MovieChat Forums > Little Big League (1994) Discussion > The fake pick off is illegal

The fake pick off is illegal

posted 16 years ago by vyperman7
16 replies | jump to latest

One thing that always bugged me was the fake pickoff at the end of the movie. Billy is developed through out the movie as a baseball genius, which is what allowed him to manage a team despite his age.

Yet, he doesn't know what constitutes a balk? If the film had followed the rules of the game, Griffey would have been awarded second base because it was an illegal play.

Baseball rules state a throw must be made to first base during a pickoff move or the throw is a balk.

[–] kakbari 16 years ago

It's not illegal. It's only illegal if the pitcher is standing on the rubber, and in this case, we never see that.

Just take the movie for what it is...sheesh...

[–] vyperman7 16 years ago

The pitcher is standing on the rubber. He goes into the stretch on the mound and then fakes the throw over.

[–] nmk537 16 years ago

This has always bothered me too. So, because I have too much time on my hands, I went to the tape to have another look at it.

I found something interesting: On the fake throw Bowers appears to lurch backward slightly before spinning to first. You can't see his feet, but it looks like he's quickly sliding his back foot off the rubber. (Compare his motion on the fake with his motion on the initial, real throw over. Neither look particularly natural--he is an actor, after all--but there's a noticeable extra backward kink in the fake one.) By stepping off, he is no longer subject to Rule 8.05(b), and the fake throw does not incur a balk.

However, Bowers still isn't in the clear. According to the comment on Rule 8.01, when a pitcher disengages the rubber, he must drop his hands to his sides. Even if Bowers did disengage, he did not drop his hands; he went right into his pickoff motion.

So it's still a balk, but you have to at least give them credit (if I'm seeing what I think I see) for trying.

They should have had Piniella come storming out of the dugout, though, instead of his weak "What the hell was that?"

Here's the pertinent passage from the rulebook:
http://www.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/official_rules/pitcher_8.jsp
Note the comment at the bottom of 8.05, too, about the pitcher's intent to deceive. Bowers could've been nailed with that as well.

(Wow, I really do have way too much time on my hands.)

[–] cbaldwinjr 15 years ago

The conclusion my friend is obvious: the officials were on the take

[–] chrisjnelson13 15 years ago

It's also illegal for an owner to manage, which is the entire point of this movie. Get over it.

Chris J. Nelson

[–] IAmASquirrel 13 years ago

It should be illegal to have a problem with something in a movie that already is incredibly made up and scripted. Seriously, go fist yourself.

[–] brentnevers 13 years ago

I side with the OP!!!! Too many sports movies dumb down the movie, and create "bad moments" when it is due to a lack of knowledge of the rules, traditions and nuances of the sport they are portraying. Which begs the question, why don't they do their homework? And if they are too lazy, or uniformed about the sport, why bother to spend a year of your life making it??

The OP's point is spot on...Billy is portrayed as a genius when it comes to the rules and histroy of the game---yet the balk play is a big deal and a huge weakness in the movie...a movie I love, btw.

Another great movie about baseball that I love had another blunder that drove me nuts too. When Tom Selleck's agent calls to inform him that he and an executive from the LA Dodgers are going to Japan to see him and sign him, because the Dodgers first baseman got injured and they have a big series with Atlanta starting on Saturday...

Well....baseball is usually played in 3 game series' (sometimes 2, 4 or 5) but they NEVER star a series on Saturday (unless in is the playoff, which in this case was not). The agent said the would be there for Thursday nights game in Japan...yet all they had to do was swap Thursday for wednesday...and state that the LA/ATL series would begin on Friday.

Just two simple words....! Don't these directors/producers/screenwriters know this stuff? And if they don't...why on earth don;t they ask for some help?!?!?!?!

[–] brentnevers 13 years ago

I think I neglected to state the title of the Tom Selleck movie that I referred to in my last post...it was Mr. Baseball....a very good movie!

[–] seifer999 13 years ago

I totally side with the OP. Up until this point, the movie was all about being smart and realistic about baseball. And then...they just pull off such an obvious illegal play. It doesn't fit in with the realistic tone of the rest of the film.

Check out my film: http://vimeo.com/23181301

[–] dlbach1 12 years ago

Good grief already. It's just a family movie, people. Not real life nor meant to be real or historical. Get over yourselves.

[–] Kiko13 11 years ago

Good grief already. It's just a family movie, people. Not real life nor meant to be real or historical. Get over yourselves.

Ya, exactly. Might as well have the announcer say things like, "here comes the 0-1 pitch, ..., strike 2, and that's another strikeout," or in the 4th inning say, "they just need 3 more outs to win the game" while they're at it. I mean, it's a family movie after all and not meant to be real.

[–] jaystarstar 11 years ago

Pitcher makes a pickoff attempt at first. Runner (Griffey) gets back safely.

First baseman tosses ball back to pitcher. Pitcher has not stepped back on the mound yet. He has not come within several feet of the slab.

Pitcher FAKES throw to 1B while keeping the ball in his glove. Runner takes off. First baseman and outfielders furiously fake like the ball is loose down the RF line.

Runner is running at his own risk.

They SHOULD have had Griffey make it all the way around third base and head for home, the pitcher just quietly walk over to home plate, then just as Griffey comes in to home plate, hold up the ball and tag him.

================

4) You ever seen Superman $#$# his pants? Case closed.

[–] Rubixcube10 11 years ago

without watching the movie in the last 15 years....the move is LEGAL if done correctly. If you're in the the strecth...your back foot MUST come off the rubber & behind it to actually perform this. Once the back foot is behind the rubber, the pitcher basically becomes a fielder and can do whatever he wants with the ball. Therefore..you can fake a throw to 1st base.

We used to perform this move once a year back before this movie came out. I don't really know if the pitcher moved his foot behind the rubber or not but you can do it pretty quickly once you know exactly what to do.

[–] SEINFELDbeatFRIENDS 11 years ago

The ridiculous part is the Mariners fell for it. Uhm maybe you should watch and see no ball was actually thrown. Lame that anyone would fall for it. In real life no one falls for this.

[–] vyperman7 9 years ago

Wow..good to see that my thread is still going after six plus years. Just watched LBL for the first time since I posted back then.

Now let me say that if it was a movie like Rookie of the Year, it wouldn't matter. It's designed to be silly. Henry doesn't know much about the game, you have a guy like Brigma as a coach, etc.. In a movie like ROTY it would make sense; ex- Henry's shenanigans in the last game of the movie.

But regardless of the genre or rating, it all comes down to the premise of the movie. The entire movie focuses on the importance of baseball knowledge. To quote Jason Robards' character on the tape "You know more about the game than anyone I've ever known." So it doesn't make sense to develop a character as a baseball expert, and then have him make a basic mistake. It's not true to the character or essence of the movie.