re: Pick off of Josh Smith

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left handed pitcher in high school that had best pick off motion I’ve ever seen. Would pick his right leg straight up and just pause in that position without leaning toward 1st or home.


And he balked every time.

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Yeah, no.

That's not a balk for a left handed pitcher. A balk in that situation means you have to make a move to home plate but not deliver a pitch.

ETA: There's a reason it's easier to steal on right handed pitchers than left handed. The moment a right handers lead foot moves they have nowhere to go but home.

For my downvoter, P can throw to any base for the purpose of making a play at that base.

Throwing to a lead base rarely ever happens, but it’s legal.

No question it was a balk. Blatant.

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Who in the hell would do that?

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I'm pretty sure if a pitcher spun and threw to 2nd and the runner clearly wasn't trying to advance that would be a balk.

I'm not going to argue over it though because, like you said, no one ever does it.

DEFINITE balk. Smith didn't move because the pitcher committed to deliver a pitch or go anywhere but first, so Smith had no reason to get back to the bag. That's why the pitcher going to first instead of delivering the pitch was a balk. Runners with leads have no chance if the pitcher can fake them out, as we saw.

if your an umpire and your watching the shoulders of a pitcher only, then your arent an umpire at any level of hs or above....the shoulders will be in the vision of the umpire(all umpires in fact) but behind the plate he watches the pitcher for anything dysfunctional with runners on first, his engagement to preset, to set and delivery,

...ill use positions of an umpire crew instead of a 2,3 or 4 man crew because the rules are all the same(righty on mound) ... an "A" position umpire can only watch his preset, set from the lead foot to the pivot foot(left foot shows air and he picks 1st a balk like last night, the A position has that direct angle and should have called it, possibly B also), from the B position, he can basically see the same thing as the A positon with a runner on first, from c or d he can see everything from the front side of a righty, coming set ect. ,make positive he is pausing during his set, much like the plate will...moving your shoulder accidently while using checks or head kicks is so rec ball or 10 dbl A ball in usssa kids lol..and is a sign the coach is somebodys dad who hasnt taught the kid any correct fundamentals or mechanics on the mound... lol...if a shoulder moves while set the b or c position umpire will easily pick it up, even the plate as that illegal move or dysfunctional move is in the periphery of the umpire but to say umpires focus on the shoulders is ummm rec ball shite...sorry bro....true story

Right? I mean a pitchers mindset for a pickoff would be throwing to first. I’m with you though pretty sure it would be a balk.

you are correct that when the left foot of a right handed pitcher gets air you jump into your steal or secondary lead....josh did neither on the pick ,, his eyes drifted and he got busted and the umpires missed the call....