Question for coaches of high school

default

Member

• Mar 7, 2010

• #1

How much will it cost to move the pitching rubber back 3' ? In talking with some people involved in the Wendy's tournament, they are having trouble getting out of state teams to come because their state is going to 43' this year and Ohio is not until next year. One of the reasons they were given was that it would cost high schools to much to move the pitching rubber back 3'.

I am curiuos to the actual cost to make this move

 

default

Member

• Mar 7, 2010

• #2

Well, unless your pitching rubber is actually cemented into the ground, I dont see how it would cost much to move it. 1 person, 1 hour labor, maybe $25, unless I am missing something.

 

default

Member

• Mar 8, 2010

• #3

At a tournament at Expressway park, I watched 2 kids dig up a pitching plate, move it back five feet, bury it, and stamp it in about 10 minutes. The pitching plate had a depth between 9 and 12 inches and appeard to be made out of wood. The pitching plates they make today are made of 2 metal posts with cross members that you bury, and 2 metal posts that the pitching plate is bolted on that slides into the buried posts. It kinda works like an anchored base. You can remove the pitching plate and plug the posts to drag the field. You can get them for under $50.

Len

 

default

Member

• Mar 8, 2010

• #4

From some of the comments I have heard, it is not actually about the cost of moving the pitching plate. The real problem arises for programs that have limited facilities. High school and middle school playing on the same field. Not the act of moving the plate, but keeping the area in front of the plate in reasonably playable condition, as middle school would stay at the 40 ft distance.

 

default

Member

• Mar 8, 2010

• #5

They make a rubber that has four tabs on each end. You simply measure and drive the spikes. To lift; get a shovel and work under each end and pry up. Total time should be measured in minutes. We use a field that has 10U Little League Softball @35' (I think); High School and 12U/14U @ 40'; Tournament Softball @ 43' and Little league Baseball 2 45'. Not only does the rubber move but it changes size. If you insist on planting big pieces of rubber then you have a problem, if not it is pretty simple.

The new distance of 43' will conflict with the 45' baseball mound. That one I have not figured out. Anybody use mobile mounds with any success?

 

default

Member

• Mar 8, 2010

• #6

fairman said:

Anybody use mobile mounds with any success?

Click to expand...

Miami Little League, in Oxford OH, has been using the portable baseball mounds for a few years now and it appears to be very successful. Not only does it save a LOT of labor for the city, it allows for a lot more flexibility regarding who can use the fields (4 in the main city park location)--it used to be that softball was limited to 1 or 2 fields, because the dirt mounds had to stay in place for the whole season for baseball games.

 

default

Member

• Mar 8, 2010

• #7

buckeyefamily said:

How much will it cost to move the pitching rubber back 3' ? In talking with some people involved in the Wendy's tournament, they are having trouble getting out of state teams to come because their state is going to 43' this year and Ohio is not until next year. One of the reasons they were given was that it would cost high schools to much to move the pitching rubber back 3'.

I am curiuos to the actual cost to make this move

Click to expand...

The only reason that Ohio is not at 43' is OHSAA. As others have mentioned there is little to no cost. Our state association just decided they would wait until next year to implement the change.

 

default

Member

• Mar 8, 2010

• #8

Most travel ball tourneys they will pitch at 43, so it's no big deal.

 

default

Member

• Mar 8, 2010

• #9

Actually moving the pitching plate is no problem. The real problem is that some of the pitchers have a second job as excavators. The holes that these girls dig would make any Operating Engineer and any gopher proud.

So if you are switching back and forth between 40' and 43', then the hole that the 43 footers dig interferes with where the 40' plate goes. And the hole that the 40 footers dig interferes with where the 43 footers land and drag.

The NFHS website has a pdf file on how to properly install a pitching plate. If completed in this manner, it would greatly reduce some of the craters that I see.

http://www.nfhs.org/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=3190

And we won't even start the whole "pitches will break more from 43' than 40' " debate. We have beaten that dead horse many times in previous threads.