NCAA New Rule - Batter K'd for Intent-to-Draw HBP

The NCAA Baseball Rules Committee adopted a new rule for 2019, opting to penalize a batter who leans in to try and draw a HBP by having the umpire call a strike. One week into the season and it just happened, with an ejection for arguing it to boot, issued mere seconds after the head coach strolled out to question the umpire's decision.

Umpire prepares to eject a K-arguing coach.

The Play: It all happened during Army's second game of the young college baseball season against LSU when West Point batter Drake Titus fell behind in the count to LSU pitcher Chase Costello in the top of the 7th inning with one out and two on (R1, R3). With a 2-2 count, Drake's body made contact with Costello's pitch, HP Umpire Eddie Newsom ruling Drake out for, essentially, leaning into the pitch to bail himself out of a two-strike count. Army Head Coach Jim Foster found himself ejected from the game for arguing Newsom's decision.

The Rule (NCAA): NCAA changed Rule 8.2.d.1 after the 2018 season to penalize the batter with a strike and not awarding first base if, in the judgment of the umpire, the batter makes an intentional movement to be hit by a pitch, regardless of where the pitch is located. The guideline goes on to say that if a batter freezes in the box and is hit by the pitch, he shall be awarded first base (prior to 2019, the penalty would simply be a dead ball):

A batter may not make a movement to intentionally get hit by the pitch, regardless of the location of the pitch. He must also avoid being hit whenever possible, unless the pitch is within the batter's box occupied by the batter. If the batter's action is deemed intentional, then:

a) If the ball is in the strike zone when it touches the batter, or if the batter moves to intentionally get hit or freezes to allow a pitch that is not within the batter's box to hit him, the ball is dead, it shall be called a strike and the batter is not awarded first base.

The Rule (OBR): It should be noted that professional baseball (OBR) has no such rule concerning an automatic intentional HBP strike, but does require a batter to make an "attempt to avoid being touched by the ball." If an OBR batter fails to avoid being touched, the penalty is simply a dead ball and the pitch is called a ball or strike depending on pitch location (Rule 5.05(b)(2)).

The Rule (NFHS): High school is similar to pro in that "if [the batter] permits the pitched ball to touch him...the hitting of the batter is disregarded except that the ball is dead. It is a strike or ball depending on location of the pitch." One related baseball rules difference with NFHS is that if a pitched ball touches a batter's loose garment "not worn properly," the batter is not entitled to first base (whereas, for instance, under OBR, it would be a base award).

Umpire-in-Chief rules a HBP strike.

Analysis: There's really not much to analyze from the accompanying in regard to the umpire's judgment—if he deems the batter moved intentionally into the pitch, then the proper call is a strike (strike three in this case). Though the play was reviewed, this is still a judgment call and as a matter of principle, we don't pick apart judgment. Perhaps we might say this is a more likely occurrence with a two-strike count than with a batter-ahead count, but that's neither here nor there. The only analysis here is rather mechanical.

First, our umpire properly rules the play dead by announcing "Time"—the pitched ball has contacted the batter and the ball is dead. Next, he points to the batter's infraction at home plate and indicates the penalty for the violation; in this case, strike three. Because the ball is dead on strike three, the batter is out and all runners hold their positions. The batter walks back to the dugout without argument while the head coach arrives at home plate.

Did the batter place his elbow into the ball?

We see our plate umpire display a "stop sign" mechanic—both because issues of balls/strikes cannot be argued by a coach who has exited the dugout and, likely, in response to something the coach has said. The coach in this case shall be permitted an explanation and clarification as to the new-for-2019 ruling and the rule itself, but shall be warned upon any attempt to argue the call.

Leaving one's position to argue balls and strikes—and the related calls of check swings, warnings, balks, and HBP-related decisions—violates one of baseball's Standards for Removal from the Game.
Related Post: Ejections - What and Wherefore? Standards for Removal (3/29/17).

