Pitching and Pitchers Discussion Pitchers replanting

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At the Capital City Showdown I saw numerous pitchers called for illegal pitch replanting. Had seen some of these pitchers previous week no illegal pitches called. Are the pitchers not dragging, getting tired from number of games, cheating, poor mechanics? What type of drills prevent replanting? Was it the umpires?

 

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My observation is that the call for this is very inconsistent and depends on the umpire- some ignore it completely, others are sticklers and give warnings and start calling balls immediately, and most are somewhere in the middle. I have seen a number of girls that I thought could be called for it get away with a clear hop.

 

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Umps are very inconsistant thats the only consistant thing with them.:lmao:

 

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Why have it in the books if you are not gonna call it. See it every weekend and never a call made. Call it or take it outta the rules. Umps need to step up and call it if they are doing there job.

 

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Totally agree with Wwolff. Saw this happen during school season. The opposing teams pitcher had a decent leap with a replant. The umpire called it once, went out and talked to the pitcher and she basically shrugged her shoulders and didn't change a thing. She pitched the rest of the game without another illegal pitch called. We won the game so it didn't matter in the long run - but it's the point.
Why bother to call it only once? Either call it or make it legal.

 

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I've never been able to get an umpire to call it. This past weekend at Beavercreek the field umpire (who was the head of the umpire crew at the park) told me that yes the pitcher was hopping off the rubber and not dragging her toe (her back foot was flying up about 6 inches). But he didn't think she was gaining any advantage from it. Of course my response was, if she doesn't gain any advantage from it, why did they create a rule for it?

Michael P.

 

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Hard to get it called. Pointed it out to the ump. Next inning, asked about it and he admitted to seeing it "a couple of times", never called it. Brought it up the next inning.
He was then observed between the next inning talking to the pitcher. Never called.
Admitted to seeing it, but didnt call it.

 

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Have seen it called some, and not called more often than not.
The one time it was being called, the team who was called for it had their pitcher pile a small mountain of dirt in front of the rubber so her foot drug through the mountain of dirt to give the appearance she was dragging her foot.
The thing is this - if it is in the rules (and, we all know it is) and the better umpires call it as they get older - and we saw in the CWS that it is called a lot stricter as they get older - then shouldn't the umpires start calling it at U8, U10, U12 so these girls learn at an early age to break any bad habits they may have while they are young enough to be able to fix it?
The worst part is there are some coaches out there who have kids who throw illegal who will argue the point when called and come up with the mountain of dirt in front of the rubber instead of taking the time to explain to their player what they are doing - or how to fix it to help them in the long run.....
As far as how to keep them from going airborn when pitching - my DD's pitching coach has had some others who had small problems with that put a piece of paper, or a headband against the rubber where their front foot is and that item had to be drug through with them. If the item wasn't moving, or wasn't being drug then they were still going airborn.. Simple drill, but it seems to work.

 

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Several years ago my dd had a pretty big hop. I used the above drill and it worked beautifully! :yahoo: I see replanting often. It never got called last weekend or very often in any tournament. Unfortunately, I can only make sure my dd doesn't do it.

 

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Every once in a while, at 10 and 12u, you will find an ump who will see these illegal pitches and stop the game to go explain to the pitcher what and why she is doing wrong. Those umpires should be thanked for the fact that they take the time to help teach the game to these girls. I agree that, at the least, it should be called in the younger ages so that these girls know that what they are doing is illegal. Many times by 14u and older the girls have too hard a time correcting those bad habits.

 

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My DDs pitching instructor is the kind that explains what is an illegal pitch and why the mechanics that he teaches is legal. After sitting through lesson after lesson, and reading the ASA book I think I have a pretty good understanding but the umps still let the pitchers crow hop, step baack and double touch. But they called an illegal pitch on one of our pitchers for letting her hand get too far from the body. There is no two umps that call the pitching the same. Why would this be any different than the strike zone. Talk about a box that moves all weekend!

