AboutBrian Flaspohler Expertise Questions about baseball rules, general information about the game, statistical analysis, questions about players, questions about Baseball records. I am a member of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) and a lifelong baseball fanatic.
Experience Lifelong fan, article about player movement from team to team throughout history.
Question re: your answer to michael on 6/11/07. Can you please site the rule that says a righthander must step off the rubber first before throwing to 1st. All of the time on all levels including the majors,I do not see the righthanders step off. Please explain,and or correct the answer.Is it not the judgement of the ump as if the pitcher is still or not with his shoulder before using on contiuous motion to throw to 1st. If one continuous motion is used, then it is not a balk. Thank You.
Answer Stephen,
Right handers are facing away from first base when they are in contact with the pitching rubber. There is literally no way they can contort their body and throw to first while still in contact with the rubber.
You may be thinking of left handed pitchers who can throw over without breaking contact with the rubber. Righties can throw to third with breaking contact though while lefties can't!
Basically a pitcher has to go to whatever base they are heading toward when they begin their motion. But typically the ump may use where the foot lands as a guide. If the foot lands toward where they throw, then it is not a balk.
On a last note - the balk is probably the most abused rule in baseball. It isn't called correctly at all levels, even in the major leagues. Basically it all comes back to umpire's judgement.