Video as follows:

All in the Family - Ted & Andrew Barrett Call Cubs Game

Father Ted and son Andrew Barrett (actually, it's "Reverend Doctor Ted") officiated together for the first time at the professional level during Saturday's Brewers-Cubs MLB Spring Training game in the Arizona Cactus League as umpire slots for both HP & 2B ended in "Barrett."

Andrew drew the plate assignment while Ted served as crew chief from the field, starting at second base (in Spring Training, the field umpires rotate every few innings between the three bases). The Barrett family was joined by Tony Randazzo and Pat Hoberg.

Ted and Andrew Barrett hope to join six other father-son umpires in MLB history (five full-time MLBU). They are (dates include time as MiLB fill-in umpires):
> Shag "Henry" & Jerry Crawford (1956-75 and 1976-2010);
> Lou & Mike DiMuro (1963-82 and 1997-present);
> Lou & Ray DiMuro (1963-82 and 1996-98);
> Tom & Brian Gorman (1951-77 and 1991-present);
> Ed, Paul & Brian Runge (1954-70, 1973-97, and 1999-2012);
> Harry & Hunter Wendelstedt (1966-1998 and 1998-present).

Harry and Hunter are the only father-son to have officiated a Major League contest together, which they did during Hunter's call-up season in 1998.

Taking it even a step further, Mike and Lou are the only father-son umpires to both have called an MLB no-hitter from behind the plate (Mike's was a perfect game). Ted Barrett has already called two perfect games from behind home plate.

For the Barretts, this isn't the first similar pro assignment, though it is the first time they've called the same game. Teddy served as home plate umpire and crew chief during the 2018 MLB All-Star Game in Washington, DC while Andrew had the plate for the 2018 California League (Class-A) All-Star Game in California.
Related Post: 2018 MLB All-Star Game Umpires (7/10/18).

Though Andrew is only in Double-A and thus did not receive a full-MLB Spring invitation, due to all the split squad, early schedule, and plethora of umpires all in the same city, he is one of a handful of young umpires to have the opportunity to call the one-off (or two, or three) MLB Spring Training game, some of which would otherwise have just two assigned umpires.

For instance, while Andrew called the Cubs game in Mesa, other non-invitee umpires who officiated MLB Spring Training games on Saturday included Derek Thomas (NYY-BOS), Sam Burch (STL-MIA), Adam Beck (ATL-NYM), Bryan Fields (CLE-CIN), Reid Gibbs (TEX-KC), Jason Starkovich (CHI-OAK), and Mark Stewart (HOU-WAS).
Wrap: Milwaukee Brewers vs. Chicago Cubs (Spring Training), 2/23/19

Plate Meeting Podcast - Call for ?s - Jim Joyce

As Spring Training gets underway, we're pleased to announce our next guest for The Plate Meeting, a LF Umpire Podcast from CloseCallSports.com. A five-time UEFL Award winner, 30-year AL & MLB veteran Jim Joyce officiated three World Series to go alongside four League Championship and 10 Division Series appearances, in addition to 3,268 regular season games, 73 ejections, and countless signature strike calls, topping several player polls for "best umpire" along the way (and what's this about a Time Magazine Person of the Year nod in 2010?). Submit your questions for Jim here at CCS.

Joyce began his professional baseball career in the 1978 Midwest League, traveling through the Texas and Pacific Coast Leagues before his 1987 American League debut in Oakland. He also saw the Athletics in his final big league game on October 2, 2016.

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The Plate Meeting, a Left Field Umpire Podcast is Close Call Sports & Umpire Ejection Fantasy League's official audio forum for umpiring-related issues, including analysis or other conversation pertaining to plays, ejections, rules, and more.

To subscribe to The Plate Meeting, visit our Anchor.fm page, or search for us on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify, Radio Public, and Google Podcasts.

Follow us on Twitter 🐦 (@UmpireEjections) and like us on Facebook 👍 (/UmpireEjections).

