Meaning & use
balk in baseball
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountablesport
In baseball, an illegal move by a pitcher that allows runners to advance one base.
Grammar: Used in baseball to describe a specific rule violation.
Patterns
- commit a balk
- called for a balk
The pitcher was called for a balk, and the runner advanced to second base.
A balk is often called when the pitcher makes a sudden movement to deceive the runner.
The umpire signaled a balk, giving the runner a free base.
verbintransitivesport
In baseball, to make an illegal move as a pitcher, allowing runners to advance.
Grammar: Used as a verb: 'the pitcher balked'.
Patterns
- balk at something
He balked and the umpire immediately called it.
If you balk with runners on base, they get to move up.
Word forms
| plural | balks |
|---|---|
| third person singular | balks |
| past tense | balked |
| past participle | balked |
| -ing form | balking |
Common combinations
- commit a balk
- The pitcher committed a balk in the fifth inning.
- called for a balk
- He was called for a balk twice in the same game.
- balk at
- The pitcher balked at the sign from the catcher.
Synonyms and how they differ
- illegal pitch
- A broader term that includes other pitching violations; a balk is a specific type of illegal move with runners on base.
Word family
Commonly confused: balk in baseball or balk?
balk in baseball vs balk
Outside baseball, 'balk' means to be unwilling to do something or to stop short. In baseball, it has a very specific meaning.
Practice
In baseball, what happens when a pitcher commits a balk?
Choose one answer.
A balk allows any runners on base to advance one base. The batter does not get first base, and the pitcher is not automatically ejected. The ball remains live, and play continues.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “balk in baseball”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.