.

I played college baseball, as a pitcher, and the opposing coach does not have the option to taking the balk. If i balk and still throw the pitch and the batter happens to swing and hits it - the play is dead regardless and that pitch doesnt count.

As far as the 1st two saying its almost impossible to balk and still throw a pitch - a balk is moving in an unnatural way to try and deceive the runner. It does usually happen on pickoff attempts where the pitcher will slightly move his front foot first before attempting a pickoff (a balk) just in case the runner is going on first motion this "tricks" the runner into thinking he is gonna make the pitch instead of pickoff and is very very effective if it isnt caught. BUT ive seen a balk called b/c the pitcher accidentally stepped slightly off the rubber and then managed to get back on and deliver a pitch quick enough the umpire didnt have a chance to stop the game before the pitch was thrown. Regardless of whether the batter hits a HR or swings and misses - that pitch does not count and the runner gets to advance a base and the hitter is awarded a "ball".

Answer 4

FINAL TIME -- If you are watching a High School game or a game governed by High School rules -- a balk is a dead ball, no action can take place, and all runners on base are awarded one base from base at time of pitch.

If you are watching any other types of baseball governed by any other body of rules, a balk followed by a pitch is ignored only if all runners and the batter-runner advance one base safely.

The only option a manger or head coach has in baseball is on catcher's interference/obstruction.

Case play -- runners on first and third, 1 out and a 2-2 count. Pitcher balks and delivers the pitch as the runner on first breaks for second. The batter hits a fly ball to right that is caught and the defense appeals the runner at first successfully for the third out RULING: When the rightfielder caught the ball, the umpire should call "time" becasue the batterrunner didnot reach first base. The runners are advanced to second and score, the batter returns with a 2-2 count.

Answer 5

The coach never has an option. In fact, if the batter-runner and all runners advance at least one base on the play, the balk is ignored. If one of the runners fails to advance at least one base, the balk is enforced.

I've had two balks ignored in my 14 years of umpiring. One happened in Senior League, when the pitcher failed to come to a set and the batter hit a blooper into right-center field. The batter-runner hesitated before cautiously running to first. The runner on first advanced to second, so we continued. The coach of the defense got mad because he didn't know the rule. His players had all the time in the world to put "out" either runner, which would have resulted in there still being only one runner on base instead of two.

The second case I had was last year in an American Legion game. The pitcher failed to come to the set and the batter hit the ball to the left field fence. The runner on third scored. The runner on second stopped at third. And the batter-runner, who could have had at least a double, stopped at first. Both teams were upset. The offense was upset because they didn't know the rule. The defense was upset because they didn't think the pitcher balked. (Of course, the defense was correct because we ignored the balk by rule.)

Keep in mind, though, that under National Federation rules, which governs high school ball, the ball becomes dead immediately on a balk.

Note: Notice that Jake G provides no actual citation of a rule. This is because the quoted material he presents has nothing to do with the balk rule. Also, the former college pitcher fails to back up his (incorrect) interpretation of the rule. The ball is not automatically dead.

Answer 6

Actually, once a balk is called the play is dead and the runner on base is awarded the next base. If the pitcher does throw the ball it is dead, so even if the hitter hits it, the ball is ruled dead, no pitch.

A balk is an illegal movement by the pitcher while a runner is on base. It is for the most part a judgement call by the umpire.

Answer 7

I really don't know how someone would balk and still manage to throw the ball. They usually stop thier motion and throw a pick off or something

Answer 8

If he balks the Ump calls a timeout to issue the base.

Balking is faking the throw so if he throws it it isnt a balk..

Answer 9

Once the balk is called the ball is dead and the play is over.

Answer 10

automatic balk