2019 MLB Spring Training Umpire Roster

The 2019 Spring Training Umpire roster is comprised of 97 umpires, including 76 full-time MLB + 21 minor league call-ups and invitees spread across Arizona's Cactus and Florida's Grapefruit Leagues. This preseason's list features six more umpires than the 2018 Spring Training roster (91 umpires) and five less than the 2017 Spring Training list (102 umpires).

The following roster includes sleeve numbers for all applicable umpires; Minor League Baseball umpires with numbers are deemed Call-Ups and may fill in during the regular season at the Major League level, while MiLB umpires without numbers are the Spring Training invitees and are not yet on MLB's fill-in list.

MLB Spring Training Umpires' Roster - 2019 Pre-Season

MLB Staff	MLB Staff	MiLB Invitees & Call-Ups
Baker, Jordan 71 Barksdale, Lance 23 Barrett, Lance 94 Barrett, Ted 65 Barry, Scott 87 Bellino, Dan 2 Blaser, Cory 89 Bucknor, CB 54 Carapazza, Vic 19 Carlson, Mark 6 Cederstrom, Gary 38 Conroy, Chris 98 Cooper, Eric 56 Culbreth, Fieldin 25 Cuzzi, Phil 10 Danley, Kerwin 44 Davis, Gerry 12 DeMuth, Dana 32 Diaz, Laz 63 DiMuro, Mike 16 Drake, Rob 30 Dreckman, Bruce 1 Eddings, Doug 88 Emmel, Paul 50 Estabrook, Mike 83 Everitt, Mike 57 Fairchild, Chad 4 Fletcher, Andy 49 Foster, Marty 60 Gibson, Greg 53 Gibson, Tripp 73 Gonzalez, Manny 79 Gorman, Brian 9 Guccione, Chris 68 Hallion, Tom 20 Hamari, Adam 78 Hernandez, Angel 5 Hickox, Ed 15	Hoberg, Pat 31 Holbrook, Sam 34 Hoye, James 92 Hudson, Marvin 51 Iassogna, Dan 58 Johnson, Adrian 80 Kellogg, Jeff 8 Knight, Brian 91 Kulpa, Ron 46 Layne, Jerry 24 Little, Will 93 Marquez, Alfonso 72 Meals, Jerry 41 Miller, Bill 26 Morales, Gabe 47 Muchlinski, Mike 76 Nauert, Paul 39 Nelson, Jeff 45 O'Nora, Brian 7 Porter, Alan 64 Rackley, David 86 Randazzo, Tony 11 Reyburn, D.J. 17 Reynolds Jim 77 Ripperger, Mark 90 Scheurwater, Stu 85 Tichenor, Todd 13 Timmons, Tim 95 Torres, Carlos 37 Tumpane, John 74 Vanover, Larry 27 Wegner, Mark 14 Welke, Bill 3 Wendelstedt, Hunter 21 West, Joe 22 Winters, Mike 33 Wolcott, Quinn 81 Wolf, Jim 28	Additon, Ryan 67 Bacon, John - Barber, Sean 29 Blakney, Ryan 36 De Jesus, Ramon 18 January, Javerro "JJ" - Lentz, Nic 59 Libka, John 84 Livensparger, Shane 43 Mahrley, Nick 48 May, Ben 97 Merzel, Dan - Miller, Brennan - Ortiz, Roberto 40 Rehak, Jeremie 35 Riggs, Jeremy - Segal, Chris 96 Tosi, Alex - Visconti, Jansen 52 Whitson, Chad 62 Woodring, Tom 75 (21 MiLB Umpires) (76 MLB Umpires) (97 Total Umpires) Information obtained by UEFL on 2/21/2019. www.closecallsports.com

Some observations, year-over-year:

• > 2018's roster of 20 MiLBU is comprised of five invitees and 15 regular-season call-up umps.
• > Brennan Miller and Jeremy Riggs (in bold, above) are the only new invitees; JJ January was the only non-call-up to appear on the full-time 2017 Spring Training list.
• > Umpires who appeared on the 2017 Spring Training MiLB invitee list, were absent from the full-time 2018 list, and are back again in 2019 are: John Bacon, Dan Merzel, and Alex Tosi.
• > Many other MiLBU will have the opportunity to officiate a few MLB Spring games, but only those on this list are a part of the so-called full-time Spring staff.
• > All 15 MiLB call-ups from the 2018 season are back again in 2019. No staff changes.

