Balk records — including career balk records, single season balk records, and game related balk records. Research by Baseball Almanac.
"I never called a balk in my life. I didn't understand the rule." - Luciano, Ron. Major League Baseball Umpire. The Cheater's Guide to Baseball. Zumsteg, Derek. Author. Mariner Books Publishing. Page 54.
Balk RecordsMajor League Baseball Career Balk Records |
|||||
Balk Record | LG | Name(s) | Team(s) | Data | |
Fewest Balks In A Career (Min: 3,000+ IP) |
AL | Stan Coveleski | Philadelphia | 0 | 1 |
Cleveland | 1 | ||||
Washington | 0 | ||||
New York | 0 | ||||
Lefty Grove | Philadelphia | 1 | |||
Boston | 0 | ||||
George Mullin | Detroit | 1 | |||
Mike Mussina | Baltimore | 1 | |||
New York | 0 | ||||
NL | John Clarkson | Worcester | 0 | 0 | |
Chicago | 0 | ||||
Boston | 0 | ||||
Cleveland | 0 | ||||
Wilbur Cooper | Pittsburgh | 0 | |||
Chicago | 0 | ||||
Bill Hutchison | Chicago | 0 | |||
St. Louis | 0 | ||||
Tim Keefe | Troy | 0 | |||
New York | 0 | ||||
Philadelphia | 0 | ||||
Jim McCormick | Indianapolis | 0 | |||
Cleveland | 0 | ||||
Chicago | 0 | ||||
Pittsburgh | 0 | ||||
Old Hoss Radbourn | Providence | 0 | |||
Boston | 0 | ||||
Cincinnati | 0 | ||||
Most Balks In A Career |
AL | Charlie Hough | Texas | 30 | 32 |
Chicago | 2 | ||||
NL | Steve Carlton | St. Louis | 2 | 82 | |
Philadelphia | 79 | ||||
San Francisco | 1 | ||||
ML | Steve Carlton | St. Louis [NL] | 2 | 90 | |
Philadelphia [NL] | 79 | ||||
San Francisco [NL] | 1 | ||||
Chicago [AL] | 1 | ||||
Cleveland [AL] | 4 | ||||
Minnesota [AL] | 3 | ||||
Balk Record | LG | Name(s) | Team(s) | Data | |
Balk RecordsMajor League Baseball Single Season Balk Records |
|||||
Balk Record | LG | Name(s) | Team(s) | Data | |
Fewest Balks In A Season (300 IP) |
AL | Tied 131 Times | n/a | 0 | n/a |
NL | Tied 406 Times | n/a | 0 | n/a | |
Most Balks In A Season |
AL | Dave Stewart | Oakland | 16 | 1988 |
NL | Steve Carlton | Philadelphia | 11 | 1979 | |
Balk Record | LG | Name(s) | Team(s) | Data | |
Balk RecordsMajor League Baseball Game & Inning Specific Balk Records |
|||||
Balk Record | LG | Name(s) | Team(s) | Data | |
Most Balks (Every 4 BK Game) |
AL | John Dopson | Boston | 4 | 06-13-1989 |
Rick Honeycutt | Oakland | 04-13-1988 | |||
Vic Raschi | New York | 05-03-1950 | |||
Gene Walter | Seattle | 07-18-1988 | |||
Bobby Witt | Texas | 04-12-1988 | |||
NL | Bob Shaw | Milwaukee | 5 | 05-04-1963 | |
Bob Friend | Pittsburgh | 4 | 04-13-1963 | ||
Joe Magrane | St. Louis | 06-17-1988 | |||
Most Balks In An Inning |
AL | Don Heinkel | Detroit | 3 | 05-03-1988 |
6th Inning | |||||
Milt Shoffner | Cleveland | 05-12-1930 | |||
3rd Inning | |||||
NL | Richard Bleier | Miami | 3 | 09-27-2022 | |
8th Inning | |||||
Jim Gott | Pittsburgh | 08-06-1988 | |||
8th Inning | |||||
Jim Owens | Cincinnati | 04-24-1963 | |||
2nd Inning | |||||
Charlie Sweeney | St. Louis | 04-30-1885 | |||
1st Inning | |||||
Bob Shaw | Milwaukee | 05-04-1963 | |||
3rd Inning | |||||
Balk Record | LG | Name(s) | Team(s) | Data | |
MLB Balk Records | Research by Baseball Almanac |
Did you know that Stu Miller was once "Blown Off The Mound" during the 1961 All-Star Game when strong winds at Candlestick Park caused him to sway and be called for a balk? Miller recalls the moment in The Union Tribune (Dubow, Josh. Staff Writer. Blowin' in the wind: Stu Miller sets the record straight. 10 July 2007.), "Just as I was ready to pitch, an extra gust of wind came along and I waved like a tree. My whole body went back and forth about 2 or 3 inches. The AL bench all hollered balk. I knew it was a balk, but the umpires didn't call it at first. I went ahead and threw the pitch and Colavito swung and missed. The umpire then took off his mask and motioned the runners to second and third."
On May 4, 1963, Bob Shaw of the Milwaukee Braves tied the record for most balks during an inning, set a new Major League record for balks in a game, AND his team became the first ever to commit six balks during a nine-inning game.
Did you know that on August 7, 1984, Joe Hesketh was called-up by the Montreal Expos and before he ever threw a single Major League pitch, umpires called a balk on him? Welcome to "the show" Joe!