They always say you're likely to see something you've never seen on any given night...or something like that. What did we just see?
- Damon singled
- Balk to second (Padilla didn't come set, though he looks like he did on the replays)
- Moved to third on ground out
- Damon scored on a balk (Padilla stepped off with the wrong foot)
David Cone clarified it for us knuckleheads by saying the pitcher must step off from their push-off foot, otherwise it's deemed a move to home. Who knew? I didn't. I do now.
Here is the specific part of the balk rule (emphasis mine):
Rule 8.01(a) Comment: In the Windup Position, a pitcher is permitted to have his “free” foot on the rubber, in front of the rubber, behind the rubber or off the side of the rubber.
From the Windup Position, the pitcher may:
(1) deliver the ball to the batter, or
(2) step and throw to a base in an attempt to pick-off a runner, or
(3) disengage the rubber (if he does he must drop his hand to his sides).
In disengaging the rubber the pitcher must step off with his pivot foot and not his free foot first.
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8 comments:
It still doesn't top when John Rocker dropped the ball from the set position and the Mets won the game. All this in the bottom of the ninth with two outs. Incredible.
Dropping the ball from the set position counts as a balk as well. I didn't make that clear. Sorry.
Jason, my GF nailed it when it happened...she said that he was taking so freakin' long during each pitch that his brief pause on that pitch looked like a 'no-stop'. Kenny and Coney finally caught up a few minutes later.
Of course, they also mentioned in the next inning that the fact that Padilla was making everyone stand around in 100 degree heat for hours while he stands there looking like the underside of a 15 year old shoe (with sweat pouring off it) was probably ticking the umps off. Even Nolan Ryan looked like he was peeved that Padilla was taking so damned long...(he tended to work pretty quickly, IIRC)
Now the umpire is squeezing Marte pretty tight in the ninth, so I have a feeling the Rangers will wind up with the W anyway...
Wow...walk the bases loaded then groove a batting practice pitch down mainstreet, that's a good idea.
Why did they take Bruney out, again? Oh, yeah...match-up. I HATE that match-up crap, it just rarely works (and is completely ineffective against batters like Matsui, who hits lefty better than righties, and Mo Rivera, who pitches lefties tougher). Stupid.
(sigh) At least the Sox and Rays also lost, again (good luck this past week that they were all losing, I guess).
Os, if your GF can nail a balk call, it's time to pop the question.
Amen.
Wasn't there a game a few seasons ago where the closer for the Giants balked in 2 runs against the Mets?
It was a bases loaded 1 out scenario I think.
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