2019 UEFL Draft and Registration Now Open

Registration is now open for the 2019 Umpire Ejection Fantasy League season. Draft your UEFL crew today!

MLB Spring Training marks the start of the 2019 Umpire Ejection Fantasy League preseason. This year's registration and draft form is officially open and will be due prior to Opening Day in March (see below for this year's deadlines).

Pursuant to UEFL Rule 1 (Selection of Umpires), you may draft umpires all at once or in phases. After Spring Training has begun, we will release the 2019 UEFL Draft Prospectus, which includes scouting information regarding umpires eligible for selection. The Prospectus will be released at least two weeks prior to the registration deadline.

Relevant Links for the 2019 UEFL Season
2019 UEFL Registration and Draft Form | Free UEFL Digest E-mail Subscription
UEFL Rules Book | 2019 MLB Umpire Crew List | Sortable Umpire Roster & Profiles
Twitter 🐦: @UmpireEjections | Facebook 👍: /UmpireEjections.

Registration and Draft Process
If this is your first time here, welcome! And welcome back to those of you returning. As always, UEFL is a free-to-play league that is open to any person that submits the registration and draft form.

Step 1) To begin, access the 2019 UEFL Registration and Draft Form. You will indicate your desired username and e-mail address (or other unique identifier). In the event that you opt to draft in phases, this unique combination of username and e-mail will serve as verification that you are the same person (e.g., prevents against imposters or draft errors in the event of identical user IDs).

Step 2) Draft 1 Crew Chief, 2 Primary Umpires, and 2 Secondary Umpires, either all at once or in phases up until the deadline. This five-umpire crew will earn the bulk of your points during the upcoming season, though there may be other opportunities to earn points throughout the year via Case Play questions.

Important Note: Crew Chiefs earn points based on the performance of their crew while Primary and Secondary Umpires earn points based on individual performance. In general, an umpire earns points for every confirmed/stands replay review outcome and for every ejection as the result of a correct or irrecusable call, but loses points for every incorrect replay review outcome and for every ejection as the result of an incorrect call. See the accompanying graphics and UEFL Rules 3 and 4 for specific points information.

Step 3) Register for the DISQUS system in order to comment on posts (scroll down to the comments section for the appropriate link to DISQUS). Although guest commenting is enabled, UEFL Rules 4-7 and 6-1 state that only DISQUS-registered users may challenge UEFL rulings. Your DISQUS name must match your UEFL username indicated during registration.

Registration, Draft, and Roster Deadlines:
Tuesday, March 19, 2019: Last day to submit unrestricted umpire selections (CC, PRM & SEC).*
Wednesday, March 27, 2019: Last day to register for the 2019 UEFL (registration closed).
Thursday, March 28, 2019: Traditional Opening Day.

*Because the season's opening series in Japan kicks off on March 20, some umpires may be restricted (e.g., cannot be drafted) after this date. For instance, if an umpire officiating the March 20 game earns points in the league, that umpire will not be eligible for draft. By rule, no umpire may be drafted if that umpire has more than zero points at the time of the draft. Similarly, no umpire may be replaced with any other umpire that has more points than the umpire-to-be-replaced.

Any user who has not selected umpires by Traditional Opening Day will be subject to random assignment (if you wish to take the Quick Pick option voluntarily, simply leave your draft selections blank).