 

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This is a 4 page topic with many umpires jumping in on J J Huddle. It is really bad in high school. Ever year you run into a pitcher that for some reason has not been trained to throw correctly or had someone teach her incorrectly ( as posted on Huddle). That is why you see the white lines in college. They are being taught to cheat, or test the limits of the rules. Read an intesting post. Take away all these rules, since the umpires won't call them and move it back to 43, so the pitcher doesn't get any advantage in breaking the current rules. He had a valid point. .

 

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This is a 4 page topic with many umpires jumping in on J J Huddle. It is really bad in high school. Ever year you run into a pitcher that for some reason has not been trained to throw correctly or had someone teach her incorrectly ( as posted on Huddle). That is why you see the white lines in college. They are being taught to cheat, or test the limits of the rules. Read an intesting post. Take away all these rules, since the umpires won't call them and move it back to 43, so the pitcher doesn't get any advantage in breaking the current rules. He had a valid point. .

Dan,
Are you saying that the extra 3' neutralizes the infraction? Please explain. I find that idea very interesting.

 

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There is a very good pitcher 18U who doesn't crow hop, but every inning goes out to the pitchers plate after the umps brush it off, buries it completely so they can't see it and slides all the way over when she throws her screwball and ends up out of the lane 95% of the time gaining an advantage to the hitter every time she does, from the angle of the pitch. If you aren't going to call it, do away with these rules. I am sure a coach showed her this technique too so she can gain that advantage. It will be interesting how she does in college if they call it as they should.

 

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Crow hopping/replants were frequently called at OSP last weekend. The umpires were taking the time to explain to the pitchers (12U) what they were doing.

The question I have, "Is a pitcher illegal whether they replant 8" or 18?" It's kind of like "you can't be a little bit pregnant."

 

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Mike,

I 100% agree with that. At Expressway Park, we played against many pitchers that clearly lept from the pitcher's plate with no drag at all, and when I saw pitchers do it during warm-up I would advise the field ump to watch it since the Plate ump said it wasn't his call. The field ump would see it, then I walk over and remind him, and he would say he couldn't do anything about it. When I pulled the rule book out to show him that he is fact empowered to call the pitches a ball, he refused to look at the rule book (I wasn't showing him up, I was just letting him know that WE knew the rules against leaping/hopping)... and that's pretty much how the umpiring went all day at the Grand Slam WSQ, as if they didn't know many of the rules. The plate Ump's excuse was, "Girls do that during the school season, and it never gets called." My response was, "How bout' we make some history today and start officiating using the rules that are in the book?" That usually didn't go over well with them, but they need to be help accountable for what they are getting paid to do... officiate a fair game. My other remark was, "Can we go up to bat with two bats then?" That also didn't go over well. Hmm. :lmao:

I've never been able to get an umpire to call it. This past weekend at Beavercreek the field umpire (who was the head of the umpire crew at the park) told me that yes the pitcher was hopping off the rubber and not dragging her toe (her back foot was flying up about 6 inches). But he didn't think she was gaining any advantage from it. Of course my response was, if she doesn't gain any advantage from it, why did they create a rule for it?

Michael P.

 

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It was my understanding that a replant was a girl leaping off the mound then replanting and delivering the pitch. Most of the time what I see are girls who just don't drag their toe. The pitching motion is uninterrupted, no replant then pushing off when delivering the pitch. Just as illegal but no real advantage.I believe this is why a lot of umps don't call it. It also amazes me that a coach can watch this for half a game till his team starts losing then bring it to the umps attention.

 

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Bill: The argument they are using at the younger ages moving them back to 43 and ignoring what no one will call anyway, takes away the advantage you gain . Not sure I agree, but that is what they are saying. I think we then make all the girls who pitch legally pay the price for all those that don't. Problem is , they are anyway, since it is not being called. So I have Mixed Feeling. In High school I say move it back to 43 , since I never see it called. I have ran into pitching coaches that are teaching kids this, because they can get away with it. If you get a chance read the Huddle post. Some good views both ways.

 

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Chicoflip; you nailed it!

 

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The girl that pitches H.S. Ball where I used to live definitely does it and will get called once or twice occasionally then never again in game.