Balk Records as Researched by Baseball Almanac

Balk Records

Baseball Almanac is pleased to present a record book full of baseball milestones for balks — including career marks, single season plateaus and game related records.

"I never called a balk in my life. I didn't understand the rule." - Former Major League Umpire Ron Luciano

Balks Career Records
Record	Lg	Name(s)	Team(s)	Data
Most In A Career	AL	Data Incomplete	-	-
	NL	Data Incomplete	-	-
Balks Single Season Records
Record	Lg	Name(s)	Team(s)	Data
Most In A Season	AL	Dave Stewart	Oakland	16	1988
	NL	Steve Carlton	Philadelphia	11	1979
Balks Game Records
Record	Lg	Name(s)	Team(s)	Data
Most In A 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
Most In An Inning	AL	Don Heinkel	Detroit	3	05-03-1988
					6^th Inning
		Milt Shoffner	Cleveland		05-12-1930
					3^rd Inning
	NL	Jim Gott	Pittsburgh	3	08-06-1988
					8^th Inning
		Jim Owens	Cincinnati		04-24-1963
					2^nd Inning
		Bob Shaw	Milwaukee		05-04-1963
					3^rd Inning
Record	Lg	Name(s)	Team(s)	Data
Balks Records

Where is the career mark? Research into cumulative balk records is still ongoing and data is still too incomplete to make a proper selection.

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 (6) 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?

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