UEFL Appeals Board - UEFL Rule 6-4-a:
This season, there are no vacancies on the UEFL Appeals Board. The 2019 Board is as follows:
Executive Board (x4): Gil (Chair), tmac (Vice Chair), Jeremy (Deputy), RichMSN (Charter).
At Large (x5): Arik G, cyclone14, MarkCanada, jvick2017, MLBUmpireObserver.

Reply here with questions. Submit draft picks and register via the accompanying form:

2019 Season MLB Umpire Crews

The 2019 MLB umpire crew list features 76 umpires in 19 crews. The following table is arranged by Chief seniority and may be found on the UEFL Umpire Roster, Profiles & Crews page, which features MiLB call-up information as well as the MLB staff list. UEFL Umpire Profiles are also available for full-time MLBU.

New for this year, we've included a pronunciation guide for all MLB staff and minor league fill-in umpires. Our video trailer for this new feature is available at the conclusion of this article. Information regarding UEFL registration and the 2019 UEFL draft will be available on Wednesday.

2019 MLB Umpire Crews (by Umpiring Crew Chief Seniority)

Crew #	Crew Chief	Umpire 2	Umpire 3	Umpire 4
Crew 1	12 Davis, Gerry	53 Gibson, Greg	91 Knight, Brian	31 Hoberg, Pat
Crew 2	32 DeMuth, Dana	5 Hernandez, Angel	15 Hickox, Ed	37 Torres, Carlos
Crew 3	22 West, Joe	56 Cooper, Eric	49 Fletcher, Andy	93 Little, Will
Crew 4	38 Cederstrom, Gary	51 Hudson, Marvin	80 Johnson, Adrian	81 Wolcott, Quinn
Crew 5	24 Layne, Jerry	21 Wendelstedt, Hunter	19 Carapazza, Vic	71 Baker, Jordan
Crew 6	9 Gorman, Brian	6 Carlson, Mark	87 Barry, Scott	73 Gibson, Tripp
Crew 7	8 Kellogg, Jeff	7 O'Nora, Brian	92 Hoye, James	90 Ripperger, Mark
Crew 8	20 Hallion, Tom	10 Cuzzi, Phil	13 Tichenor, Todd	78 Hamari, Adam
Crew 9	33 Winters, Mike	95 Timmons, Tim	30 Drake, Rob	76 Muchlinski, Mike
Crew 10	25 Culbreth, Fieldin	39 Nauert, Paul	54 Bucknor, CB	17 Reyburn DJ
Crew 11	65 Barrett, Ted	44 Danley, Kerwin	23 Barksdale, Lance	74 Tumpane, John
Crew 12	45 Nelson, Jeff	63 Diaz, Laz	11 Randazzo, Tony	89 Blaser, Cory
Crew 13	26 Miller, Bill	88 Eddings, Doug	16 DiMuro, Mike	98 Conroy, Chris
Crew 14	27 Vanover, Larry	72 Marquez, Alfonso	2 Bellino, Dan	86 Rackley, David
Crew 15	41 Meals, Jerry	46 Kulpa, Ron	60 Foster, Marty	47 Morales, Gabe
Crew 16	57 Everitt, Mike	3 Welke, Bill	68 Guccione, Chris	94 Barrett, Lance
Crew 17	50 Emmel, Paul	1 Dreckman, Bruce	4 Fairchild, Chad	83 Estabrook, Mike
Crew 18	34 Holbrook, Sam	58 Iassogna, Dan	28 Wolf, Jim	79 Gonzalez, Manny
Crew 19	14 Wegner, Mark	77 Reynolds, Jim	64 Porter, Alan	85 Scheurwater, Stu
DL/IR	[None]

New MLB Umpires (New Hire MLBU) & Retirements: No staff changes.

Notes and Observations:

≫ Only two crews—#9 (Winters) and #17 (Emmel) are unchanged from 2018.

≫ As occurred in 2018, West swapped all three supporting umpires, reuniting with Fletcher ('17).

