Balk or Ball, What's the Call? Slip vs Pitch Review

After slipping on the mound during his delivery, Mets pitcher AJ Minter was called for a balk by HP Umpire Bruce Dreckman, even though he released the ball, resulting in a brief discussion with manager Carlos Mendoza and a broadcast booth debate: balk or ball, what's the call?

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.

Video as follows:

No, You Can't Hug Manny Machado - Interference at 3B

Hugging Padres 3B Manny Machado turned into an interference-aided double play for Guardians baserunner Gabriel Arias, as 3B Umpire John Bacon ruled that Arias prevented Machado from making a potential play on trailing Cleveland runner Austin Hedges.

With none out and runners on first and second base (R1, R2), Guardians runner R2 Arias took off for third base, drawing a throw from Padres pitcher Kyle Hart to Machado, who waited to tag Arias. But instead of giving himself up, Arias wrapped up Machado, who mimed a fake throw to second base where following runner Hedges was advancing.

Umpire Bacon, ruling that Arias' actions prevented Machado from making a potential play on another runner, ruled now-retired baserunner Arias guilty of interference pursuant to Official Baseball Rule 6.01(a)(5): "Any batter or runner who has just been put out, or any runner who has just scored, hinders or impedes any following play being made on a runner. Such runner shall be declared out for the interference of their teammate."

Broadcasters also erroneously alleged that pitcher Hart balked in making his initial throw to third base, which was unoccupied to begin the play, and without first disengaging the rubber. 

While a pitcher is generally prohibited from throwing to an unoccupied base from the rubber, OBR 6.02(a)(4) makes one key exception that is relevant here: "If there is a runner, or runners, it is a balk when the pitcher, while touching their plate, throws, or feints a throw to an unoccupied base, except for the purpose of making a play."

Because R2 Arias was attempting to advance to third base, Hart's throw to third qualifies for the purpose-of-making-a-play exception to the balk rule and is therefore legal.

Video as follows:

Equipment Check! Are Torpedo Bats Legal?

You asked us if the torpedo bats several Yankees players started using this season are legal, so we turned to Official Baseball Rule 3.02—the bat rule—to figure out the answer.

Torpedo bats differ from standard wooden bats in several ways: first, the barrel of the bat, which retains a somewhat similar length to the standard's barrel, is shifted several inches up the bat, toward the knob/handle side. This, in turn, means the end of the barrel on a torpedo bat does not correspond with the end of the bat itself, as is the case on many standard bats. Instead, the barrel ends a few inches from the end, and the bat's thickness thins slightly past the barrel toward the end. In turn, there is no indented cup on a torpedo bat, as there would be on a standard bat (for force dissipation purposes).

OBR 3.02 is comprised of three provisions, so we began with part (a), which states, "The bat shall be a smooth, round stick not more than 2.61 inches in diameter at the thickest part and not more than 42 inches in length. The bat shall be one piece of solid wood."

The torpedo bat changes the standard bat shape by shifting the barrel toward the handle, but does not change the barrel's thickness nor the overall bat's total length. Therefore, provision (a) is satisfied.

OBR 3.02(b) states, "Cupped Bats. An indentation in the end of the bat up to 1¼ inches in depth is permitted and may be no wider than two inches and no less than one inch in diameter. The indentation must be curved with no foreign substance added."

Due to its shifted barrel design, the torpedo bat general has no indented cup, which, because 3.02(b) permits intendtation, but does not require it, does not apply.

OBR 3.02(c) states, "The bat handle, for not more than 18 inches from its end, may be covered or treated with any material or substance to improve the grip. Any such material or substance that extends past the 18-inch limitation shall cause the bat to be removed from the game."

Finally, because a torpedo bat does not alter the standard handle length, provision (c) is also satisfied.

Accordingly, we find a torpedo bat is indeed legal. | Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 001 - Brennan Miller (1; Rickie Weeks)

HP Umpire Brennan Miller ejected Brewers associate manager Rickie Weeks (ball one call; QOCY) in the top of the 7th inning of the #Royals-#Brewers game. With none out and one on, Royals batter Hunter Renfroe took a 0-2 slider from Brewers pitcher Elvis Peguero for a called first ball. Replays indicate the pitch was located off the inner edge of home plate and at the hollow of the knee (px -0.82, pz 1.64 [sz_bot 1.65 / RAD 1.53]), the call was correct.* At the time of the ejection, the Royals were leading, 5-0. The Royals ultimately won the contest, 11-1.

This is Brennan Miller (55)'s 1st ejection of 2025.

This is the 1st ejection report of the 2025 MLB regular season.

This is the 1st coach ejection of 2025. Ejection Tally: 0 Managers, 1 Coach, 0 Players.

This is Milwaukee's 1st ejection of 2025, 1st in the NL Central (MIL 1; CHC, CIN, PIT, STL 0).

This is Rickie Weeks' 1st ejection since July 4, 2010 (John Hirschbeck; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

This is Brennan Miller's 1st ejection since Sept 17, 2024 (Jose Altuve; QOC = N [Fair/Foul]).

Wrap: Kansas City Royals vs Milwaukee Brewers, 3/31/25 | Video as follows:

Out of Base Path Call Against M's Solano Ends Game

Umpire Stu Scheurwater's out of the base path call against Seattle batter-runner Donovan Solano ended the A's-Mariners game as Stu ruled that Solano ran more than three feet from his established base path to avoid first baseman Tyler Soderstrom's tag. Did he?

Out of the base path calls near first base are one of the only instances in which painted lines on the baseball field are helpful for adjudication. This is because the distance from the foul line to the lane line along the first baseline is exactly three feet, by rule.

To review, out of the base path is as follows: "Any runner is out when they run more than three feet away from their base path to avoid being tagged unless their action is to avoid interference with a fielder fielding a batted ball. A runner’s base path is established when the tag attempt occurs and is a straight line from the runner to the base they are attempting to reach safely" (Official Baseball Rule 5.09(b)(1)).

While the runner's lane interference rule, as pertains to the physical markings on the ground, states: "The chalk lines marking the threefoot lane are a part of that lane and a batter-runner is required to have both feet within the three-foot lane" (OBR 5.09(a)(11)).

So although the runner's lane rule itself bears no relevance to this tag play at first base, because Solano was positioned on the fair territory side of the runner's lane at the beginning of F3 Soderstrom's tag attempt, and because Solano then ran onto the foul territory side of the runner's lane, we know that Solano must have run more than three feet from his base path to avoid the tag, and, thus, is out of the base path.

Video as follows: