I have been an ump for several years, but never have encountered the following situation.

I was watching the Padres/Rangers game last night when Elvis stole home. It was a straight steal and the pitcher legally stepped off the mound before firing home to try and retire the runner.

My question is what would the call me if the batter did not realize the pitcher had stepped off the mound and swung and hit a single to left field?

Is it interference? the runner is out and no pitch top the batter?

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I have been an ump for several years, but never have encountered the following situation.

I was watching the Padres/Rangers game last night when Elvis stole home. It was a straight steal and the pitcher legally stepped off the mound before firing home to try and retire the runner.

My question is what would the call me if the batter did not realize the pitcher had stepped off the mound and swung and hit a single to left field?

Is it interference? the runner is out and no pitch top the batter?

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I think it would fall under rule 6.06(c). The batter would be called out for interference, and the runner returns to third base.

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6.06 A batter is out for illegal action when

(c) He interferes with the catcher's fielding or throwing by stepping out of the batter's box or making any other movement that hinders the catcher's play at home base. EXCEPTION: Batter is not out if any runner attempting to advance is put out, or if runner trying to score is called out for batter's interference.

Rule 6.06(c) Comment: If the batter interferes with the catcher, the plate umpire shall call "interference." The batter is out and the ball dead. No player may advance on such interference (offen-sive interference) and all runners must return to the last base that was, in the judgment of the umpire, legally touched at the time of the interference.

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I've always wondered this, too...

Considering Elvis stole home on his own, there were two strikes, and the pitcher wasn't all that blatantly obvious in stepping off the rubber, it would have been damned interesting to see if the batter would've hacked at it if the throw home was near the strike zone.

What a cool play.

Well, the batter shouldn't be dumb enough to swing at it... Would be scary as hell stealing home and seeing your teammate about to swing away.

If the pitcher is completely oblivious to the fact that the runner is going home, doesn't step off of the rubber, and just throws a pitch is that a balk?

I don't see how it would be a balk as long as he throws home in a somewhat fluid motion. If he double clutches, that would be a balk. But otherwise, if he doesn't step off, then I think it has to count as a pitch (ball or strike).

That's kinda what I figured, but I had always assumed that's what pitchers did when a runner tried to steal home. I didn't even realize the Padres pitcher stepped off until I watched the replay

It is a pitch assuming he had come set prior to pitching. It could conceivably be a 3rd strike to end the inning before the run scores.

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If the pitcher is completely oblivious to the fact that the runner is going home, doesn't step off of the rubber, and just throws a pitch is that a balk?

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As long as the bases aren't loaded, if a runner is stealing home and has a good shot to make it, the pitcher is supposed to throw at the batter.

I had always assumed that's what they did, but then when I saw the Padres pitcher step off the rubber last I thought maybe there was some special baseball rule for runners trying to steal home that I never knew about

If you can step off, you should.. But if you're in the wind up, or you're already going home, you plunk him.

Im not really sure on the OPs question... I would assume it's interference and the runner is out.

I would have to see the replay, but I was wondering if the pitcher balked on that play.

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I would have to see the replay, but I was wondering if the pitcher balked on that play.

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http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2559948-texas-rangers-speedster-elvis-andrus-steals-home-vs-padres

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I have been an ump for several years, but never have encountered the following situation.

I was watching the Padres/Rangers game last night when Elvis stole home. It was a straight steal and the pitcher legally stepped off the mound before firing home to try and retire the runner.

My question is what would the call me if the batter did not realize the pitcher had stepped off the mound and swung and hit a single to left field?

Is it interference? the runner is out and no pitch top the batter?

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Here's another scenerio, but based off of NFHS rules.

Pitcher in the stretch and runner at third. Runner breaks for home and pitcher, while still on the rubber, makes the pitch. The batter in the video steps out of the batter box with both feet before the pitch. In Federation rules the pitch is called a strike. That would have been strike 3 and the third out.

Doubly impressive that he stole home against a righty.

Thanks, BQ.

It looks like the pitcher was just coming to a complete stop, which means that a stickler umpire could have just called a balk. Basically the pitcher is making a pick-off throw to home, and he still has to stop, doesn't he? Furthermore, I'm not sure why he stepped off. Couldn't he have just delivered a pitch?

The other thing is that when I was watching the game, I didn't even see the foot come off the rubber. I'm not sure the batter saw it either. Of course as a LH batter, he knew not to swing at the pitch...even with 2 strikes.

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Well, the batter shouldn't be dumb enough to swing at it... Would be scary as hell stealing home and seeing your teammate about to swing away.

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Had that exact scenario happen to me in LL Seniors. I was on third, pitcher was in windup. Coach said go! Neither of us thought about Scott at the plate not knowing I was coming. Luckily the pitch was high and I slid flat on my back because Scott took a huge cut. I was safe, but almost had to change my sliding shorts!

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GREAT SCOTT