≫ Wendelstedt rejoins Layne after a two-year absence (last together: 2016, also: Hickox/DeMuth).

Statistical Promotions or Leftward Lateral Movement:

≫ From Umpire 4 to Umpire 3: Alan Porter (from Miller to Wegner [#4: Scheurwater]).

Statistical Rightward Lateral Movement:

≫ From Umpire 3 to Umpire 4: Cory Blaser (from Cederstrom to Nelson [#3: Randazzo]).

Video as follows:

Manfred: Pitch Clock WILL Debut at Spring Training

When Spring Training begins on February 21, 2019, it will feature a 20-second pitch clock, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred told reporters a week ahead of baseball's preseason.

Manfred responded to a pace-of-play query by saying, "I'm trying not to be that clear about the pitch clock...this is the point."

The Commissioner continued by explaining his plan for phasing in the use of a clock during live play, asking reporters to wait for an official press release from the league, though Manfred did state the pitch clock would be 20 seconds in duration.

Earlier this offseason, Manfred explained baseball's pace-of-play proposals and other potential rule changes. Those proposals went to the doorstep of Major League Baseball Players Association Executive Director Tony Clark, who as recently as Monday afternoon decried Manfred's negotiations—related to payroll issues—as "unconstructive and misleading at best." Manfred had previously criticized the MLBPA's "negativity."
Related Post: 2019 Rule Change Proposals - Pitch Clock & NL DH? (2/6/19)

League reaction to the impending pitch clock is mixed. While some managers have compared it to the mound visit limit that MLB'ers quickly adapted to, others, such as Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw, dismissed the clock: "If I go over it then I go over. I'm not going to change anything I do. I'm not going to pay attention to it one bit, and if it becomes a problem I guess I'll have to deal with it then."

Kershaw then said something that just might make any umpire's skin crawl, regardless of one's stance on the clock: "I think there's ways to fake it...I'm sure there are ways around it."

Teammate Rich Hill was more blunt: "I don't really like it. It's ridiculous."

Video as follows:

Plate Meeting Podcast - Episode 10 - Rich Garcia

The 10th Plate Meeting podcast episode features 25-year American League veteran umpire Rich Garcia, who joins the show to discuss his officiating career, a major league umpire strike and labor dispute, and his brief foray into the movie business as an umpire in the Kevin Costner-driven film, For Love of the Game.

Rich also had a stint as a broadcast analyst and was on-air for the Kent Hrbek/Ron Gant play in the 1991 World Series. We talk about some ejections—such as Tim Foli over a dispute regarding how the baseballs were rubbed before the game—and also ask Rich if he had any odd plays in right field during his postseason career, and if he ever heard of a guy named Vic Carapazza.

Click the below play (▶) button to listen to "Episode 10 - Rich Garcia Umpired for Love of the Game" or visit the show online at https://anchor.fm/the-plate-meeting. The Plate Meeting is also available on iTunes (Apple Podcasts), Google, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, and several other podcast apps.

Alternate Link: Episode 10 - Rich Garcia Umpired for Love of the Game.

Additional Links, Videos, and Other Media:

The Plate Meeting is brought to you by OSIP, where Outstanding Sportsmanship Is Paramount.

Related Video #1: Hrbek and Gant meet at first base during the 1991 WS (54:00).
Related Video #2: Scene from For the Love of the Game with a cast of MLB umpires (57:00).
Related Video #3: The infamous Jeffrey Maier play and Derek Jeter home run in 1996 (1:11:00).

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Follow us on Twitter 🐦 (@UmpireEjections) and like on Facebook 👍 (/UmpireEjections).

Tmac's Teachables - Snap Pickoff at First Base

It's time for another Tmac Teachable brought to you by the good folks at ProUmpireCamp.com! Today's retro moment features 1B Umpire Bill Kunkel's ejection of Twins runner Mike Cubbage and Manager Gene Mauch over a back-pickoff play that retired Cubbage at first base. What angle should umpires take to receive such a play and how should officials respond to a runner who acts as Cubbage did?

