Could this video be THE greatest 'hidden ball trick' of all time??

[salsadancer7]

University of Miami baseball team was celebrating their 25 year anniversary of their 1st National Championship in baseball and supposedly THIS hidden ball trick during the College World Series that year help them to the title. I just saw the video and NOTHING I have ever seen in sports was so perfectly executed than this play or 'trick' as you will. When you see the video, please pay attention to EVERY detail, ESPECIALLY the bullpen catcher....LOL

http://www.miamiherald.com/588/story/72230.html

 

[Sean Mota]

I do not get it. He threw to first and faked it without the ball. Isn't that an ilegal play in baseball?

 

[dimi1963]

It's just great, the face on the player tagged is priceless....

 

[riffjim4069]

I do not get it. He threw to first and faked it without the ball. Isn't that an illegal play in baseball?

I don't believe so...but the pitcher must take his foot off of the rubber before making a motion toward the base or it's a balk.

 

[salsadancer7]

I don't believe so...but the pitcher must take his foot off of the rubber before making a motion toward the base or it's a balk.

The pitcher DID attempted a pick-off at 1st, the 1st basemen PRETENDED the pitcher threw wildly into rightfield....notice how the bullpen cather dives to his left as if he was trying to stop the ball....then the 1st basemen threw to second to tag the runner out....my high school team saw that and we used it QUITE successfully in my senior year....

 

[Bogy]

Pitchers make motions like they are going to throw to first all the time. This just appeared to be an actual throw. What a great job of acting all the way around. I wonder if they rehearsed this ahead of time?

 

[FlyingJ]

The key is that (if you look close) the pitcher steps back with his right foot first. If you don't then it is in fact a balk. I pitched in college, this is the first time I have ever seen this!

 

[dantheman77]

The pitcher DID attempted a pick-off at 1st, the 1st basemen PRETENDED the pitcher threw wildly into rightfield....notice how the bullpen cather dives to his left as if he was trying to stop the ball....then the 1st basemen threw to second to tag the runner out....my high school team saw that and we used it QUITE successfully in my senior year....

no watch again. at the end it cleary shows the pitcher making the throw. he faked the pick off attempt ( the second time). he did take his foot off the rubber so it was not a balk. neat video

 

[KyDave]

Exactly - the article describes it this way as well (pitcher throws to shortstop).

 

[Ramy]

That was great. I remember hearing about that play but I have never seen it. Like others have said the pitcher does take his foot off the rubber first so you can fake in that instance.

 

[sidekick]

Very cool !!!!

 

[RandallA]

That's just a balk. The pitcher clearly makes an attempt to throw to first base and he never does. Sorry but that's just a balk. Very well planned though.

The umpires were not paying attention:

"After the play, Bertman said the home plate umpire approached UM catcher Nelson Santovenia and said, ``Hey kid, tell me what happened. I gotta go to a press conference after the game.''"

 

[FlyingJ]

That's just a balk. The pitcher clearly makes an attempt to throw to first base and he never does. Sorry but that's just a balk. Very well planned though.

The umpires were not paying attention:

"After the play, Bertman said the home plate umpire approached UM catcher Nelson Santovenia and said, ``Hey kid, tell me what happened. I gotta go to a press conference after the game.''"

Randall, sorry, but it certainly was not a balk. If you step back, the key word here is back, off the rubber with your first move, it is not a balk. I pitched through highschool and college and for 6 years on a semi pro team out of Ft. Lauderdale. I am also still in the "Professional sports business" and had a chance yesterday to discuss it with Doug Drabek, a retired MLB Pitcher that just retired this year. Lives in Dublin, Ohio by the way. Not a balk.

 

[RandallA]

Yeah, I know that if he steps back is not a balk but I don't see that step back from the pitcher. I just see the pitcher making motion to throw to first base but he never does. But that's just my opinion, probably wrong but just stating how I saw the play. Don't get me wrong, it's a very nice play and everyone was in synch to pull it off.

Edit: Okay, I've paused and replayed it several times and I still don't see the step back. He just makes motion to throw to first and never does.

Here are a couple of snapshots.

 

[salsadancer7]

Yeah, I know that if he steps back is not a balk but I don't see that step back from the pitcher. I just see the pitcher making motion to throw to first base but he never does. But that's just my opinion, probably wrong but just stating how I saw the play. Don't get me wrong, it's a very nice play and everyone was in synch to pull it off.

Edit: Okay, I've paused and replayed it several times and I still don't see the step back. He just makes motion to throw to first and never does.

Here are a couple of snapshots.

You guys have missed it completely!! LMAO....He did NOT step back, the KEY to the play is the 1st base PLAYING IT as if it is a wild throw when in reality the throw was perfect....


OK....I stand corrected...not ONLY did he step back....he did NOT throw....

 

[RandallA]

You guys have missed it completely!! LMAO....He did NOT step back, the KEY to the play is the 1st base PLAYING IT as if it is a wild throw when in reality the throw was perfect....


OK....I stand corrected...not ONLY did he step back....he did NOT throw....

Of course he did not throw but he doesn't step back either. He keeps the ball and throws it to the second baseman for the out.

 

[salsadancer7]

Of course he did not throw but he doesn't step back either. He keeps the ball and throws it to the second baseman for the out.

On the contrary, he had the WORST move to 1st I ever saw...it was SO BLATANTLY bad the step back, it almost LOOKED staged....which, in the end...it was.....

 

[houselog442]

I think the best ball trick I seen was one I seen years ago by former Minnesota Twins first baseman Kent Hrbek. He had a runner on first base and the pitcher threw to first, then Hrbek faked the throw back to the pitcher and the runner didn't really look that he had the ball and when the runner took a few steps off first he tagged him out! Hrbek was also known for pulling guys off first base to tag them out too! (haha Atlanta Braves fans!)

 

[Bogy]

Yeah, I know that if he steps back is not a balk but I don't see that step back from the pitcher. I just see the pitcher making motion to throw to first base but he never does. But that's just my opinion, probably wrong but just stating how I saw the play. Don't get me wrong, it's a very nice play and everyone was in synch to pull it off.

Edit: Okay, I've paused and replayed it several times and I still don't see the step back. He just makes motion to throw to first and never does.

Here are a couple of snapshots.

No still snapshot is going to show the step back. From the angle of the camera it is difficult to tell where the pitcher's feet are, but watch it again and pay attention to the "stutterstep" as he turns around to fake the throw. There is nothing different about this than thousands of throws to first and motions to first, which are not balks. The only difference is the acting job by the first baseman to convince the runner (and lots of others) that it was a wild throw.