1. You can’t just be up there and just doin’ a balk like that.
1a. A balk is when you
1b. Okay well listen. A balk is when you balk the
1c. Let me start over
1c-a. The pitcher is not allowed to do a motion to the, uh, batter, that prohibits the batter from doing, you know, just trying to hit the ball. You can’t do that.
1c-b. Once the pitcher is in the stretch, he can’t be over here and say to the runner, like, “I’m gonna get ya! I’m gonna tag you out! You better watch your butt!” and then just be like he didn’t even do that.
1c-b(1). Like, if you’re about to pitch and then don’t pitch, you have to still pitch. You cannot not pitch. Does that make any sense?
1c-b(2). You gotta be, throwing motion of the ball, and then, until you just throw it.
1c-b(2)-a. Okay, well, you can have the ball up here, like this, but then there’s the balk you gotta think about.
1c-b(2)-b. Fairuza Balk hasn’t been in any movies in forever. I hope she wasn’t typecast as that racist lady in American History X.
1c-b(2)-b(i). Oh wait, she was in The Waterboy too! That would be even worse.
1c-b(2)-b(ii). “get in mah bellah” — Adam Water, “The Waterboy.” Haha, classic…
1c-b(3). Okay seriously though. A balk is when the pitcher makes a movement that, as determined by, when you do a move involving the baseball and field of
2. Do not do a balk please.
But sometimes we had some major questions about the baseball IQ of some Californians. At times it felt like maybe they enjoyed or knew a little bit more about basketball than baseball. 😂
Kenley Jansen vibes
I actually don’t mind this method of intentional balk since it theoretically gives you a chance to pickoff the runner. But one of the fielders should at least cover the bag to give them a real chance at that out.
Can someone smarter than me explain the rationale? When I was watching it last night, my guess is he thought Muncy would see into his glove what pitch was coming and signal it to the batter. Is that correct?
Relay that signal to the dugout!
After the whole miscommunication about Kirk asking to throw to first when there was no runner on base, Varland must think he’s being mindfucked again by Kirk
Why do that for the balk and not, ya know, balk? Just dance a little after coming set then come set again. It will always get called.
Can somebody explain this to me im a complete baseball noob
No flag for two pumps! Flag for 3 pumps!
Why did they do this?
Wait there is no intentional balk? I mean, other than actually balking?
serious top level 4d chess ball.
Needed him off 2nd so he couldn’t give the 9 hole any advantage to get on base. If he gets on then ohtanis hitting next. And betts freeman after that.
Couldn’t he just like, drop the ball. Instead of all that,
This was VERY interesting, something I don’t think I’ve ever seen before.
Genuine question if the runner feels they have more of an advantage staying on second, can they refuse to advance on the balk?
This seems to be happening enough that they should just let the defense tell the ump they want to intentionally balk the runner over
I would have loved to have seen a declined balk. 5D chess.
Can someone more knowledgeable of baseball tell me what the actual purpose of this was?
This years run by the Blue Jays have brought about some very interesting and kewl managerial decisions. I have learned a lot about baseball this year.
![[Highlight] Louis Varland intentionally balks Max Muncy](https://www.rawchili.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Y3NhNjFsbG45M3lmMRjuIqrMLT-DQw2uvQ85-D88SwFL34wkJk-zBP7DRcZ1-1920x1024.png)
32 comments
Oh baseball, never change!
Varland just speedran the intentional balk meta. MLB patch notes about to get spicy.
Such a fun weird sport. “Intentional balk,” LMAO
instead of disengaging 3 times, couldn’t he have just actually balked?
Wouldn’t doing a regular, garden-variety balk have been easier rather than going through the three disengagements?
Can’t he do that with one illegal step off? Why does he do it with three?
So you CAN be up there doin’ a Balk
I will tell my less knowledgeable friends that balk is a short form of “baserunner walk”.
Watching it live I didn’t notice Schneider nodding his head right from the beginning like that. Interesting.
That raises the mandatory question…..WHAT IS A BALK?
We don’t see a lot of balks, so just a reminder of the rules, courtesy of [Jon Bois’ excellent explainer](https://www.sbnation.com/2012/1/4/2679318/gifs-20-16):
**BALK RULES! IMPORTANT!**
1. You can’t just be up there and just doin’ a balk like that.
1a. A balk is when you
1b. Okay well listen. A balk is when you balk the
1c. Let me start over
1c-a. The pitcher is not allowed to do a motion to the, uh, batter, that prohibits the batter from doing, you know, just trying to hit the ball. You can’t do that.
1c-b. Once the pitcher is in the stretch, he can’t be over here and say to the runner, like, “I’m gonna get ya! I’m gonna tag you out! You better watch your butt!” and then just be like he didn’t even do that.
1c-b(1). Like, if you’re about to pitch and then don’t pitch, you have to still pitch. You cannot not pitch. Does that make any sense?
1c-b(2). You gotta be, throwing motion of the ball, and then, until you just throw it.
1c-b(2)-a. Okay, well, you can have the ball up here, like this, but then there’s the balk you gotta think about.
1c-b(2)-b. Fairuza Balk hasn’t been in any movies in forever. I hope she wasn’t typecast as that racist lady in American History X.
1c-b(2)-b(i). Oh wait, she was in The Waterboy too! That would be even worse.
1c-b(2)-b(ii). “get in mah bellah” — Adam Water, “The Waterboy.” Haha, classic…
1c-b(3). Okay seriously though. A balk is when the pitcher makes a movement that, as determined by, when you do a move involving the baseball and field of
2. Do not do a balk please.
But sometimes we had some major questions about the baseball IQ of some Californians. At times it felt like maybe they enjoyed or knew a little bit more about basketball than baseball. 😂
Kenley Jansen vibes
I actually don’t mind this method of intentional balk since it theoretically gives you a chance to pickoff the runner. But one of the fielders should at least cover the bag to give them a real chance at that out.
Can someone smarter than me explain the rationale? When I was watching it last night, my guess is he thought Muncy would see into his glove what pitch was coming and signal it to the batter. Is that correct?
Relay that signal to the dugout!
After the whole miscommunication about Kirk asking to throw to first when there was no runner on base, Varland must think he’s being mindfucked again by Kirk
Why do that for the balk and not, ya know, balk? Just dance a little after coming set then come set again. It will always get called.
Can somebody explain this to me im a complete baseball noob
No flag for two pumps! Flag for 3 pumps!
Why did they do this?
Wait there is no intentional balk? I mean, other than actually balking?
serious top level 4d chess ball.
Needed him off 2nd so he couldn’t give the 9 hole any advantage to get on base. If he gets on then ohtanis hitting next. And betts freeman after that.
Couldn’t he just like, drop the ball. Instead of all that,
This was VERY interesting, something I don’t think I’ve ever seen before.
Genuine question if the runner feels they have more of an advantage staying on second, can they refuse to advance on the balk?
This seems to be happening enough that they should just let the defense tell the ump they want to intentionally balk the runner over
I would have loved to have seen a declined balk. 5D chess.
Can someone more knowledgeable of baseball tell me what the actual purpose of this was?
This years run by the Blue Jays have brought about some very interesting and kewl managerial decisions. I have learned a lot about baseball this year.
Max: “Nah. I’m good. I’d rather stay here”