Before we dig in, Pro Umpire Camp is the only three-person camp that will have college assignors and supervisors from the Atlantic League, Can-Am League, and the American Association. Whether you're just trying to learn three-man or looking to be seen this camp is a great place to start!

It's important to remember a couple items as we dig into this edition, and this ejection. First, we are looking at this play from a 2019 prism. We're not focused on the judgement of the call, but rather how in today's world we can get this play right. Today's officials are: HP Umpire Al Clark; 1B Umpire Bill Kunkel; 2B Umpire Bill Deegen; and 3B Umpire Terry Cooney. This is the second game of a doubleheader.

1B Umpire Kunkel officiates the pickoff play.

On our upcoming podcast with American League veteran Rich Garcia, we talk about Kunkel and Cooney. In our situation today, we have runners on first and second and one out. The pitch is a swing and a miss and there is a back pick to first base. Our goal is to have the glove coming at us so we're going to want to be to the side Kunkel is on, but from an angle standpoint we want to be able to see the tag and the front of the bag that the runner is sliding into, so our best spot is probably a couple steps into foul territory toward the back edge of the bag.  If we are engaged with the moves of our first baseman this will be easy.

As fans of the Teachables know, I'm a proponent for getting your nose into a play like this, but we always suggest doing what makes your assignor happy. Most good assignors are happy when we get this play right in the three- and four-umpire system.

Cubbage and Mauch outnumber the umpire.

So now that we know where we should be (foul ground, not moving if possible), reading the first baseman's movement, what about the aftermath? Well, once Mike Cubbage, the player who was called out, is ejected for launching his helmet, the crew chief needs to get him out of there. It's a near certainty that the Manager (or head coach as the case may be) will be visiting shortly.  If the crew chief is involved in the call the "two" on the crew (aka backup crew chief) needs to get into the action and help lead Cubbage to the dugout. This is especially the case if no other coaches or players are helping.

Now it gets tricky. The manager of the Twins, Gene Mauch, immediately makes contact with Kunkel and is summarily ejected.

The tantrum continued in the Twins dugout.

Now, all umpires need to be engaged with the situation.  Once contact is made it's all hands on deck. Kunkel, a former MLB pitcher, whose son also played in MLB, handles himself well here. I could do without the wave off, but under the circumstances I understand. Also, while the announcers were mostly fair, did you head one of them say it was a delayed call? Didn't look delayed to me! At least not nearly as delayed as the time we had to wait to resume play after Minnesota littered the field with bats.

As we get ready to either watch baseball (if you're stuck in the cold), or head on the field, a few simple reminders: Read the rulebook—don't be the guy who doesn't know the rules! Second, be engaged! It's really hard, especially in rough weather to stay focused. Third, always think about the next possible play and be sure to be ready! Finally, have fun—you're umpiring a baseball game!  What's better than that?! Until next time, Happy Umpiring Everyone!

Pitcher Spins Away from Batter - Legal Delivery?

NOC Tonkawa junior college pitcher Trevin Michael's unique windup and delivery has spurred discussion as to its legality as, with his right foot in contact with the pitcher's plate, he spins 360° and away from the batter before throwing the pitch. Is this a balk or a legal maneuver?

The following discussion is broken down into three levels of baseball: we'll start with the professional level and OBR, move to NCAA—college, and conclude with NFHS—high school.

Michael's Move: First and foremost, before the rules discussion, let's begin by stipulating what, exactly, our pitcher is physically doing. He begins with his right foot (pivot foot) on the pitcher's plate and his left foot (free foot) in front of and to the left of the plate. He begins the delivery by taking a diagonal step back with his free foot, which lands behind the rubber, then rotates on his pivot foot, which may or may not break contact with the pitcher's plate as he spins on it. As he completes his 360-degree spin, his pivot foot parallels the front edge of the rubber while his left leg kicks out and he throws his pitch. The pitching hand stays in contact with the ball the entire time.

