# New balk rule in baseball **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** baseball-mlb\ **Created:** [March 5, 2023, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-balk-rule-in-baseball/980759 "2023-03-05T22:03:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2023, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-balk-rule-in-baseball/980759/41 "2023-03-09T08:59:40Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > Looks like pitch outs will be coming back into fashion. > > I like the idea of pitchers working quickly and batters staying in the box, but that’s enough for one season. If it makes a clear difference, great. If not, then try other things like the pick-off nonsense. Or not. It’s not exactly an experiment. The experiments happen in the minor leagues. I saw the ghost runner rule at a Somerset Patriots game years before the Major Leagues instituted it. They already know what differences the rule changes will make. What they can’t predict is how the fans will feel about it. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2023, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-balk-rule-in-baseball/980759/42 "2023-03-09T16:53:16Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > It’s not exactly an experiment. The experiments happen in the minor leagues. Also they have spring training to practice the new rules. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2023, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-balk-rule-in-baseball/980759/43 "2023-03-10T21:41:55Z")
That’s all the time the big leaguers have to get used to it. The minor leagues get to try it out for a season or two to see how it works out. The closest ballpark to me is the Somerset Patriots. Last season they became the Yankees AA team. Before that they were in the Atlantic League which was comprised of unaffiliated independent teams. A few years ago the independent league got an infusion of cash from MLB and in return they agreed to be the test bed for proposed new rules. Some of these rules were tried out for several seasons before MLB implemented them. They already have a very good idea what the impact on games will be. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2023, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-balk-rule-in-baseball/980759/44 "2023-03-10T21:47:59Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > > [@kenobi\_65](#): > > > > But, that’s one where I’m thinking there may wind up be some other defensive strategy which evolves to take its place. > > Boston (I think) already tried moving an outfielder over to short second. But that gives up massive amounts of territory in the LF corner, so I wonder if it will be analytically sound. At the very least it should be closer to neutral than the infield shift, which just killed some hitters. It’s a sound strategy against Joey Gallo. For most batters it won’t be. If a pull hitter gets a hit against the shift in the past it’s a single. Pulling an outfielder means a double or more. You have to be damn sure he can’t adjust. Like Joey Gallo. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2023, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-balk-rule-in-baseball/980759/45 "2023-03-10T22:17:11Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > It’s a sound strategy against Joey Gallo. For most batters it won’t be. If a pull hitter gets a hit against the shift in the past it’s a single. Pulling an outfielder means a double or more. You have to be damn sure he can’t adjust. Like Joey Gallo. Indeed. Gallo seems to be the poster boy for the shift, being such an extreme pull hitter, and also apparently not being able to hit away from the shift. It seems like, any time there’s an article in the press (or a conversation here) about defensive shifts, Gallo’s name is brought up. (And, if the writer is intent on also bringing up history, they will also mention Ted Williams. 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2023, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-balk-rule-in-baseball/980759/46 "2023-03-15T00:35:11Z")
Except that a [recent Fangraphs article](https://blogs.fangraphs.com/szymborskis-2023-bust-candidates-hitters/) greatly downplayed the effect of the shift on an extreme hitter like Gallo, who hits very few ground balls even to his pull side. Someone like Rafael Devers who has a lower swing plane and strikes out much less will likely get more of a boost. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-balk-rule-in-baseball/980759.md?page=2)