Balk!
In Major League Baseball a Balk is a delayed dead ball. That means that if the pitcher pitches the ball after the Balk is called, the umpire waits to see what happens before calling time and enforcing the Balk. If the batter hits the ball, and reaches base safely, and all runners advance at least one base, the Balk is ignored.
a balk is a type of error by the pitcher in which he does not properly execute a pitch or fakes a throw to first base. For all 16 ways to balk go to MLB.com
A balk cannot be called if no one is on base. The essence of a balk is the pitcher is tiring to achieve an unfair advantage over the base runner. No runner, no advantage. If a pitcher, while no runners are on base, commits an action that would have been recognized as a balk if runners had been on base, the penalty for this is a ball. So yes, in theory, you could "walk someone without every throwing a pitch" --- (i.e), if you were on the mound and dropped the ball, that would be a "balk" and result in a ball.. The thing is, it does count on pitch count
The balk is void if the ball is hit. Just as if there was no balk called. If your batter hits the balked pitch and grounds out then he is out. Runners advance at their own risk. This is dependent on the league that is being played. In high school, a balk is immediate meaning that if the ball is hit it means nothing and the runners all move up a base. But in some leagues, it is a delayed balk. This means that if the batter reaches base and all runners move up a base the balk is waved off. At no point does the balk benefit the defense. A balk is a punishment to deceiving the offensive players or in this case the runners. So in reality the balk at no point turns void unless the offense benefits from the play.
No, the word "Balk" does not have a silent letter. Each letter is pronounced when saying the word.
There is only one call for a balk. When a pitcher is in the stretch and a runner or runners are on base, the pitcher must pause before throwing to homeplate. There can also be a balk called on the pitcher if he makes a move to throw out someone at first base, but doesn't actually throw the ball. (No fake throws to first allowed!) The last reason for a balk to be called is if a pitcher begins to move his front leg towards homeplate, but does not throw the ball to home. (Or simply pitch to the batter). A balk results in baserunners advancing one base.
The balk balk tribe
Wesley Balk was born in 1932.
Do not balk or we will miss seeing the movie.
Hermann Balk died in 1239.
Wesley Balk died in 2003.