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Well now, let me tell you about this baseball thing and them pitchers. You see, a pitcher is the one who throws the ball to the guy with the bat. Now, sometimes folks wonder if a pitcher can throw to a base that ain’t got nobody standing on it. You know, like when you’re sittin’ on the porch and seein’ the chickens run around, but one of ‘em is off on its own.
Now, according to the rules—yeah, they got rules for this game—there’s a little something called Rule 8.05(d). It says a pitcher can’t just go throwin’ to an empty base, ‘cept when they’re tryin’ to make a play. So, if there ain’t no runners on the bases, well, the pitcher better think twice before tossin’ that ball over there. It’s like throwin’ a stick into the bushes when there ain’t no dog to fetch it!
Let me break it down for ya. If a runner’s tryin’ to steal a base, and that base ain’t got nobody on it yet, the pitcher can throw there to catch that sneaky fella. But they can’t just be throwin’ around for no reason. It’s kinda like when you see your neighbor throwin’ a rock at a squirrel; they’re either tryin’ to scare it off or just messin’ around.
If a pitcher does throw to an empty base and it’s not for makin’ a play, that’s called a balk. And let me tell you, nobody likes a balk. It’s like when someone jumps up and scares you when you ain’t expectin’ it. The game just stops, and folks get all riled up. They say, “What on earth was that?”
Now, some folks might think, “Well, what if the pitcher just wants to mess with the runner?” Nope! The rules are clear as day. The only time a pitcher can do that is when they’re tryin’ to trick the other team during a play. It’s like when you play cards and try to make your face look all serious so no one knows you got a good hand.
And listen here, the pitcher don’t even gotta step off the rubber—yeah, that’s where they stand to throw. If they do throw and it goes outta play, that could cost ‘em! If they throw from the rubber and it goes out, that’s just one base. But if they step off first, and it goes wrong, well, that’s a whole other mess of trouble.
So, if a pitcher’s tryin’ to throw to second base while a runner’s attemptin’ to steal from first, that’s a different story. Sure, second base might not be occupied, but that pitcher can still throw there to try and catch that runner. You see how that works? It’s all about playin’ smart and knowin’ when to act.
But if that pitcher stops in the middle of their throw or does something that confuses everybody, the game just resets like when you spill your drink and gotta clean up. They call “time” and start fresh, no harm done.
Now, if a pitcher keeps messin’ up, throwin’ illegal pitches when there ain’t nobody on base, well, the umpires might just have a chat with ‘em. It’s all about keepin’ things fair and square on the field, just like at the county fair. We gotta play nice, right?
So, in the end, pitchers gotta be careful. They can throw to an unoccupied base, but only when they’re tryin’ to make a play. Otherwise, they might find themselves in hot water. And that’s just how it goes in the world of baseball, simple as pie!
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Tags：[baseball, pitcher, rules, balk, stealing bases]
