MLB | The Worst Balk Compilation

[@garrettryan701]

Balk Rules 1) You can't just be up there and just doin' a balk like that. 1a. A balk is when you 1b. Okay well listen. A balk is when you balk the 1c. Let me start over 1c-a. The pitcher is not allowed to do a motion to the, uh, batter, that prohibits the batter from doing, you know, just trying to hit the ball. You can't do that. 1c-b. Once the pitcher is in the stretch, he can't be over here and say to the runner, like, "I'm gonna get ya! I'm gonna tag you out! You better watch your butt!" and then just be like he didn't even do that. 1c-b(1). Like, if you're about to pitch and then don't pitch, you have to still pitch. You cannot not pitch. Does that make any sense? 1c-b(2). You gotta be, throwing motion of the ball, and then, until you just throw it. 1c-b(2)-a. Okay, well, you can have the ball up here, like this, but then there's the balk you gotta think about. 1c-b(2)-b. Fairuza Balk hasn't been in any movies in forever. I hope she wasn't typecast as that racist lady in American History X. 1c-b(2)-b(i). Oh wait, she was in The Waterboy too! That would be even worse. 1c-b(2)-b(ii). "get in mah bellah" -- Adam Water, "The Waterboy." Haha, classic... 1c-b(3). Okay seriously though. A balk is when the pitcher makes a movement that, as determined by, when you do a move involving the baseball and field of 2) Do not do a balk please.

[@EllieVelli]

This comment stressed me out

[@islahartel9304]

This comment eases my stress. At least I know it’s not just me, no one knows what a balk is.

[@hippokrampus2838]

Explanation on that last one, it is a balk because he disengages the rubber with his pivot foot during his delivery with that little hop. Rule 5.07(a) is the relevant rule and this hop would be considered him resetting his pivot foot.

[@dtecum]

I wish announcers would refrain from disagreeing with the balk call

[@saintquintus7990]

I normally agree with ump calls but balks really rub me the wrong way sometimes. 6:25 this looked like the pitcher just getting into position.

[@XXelpollodiabloXX]

Obviously it was something he did with his feet. The rule book says that the pitching restrictions begin when the pitcher intentionally engages the pitcher's plate. So if he didn't legally disengage before resetting then it would be a balk.

[@danielmaske9946]

He was engaged with the rubber, had his hands set, and was moving his shoulders and his feet. Not one that will be called often I think, but definitely a balk by strict definition.

[@danielmaske9946]

Also it is really hard to tell with the camera cut, but it is also possible that he came set the un-set. There was a lot going on in that little clip.

[@luckyu521]

It’s looks like one of the pitchers just breathed and it was called a balk 😂

[@danielmaske9946]

@3:42 That catcher is so pissed off at his pitcher. He pulled his mask up before the umpire even stood up.

[@ruthesthercabrera6060]

I also realice of that

[@vancemccarthy2554]

1:40 Nothing moved except his glove.

[@TheMiniWeapon]

yup, thats the rule. You have to do 1 movement to go from stretch to set

[@rayray4192]

@@TheMiniWeapon movements that aren’t a start to bringing hands together are free.

[@THEDEGENERATEGAMBLER97]

I heard that one time, someone balked and NO ONE screamed it

[@danielmaske9946]

I totally get the joke and it is funny, but on the of-chance you aren't familiar with the correct umpire mechanics when a balk is performed and umpire who notices it is supposed to point at the pitcher and loudly announce "THAT'S A BALK". It is no different than a football ref's proper mechanic when holding happens to throw his flag. The umpires aren't doing it to be dramatic and look-at-me, the action is what's actually written in the umpire manual.

[@nicolelala10]

Commentary on WHY the balk was called would help on half of these calls.

[@theaccordian9377]

A balk is whenever a pitcher starts a pitching motion but doesn't acutely deliver a pitch. I think that should be sufficiently clear to understand?

[@StarFoxMcCloudX]

The more I see videos of balks, the less I understand the rule... 😞

[@danielmaske9946]

The generic definition of it is movement by the pitcher to deceive the baserunners but it is way more than that. Once a pitcher is on the rubber with the ball, there are only a handful of movements he can legally do and once he comes set (ball and hand in his glove) there are a fraction of that amount of movements available. It is a very in-depth rule but also at the same time not always strictly defined. There are things that are a hard line between legal and balk, and there are others that are highly judgmental and only readable by highly experienced umpires/coaches/players.

[@BDUBZ49]

I agree. There were several of these where I saw no movement at all, except maybe the head. It really handcuffs the pitcher....really, straightjackets him. What ISN'T a balk?

[@danielmaske9946]

@@BDUBZ49 In my experience 90% of balks where fans and coaches claim the pitcher never move are 1 of 3 things. 1. Swaying or flinching of any body part, which is really hard to see from any off-field perspective. 2. Moving the ball an excessive amount once their hands come set (which is actually 2 balks at once). 3. When they move their head to check a runner they accidentally move their shoulders slightly as well (HS pitchers do this ALOT).

[@MrJimi16]

@@BDUBZ49 This video is bad about not giving an angle that shows what happened. There is one where the call is that he separates his hands, but the only angle this video shows is the back of the pitcher who has his hands in front of him. There is another where the balk happens before the the video starts and there are no replays shown. But for all of that, there is only one that I don't know for sure what the pitcher did, and even for that one I have an idea. I don't know why the poster considers these the worst balks, they are mostly common normal balks and a few caught feet during delivery. Pretty boring balks all things considered.

