If he stops with the ball over his head, balk. And once he comes to a full stop, if he so much as flexes a knee, dips a shoulder or twitches anything at all, it s a balk. So when the pitcher has the ball, the umpire behind home plate and the umpire in the field must scrutinize his every move. Steve Cox, an ump in the Double-A Texas League, is on the mound impersonating a pitcher. When it s my turn as field umpire, with runners on first and second, I take up my position near second base.
Cox winds up.
It turns out that Cox committed a balk by sneaking his foot off the rubber during his windup, but I missed it. I m glad the plate ump missed it too. If you can t do that, you ll never move up. I watch Vanover instruct a student in the batting cage. If your head is too far back, you ll miss one on the outside corner.