Alright, listen up, y’all. Let’s talk about this “disengagement violation” thing in baseball. Sounds fancy, don’t it? But it ain’t that complicated, trust me. It’s just some new rules them fellas up in the big leagues cooked up, and now everyone’s gotta figure it out.
So, first off, what the heck is a “disengagement”? Well, it’s when the pitcher, you know, the guy on the mound, does somethin’ other than throw the ball to the batter. Like, he might step off the rubber, that little white plate they stand on, or try to pick off a runner, you know, throw the ball to one of the bases to get a guy out.
What’s the big deal, you ask? Well, they got these new rules now, tryin’ to make the game faster, I guess. See, before, pitchers could dilly-dally all they wanted, steppin’ off the rubber, fakin’ throws, just wastin’ time. Now, they can’t do that so much.
Here’s the gist of it: a pitcher gets two “freebies,” two times he can step off or try a pickoff without gettin’ in trouble. They call these “disengagements.” But, and this is a big but, if he tries it a third time in the same at-bat, that’s a “disengagement violation,” and they call it a “balk.”
Now, a “balk” is a bad thing for the pitcher. It’s like he cheated, even if he didn’t mean to. When a balk happens, every runner on base gets to move up one base. Free base, just like that! So, you can see why pitchers don’t wanna get no balk.
- Two Freebies: Pitchers get two disengagements (step-offs or pickoff attempts) per batter.
- Third Time’s a Balk: A third disengagement in the same at-bat is a balk.
- Penalty for Balk: Runners advance one base.
It’s all tied to that new pitch timer thing too. They got this clock now, makin’ the pitchers throw the ball faster. If the pitcher don’t start his motion before the clock runs out, it’s a ball. And if the batter ain’t ready in time, it’s a strike. They’re really tryin’ to speed things up, these fellas.
So, this disengagement rule, it’s part of that whole speed-up plan. They don’t want pitchers wastin’ time with all that steppin’ off and fakin’ throws. They gotta throw the ball, get on with it!
Now, some folks don’t like these new rules. They say it changes the game too much, makes it less strategic. But me? I don’t know. Seems like the games are a little quicker now, and that ain’t a bad thing. I ain’t got all day to sit around watchin’ a pitcher scratch his behind and stare at the catcher.
Think of it like this: It’s like when you’re bakin’ a pie. You gotta be efficient, right? You can’t just stand there starin’ at the oven all day. You gotta get the dough rolled out, get the apples peeled, get that pie in the oven before it’s suppertime. Same with baseball, I reckon. Gotta keep things movin’.
So, there you have it. Disengagement violation. It ain’t rocket science. Just remember, pitchers get two freebies, and then they gotta watch out. Third time’s a balk, and everybody gets a free base. And that pitch timer’s tickin’ away, so they better hurry up and throw the darn ball!
And that’s all there is to it, simple as that. Don’t let those fancy words fool ya, it’s just baseball, same as it always was, just a little bit faster now.
Tags: MLB, Baseball Rules, Disengagement, Balk, Pitch Timer, Pickoff, Pace of Play
