Umpire Calls Nestor Cortes for Quick Pitch, Cortes Responds by Throwing a Slow Pitch - Rules Review

After umpire Reed Basner called Yankees pitcher Nestor Cortes for a quick pitch, Cortes responded by delaying his Windup delivery on the very next pitch, throwing a "Slow Pitch" instead. Report: https://www.closecallsports.com/2023/...

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During Nationals batter Jeimer Candelario's 3rd inning at-bat vs New York in Washington, Cortes was called for an illegal quick pitch after appearing to throw a pitch to Candelario before Candelario was ready in the batter's box.

Official Baseball Rules 5.07(a) and 6.02(a)(5) both discuss quick pitches and state: "[Pitchers] may not step quickly onto the rubber and pitch. This may be judged a quick pitch by the umpire" (OBR 5.07(a) Comment) and "A quick pitch [is] delivered before the batter is reasonably set in the batter's box."

The penalty for a quick pitch with runners on base is a balk (see Max Scherzer earlier in Spring Training for an example [link below]) while the penalty with the bases empty is an automatic ball similar to a pitch clock violation for the defense's penalty.

As for the ensuing Slow Pitch, OBR 5.07(a)(1) discusses the Windup Position and requires "any natural movement" to commit the pitcher to delivery to the batter "without interruption or alteration." Cortes did not appear to actually interrupt his delivery (though he slowed it down very much), and as for the alteration aspect, even if one were to call it, the penalty here is a "Don't Do That" instruction, that is, the umpire would tell the pitcher not to do it again, but there would be no actual game penalty such as an automatic ball or a balk.

Related Video:    • NY Pitcher Max Scherzer's Pitch Clock...