The Hidden Ball Trick

Baseball teams are always looking for ways to get outs. Some teams have a hidden ball trick play which can be used to get a careless runner out. But, the hidden ball trick is rarely executed properly and most often results in a balk call against the team attempting to run it! Here's why...

If a pitcher stands on or astride the rubber without the ball, it's a balk. For the hidden ball trick to work, the runner must be taking his lead while the pitcher is away from the rubber.

Many teams, like the Warriors, instruct runner to remain on the base until the pitcher is on the rubber. It is impossible to execute a hidden ball trick on a team that uses that lead off strategy.

Some coaches prefer that runners do not return to the base after each and every pitch. They believe that a runner should be alert and always testing the limits of the defense. However, this approach requires that the runner be alert at all times--or risk getting picked off or subject to the hidden ball trick. The Warriors are considering giving some of our more alert runners the green light for this lead off approach. But, that clearance is something that a runner must prove he can handle.

Another thing that makes the hidden ball trick so difficult to execute is the dead ball situation. Evergreen Park attempted to pull a hidden ball trick against the Warriors after a foul ball on Sunday night. The ball is dead after a foul ball...and it can only be activated by having the pitcher hold the ball while on the rubber. So, if the runner is tagged while leading off, he is not out unless the ball was already made live by the pitcher--which would take the element of surprise out of the play (i.e., it is no longer a hidden ball)!