Immediate Disqualifier: If your interpretation is that the pitcher's pivot foot has broken contact with the pitcher's plate by virtue of the pitcher jumping in mid-air so as to assist his spinning action, this move is illegal under all codes. Your work is done. Otherwise, read on...

OBR: The Official Baseball Rules for the pros (and Little League) authorize Windup and Set positions, and we see a pitcher working out of Windup here: "The pitcher shall stand facing the batter, his pivot foot in contact with the pitcher’s plate and the other foot free...He shall not raise either foot from the ground, except that in his actual delivery of the ball to the batter, he may take one step backward, and one step forward with his free foot."

OBR 6.02(a)(5) is the "illegal pitch" balk, and Rule 5.07(a) Comment states, "The pitcher may not take a second step toward home plate with either foot or otherwise reset his pivot foot in his delivery of the pitch. If there is a runner, or runners, on base it is a balk under Rule 6.02(a); if the bases are unoccupied it is an illegal pitch under Rule 6.02(b)."
Related Post: Carter Capps Throws Illegal Pitch, Ejected After Hitting Ump (6/26/17).

SIDEBAR: As for twirling around, even with his back to the batter, we know from the days of Hideo Nomo that this, on its own, is a legal move. Naturally, Nomo maintained a legal pivot foot during this motion. We also stipulate this is Michael's natural movement, which he is not interrupting nor altering. If this is coming out of the blue on his 50th pitch of the game, we can deem it unnatural, but if this is what we see as the first pitch of the game, it pretty much establishes this as a natural move.

Does F1 "reset" his pivot foot?

Take a look at the accompanying animated GIF: Has Michael "reset" his pivot foot? If all the pitcher has done is rotated his pivot foot, or spun on the foot, then he is legal. If he has actually hopped on his foot or "reset" it, then we have a balk. This is no Carter Capps crow-hop, and it appears our pitcher is doing his best to maintain contact with his plate using the toe of his pivot foot. If he executes it correctly in this manner, his move is legal under OBR.

NCAA: Prepatory to the pitch, the college book wants the free foot "touching or behind (breaking) the plane of the front edge of the pitcher's plate." That suggests Michael's free foot, in front of the front edge, is illegal (penalty: illegal pitch if no runners are on base, or, a balk if runners). But let's assume Michael can easily correct this issue of pre-pitch free foot placement—let's talk about the delivery itself.

NCAA is better than MLB about the "reset" of the pivot foot rule. Unlike OBR, NCAA doesn't actually use "reset" language and instead states in 9-1-a-8, "The pitcher shall not take a forward step with the pivot foot in using the windup delivery. This is commonly known as 'running into the pitch' and is an illegal pitch."

NCAA also makes reference to "habitual" motion (e.g., 9-1-a-2's "the pitcher shall pitch to the batter immediately after making any motion with any part of the body such as the pitcher habitually uses during the delivery," which also appears in balk rule 9-3-g). This means that if he does it every windup, we're good. If he just brings this move out occasionally for shock value, then it's illegal.

NFHS: The National Federation rules committee just elected (for 2018-19) to eliminate the requirement that the pitcher's entire pivot foot be in contact with the pitcher's plate, as in 6-1; otherwise, this move would be highly illegal. THAT SAID, Wind-up Position Rule 6-1-2 requires that before starting delivery, "The pitcher’s non-pivot foot shall be in any position on or behind a line extending through the front edge of the pitcher’s plate" (similar to NCAA). The reason for this is that 6-1-3, pertaining to Set Position, requires that the non-pivot foot be placed in front of the front edge of the pitcher's plate (NFHS wants a clear difference between the two). These rules make Michael's move illegal at the high school level (penalty: ball is dead & a ball is added to the count if no runners are on base, or, a balk if runners).

Video as follows: