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9U Coach
30 Posts |
 Posted - 06/14/2011 : 12:19:42
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I just wanted all of your opinions on balks at 9's. Now that the season is coming to an end, I wonder if all of you have had the same experiences. Some umps call them, some don't. It is different from tournament to tournament and even game to game when you had different umpires. I understand that they are 9 and mostly just learning to pitch, but that's part of the learning. If they are not at least corrected by someone when they do it, how can they learn not to do it? Not to mention how it affects what we are trying to teach our base runners about reading the pitcher. I tell my players that if a lefty crosses his back leg with his front foot - GO. I then had an umpire tell me that without 3 umpires, that "will never be called". I think each team should get one warning per game and then call them if they have an impact on the play. If they don't impact the play, someone should at least let the kid know what he did so he can learn. A coach trying to do it between innings or at the next practice is not as effective because it is not as fresh in the kid's mind.
It's pretty obvious that the younger age groups tend to get the less experienced umpires and I believe that a lot of them don't truly know all the ways a pitcher can balk. They need to figure it out!
It's just disgusting to have a close game end on a play where a balk should have been called (it was so obvious), but instead out #3 was recorded. |
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gvblack
50 Posts |
Posted - 06/15/2011 : 16:24:44
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The Balk is a subject of debate which has no end. By definition, it is an attempt to deceive the runner. How many balks at 9u are "an attempt to deceive the runner" vs. beginners learning to pitch? Many of us that enjoy Travel baseball live in an artificial world populated by athletes amazingly good for their age. I am no more in favor of calling balks to Major League standards than I am in favor of playing on 90' base paths at 9u. Give them a little leeway. 9u is the beginning of Big Boy baseball. Obvious infractions should be called, but cut them some slack on the little twitches and minor miscues that have no effect on the game.
I umpired years ago, and just as players have favorite MLB stars, we amateur umpires have MLB favorites. I loved Lee Harvey and Dutch Rennert. I couldn't stand Bob Davidson. "Balk a Day Bob" was his nickname. Called balks for infractions real and imagined. Many more than any MBL umpire I ever saw. He is the son of former MLB umpire Satch Davidson , who During his career, Davidson was behind the plate for Hank Aaron's 715th home run which broke Babe Ruth's career record and called the game in which Carlton Fisk hit a game-winning home run in game 6 of the 1975 World Series. A little trivia for you baseball fans. |
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GoBlue
17 Posts |
Posted - 06/15/2011 : 20:39:05
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| gvblack - I don't think any coach at 9U wants every twitch or questionable movement called as a balk. However, if they don't call some balks or at least give pitchers a warning and explain what they did wrong, then they aren't learning the game. If the umpires would have started this in the beginning of the season, you would probably see a lot fewer balks by this point in the season. |
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9U Coach
30 Posts |
Posted - 06/16/2011 : 08:38:03
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| Exactly, GoBlue. I don't expect every twitch, small shoulder turn, etc. to be called at all. It's hard enough to get a game in in 1 hr 30 min as it is. However, they need to be told. Even if it's between innings and the umpire comes over and talks to the pitcher. That young man will remember it a lot more coming from the umpire than from a coach at that point. They need to learn. I don't even think all the "obvious" ones need to actually be called because most of the time the kid knows he balked and those don't usually impact the play. |
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gvblack
50 Posts |
Posted - 06/26/2011 : 19:13:15
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| Then we all agree. |
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