With one out and a runner on second base in the bottom of the 7th inning of the Mets-Marlins game, New York pitcher Minter slipped during his 0-1 delivery to Marlins batter Otto Lopez, releasing the ball mid-fall, which was ultimately scooped up by the catcher.
HP Umpire Dreckman then called a balk pursuant to Official Baseball Rule 6.02(a)(11), which states, "If there is a runner, or runners, is a balk when the pitcher, while touching their plate, accidentally or intentionally has the ball slip or fall out of their hand or glove."
Although New York argued that it should be deemed a legal pitch, since Minter released the ball toward home plate during his delivery (as opposed to simply dropping the ball from Set Position but before delivery), the MLB Umpire Manual instructs officials to nonetheless call a balk in this situation, because the ball did not make it to the foul line before being picked up by the catcher.
MLBUM's interpretation of this balk rule states, "A pitched ball that slips out of the pitcher’s hand and crosses the foul line shall be called a ball; otherwise it will be called no pitch. If the ball does not cross the foul line, this would be a balk with runner(s) on base."
Accordingly, this is a balk and as we know, you can't just be up there and just doin' a balk like that.
Accordingly, this is a balk and as we know, you can't just be up there and just doin' a balk like that.
Video as follows:
Alternate Link: Minter's mid-delivery ball slip is a balk because the baseball didn't go foul
Alternate Link: Minter's mid-delivery ball slip is a balk because the baseball didn't go foul