Which of the following would cause a Balk according to the rules presented?

• A. Foreign substance on the ball
• B. A bandage on the pitching hand
• C. A glove with the color white
• D. All of the above

Answer: (D)

Balks happen when a pitcher commits an illegal act or uses something to deceive the runners or the batter during the delivery. Each of these situations fits that idea because they involve ways the pitcher could gain an unfair advantage or mislead: a foreign substance on the ball changes how the ball is gripped and released, introducing deception or illegal grip; a bandage on the pitching hand could alter the grip or conceal motion in a way that affects the delivery; a glove with a conspicuous color like white can be used to distract or mislead observers or conceal hand position, which is not allowed. Because all of these actions involve illegal manipulation or deception in the delivery, they would be ruled as a balk under these rules.