[@equinoxproject2284]

That’s like quantum physics. I heard a physicist say if someone is explaining qp to you with total confidence they don’t understand qp.

[@trondboi2034]

A «balk-off» 1:28

[@aaronmorris1513]

DASSA BAWK!

[@all-about-abby]

Last one was literally the clearest example in the video. Casters are dumb af sometimes i swear. he literally hopped of the rubber there is air underneath his back foot.

[@robhill9336]

Some of these are just completely made up by the umpire.

[@blackandblueeagle]

These are all pretty obvious tbh

[@tatstuba]

The lead leg must cross the plate backwards if you’re not throwing from a stretch with runners on. This is due to the definition of wind up pitched and pitching from the stretch

[@stevenwalker4923]

Your foot can't leave or cross the rubber until you are in your motion.

[@Reggie2000]

I hate deception in sports. It tells me you doubt yourself or your team. I'd be disenfranchised in football if my coach wanted to run a trick play to throw to a lineman, over me a receiver. My point? Play it straight and you can't go wrong. Ever. All you can do is lose. Like a man. Also, the Balk, seems to be the equivalent of a lineman jumping in my book. You messed up, and now you have to be penalized. Super simple to me.

[@archersterling8707]

the balk rule is so fucking dumb.

[@rayray4192]

The balk called at 4:49 was an umpire error. The video shows the crew get together but doesn’t show a decision. It’s not a balk to motion to the catcher to repeat a signal

[@MIXTAB1]

It’s funny that runners get to try and deceive the pitcher to steal a base Yet the pitcher cannot attempt to deceive 🧐 I get it though, if pitchers were allowed to pump fake and twitch flinch the game would never end hahahaha The whole game would be trying to throw out runners The best part of baseball through is the human element, brings drama and excitement to the game when call is blown by an ump or a game is decided on error/balk Baseball is perfect 💯 Greatest sport ever created 💯✌️

[@ELP1791]

There are many sports as great as baseball and baseball alone not the greatest sports ever created. It is a subjective interpretation.

[@MIXTAB1]

@@ELP1791 yes, obviously hahahaha Thought it was clear that this was just my opinion hahaha

[@dtecum]

Prior to 1898 balk rules were not in existence. There was plenty of deception by the pitcher until 1898.

[@faceones]

Even the announcers says it a balk very few are not balks

[@GunGuy258]

Thats crazy that falling on the mound is a Balk.

[@takeitezytv585]

Yeah. Some of them are failed ankles. 😅

[@rayray4192]

At night in “ The City,” the rubber gets wet and slippery. Tim Lincecum slipped off the rubber even on a dry day because he generated a lot of torque. It is a failure to deliver a pitch once a commitment to deliver was made. If the pitch rolls across a foul line it is a legal pitch and a ball.

[@GunGuy258]

@rayray4192 I get it, but it's still crazy that a couple of those guys folded their ankles and fell, and that was still a balk. 😆

[@rayray4192]

@@GunGuy258 Timmy Lincecum, my man, slipped off the pitching plate numerous times. With no one on it’s a do over. With runners on it’s a balk unless the ball slips out of his hand and crosses a foul line or is prevented from crossing a foul line by a defensive player. If the ball doesn’t cross a foul line it’s a balk with runners on because he began the delivery of a pitch and did not complete the pitch. He started something he didn’t finish. Baseball rules are about order, conformity, and consistency. When a pitcher steps onto the rubber pitching rules are in effect.

[@MichaelMichael-kv4gp]

I'm going to be dishonest, I know exactly what a balk is now.

[@rayray4192]

At 6:12 the pitcher winds up from the stretch position. Do you know what the stretch position is?

[@67L48]

Is this a compilation of the worst balks or is this the worst compilation of balks? The title has me confused about whether I should watch it or not. 😉

[@dogfacedponysoldier87]

Take the word “balk” and throw it out. And replace it with flinch. “You are not allowed to flinch”…. Youngsters can understand it better maybe. (?)

[@NealPT]

There's a lot more to it than that. For example, 1)a pitcher has to become set 2) his step can not be more towards home plate than the base he's throwing to.

[@jerishigan6567]

Nobody knows wtf a balk is

[@TheNewKidChameleon]

lame baseball rule

[@daywalkingvampire1521]

don't know how old some of these clips are but the balk rule seriously needs changed. If I was the pitchers in the MLB i'd walk out and strike over this rule.

[@BruceEEvans1]

The balk is the dumbest rule in baseball.

[@Drpepperkev4]

the dumbest rule in baseball most of these are not even a balk

[@BrandonHardaker]

Very boring

[@johnkeller6171]

This stuff is crazy. I wouldn't go to or watch a game again. Lose your fans and lose your income.

[@nickyeayea7257]

Well your the minority

[@johnkeller6171]

@@nickyeayea7257 you may be right but i haven't watched much baseball for 35 years anyway so they haven't lost an ardent fan. The problem i have is that unless you study the rules for what is a balk and watch games often enough you, in this case me, lose insight into what is or isn't a balk and this can take away my interest in the game more than it already has. So i don't mind being in the minority so those who know all about and care about what is a balk can continue to love the game because at my age and level of health I'm much more interested in waking up in the morning and having all the critical parts inside me still functioning well enough to keep me alive.