The fake-to-third, throw-to-first pickoff move is now a balk

The fake-to-third, throw-to-first pickoff move will be called a balk in 2013 thanks to a new rule imposed by MLB.

(GIF via Baseball Prospectus)

The fake-to-third, throw-to-first pickoff move is now a thing of the past. Or, rather, it will now be called a balk. Tyler Kepner of the New York Times reports Major League Baseball has implemented the rule change that will take effect this season.

“A large majority of the managers, I mean really a good amount, wanted to eliminate it,” said Joe Torre, the long-time manager who now works in the commissioner's office. “So we presented it ... To me, it’s been inconsistent because sometimes it’s called a balk and sometimes it isn’t. Obviously, it gets a little disjointed that way. Just my experience, added to what they want, I made a case for it. The feeling was, you’re deceiving the runner or the hitter.”

Former big league reliever Jeff Nelson told Kepner the runner at first probably has a little bit of an advantage now. "All it’s used for is to keep the runner at first close. ... I might have done it 100 times and gotten two guys on it,” he added.

Technically, the fake-to-third, throw-to-first move was always a balk because the pitcher was intending to deceive. The call was very rarely made, though. The new rule might give the runner a slight advantage as Nelson said, but otherwise I don't think it will have much impact on the game overall. I doubt it will speed things up or anything like that.

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