Unfamiliar and unusual set position movements, it is a hot topic.
KIA Tigers foreign pitcher Mario Sanchez’s pitching motion is a hot topic every day. In his debut game against Suwon KT on the 9th, he bent his back heavily toward first base and received protests from the opponent’s bench. The KBO League referees gave the authoritative interpretation that ‘if the left shoulder is not closed and the left shoulder is left open, there is no problem if the set position is consistent.
However, in the match against Hanwha in Gwangju on the 6th, a problem was raised over Sanchez’s movements. SBS commentator Lee Soon-chul, who watched the game at the beginning of the second inning with two outs on first base, said, “(The motion of the set position) is not constant. I don’t do it when the runner is on second base. I don’t know if I don’t check it, but I even check it,” he said. “I can’t understand this decision. If you rush like this, the runner can’t even get out. It even checks,” he pointed out. Then, when Sanchez bent his knee and attempted to check first base, he pointed out, “Isn’t it check? It makes no sense not to see this in double motion.”
On this day, Sanchez took a series of checks. The first check was to open his left shoulder, exchange signs, and then throw the ball to first base in a situation where his upper body was facing the batter while bending his knees. In the second check, he sprayed the ball to 1st base in the same posture, ‘a situation where the upper body looked toward 3rd base after bending the knee’.
After the innings were over, the on-site referees were caught meeting and talking for a while. Commissioner Lee commented, “When they think about it, they seem to be saying that this movement is strange.”
If so, which of Sanchez’s one or two checks would be considered ‘balkseong’?
KBO League Referee Huh Woon pointed out Sanchez’s first move. Chairman Huh said, “It is okay according to the rules to perform a set position while bending the knee.” “When checking during a set position, if you stop even for a moment, it constitutes deception and a balk is established. The second move is no problem. “he explained. He said, “If you look at the first of the two restraint movements, there is a figure of ‘swaying’ after raising the upper body. In this case, it can be seen as a double movement. If the movement continues smoothly in the situation of sitting and standing up, there is no problem, but if the body bounces “If you do check, runners can’t help but flinch,” he added. He said, “The referees also said, ‘It was a momentary situation, so we missed the timing.’ After that, we warned the KIA bench, and Sanchez didn’t do that move anymore.”
Chairman Huh said, “There is a part of the pitcher’s balk that is standardized in the baseball rules. Even if it does not fall under this part, if the field umpire judges that there is an act to deceive the runner, it can be judged as a balk. ‘s judgment may be different,” he said. “If Sanchez does the same in the future, he can catch it as a balk.”
WEBSITE: 안전놀이터