The Big Crackdown

[default]

Had a chance to watch a couple of televised games recently. From what I saw, it looks like "the big crackdown" on NCAA pitching is no longer all it was cracked up to be!

One game was the Florida/Florida State a couple of days ago. BIG TIME leaping, blatantly obvious in "real time"...and no Illegal Pitch calls that I saw.

The other was today's Northwestern/Michigan game. The Michigan pitcher had an odd rocker motion and it looked to me like her pivot foot raised up off the plate, then came back down on top of it, on every single pitch. Just the sort of "technical violation" that was getting called left and right early season but, again, no IP calls that I saw.

What I saw in these two games represents a MAJOR change from what we were seeing a couple of weeks ago. It looks like pitchers are back to their old tricks and the umpires are back to letting it slide (or, would that be "back to giving the pitchers the benefit of the doubt", per the recent NCAA memo?).

 

[default]

Was at a HS game today and pitcher was clearly crow hopping. When the opposing coach asked the umpire about it, blue said she was "attempting" to drag her toe so he was not going to call it.

 

[default]

I watched the same Northwestern/Michigan game on tv today, I saw the same thing you did. I just chuckled and shook my head. My wife actually pulled me into the room and said "look at how this girl is pitching, and they are not calling her on it." She is not the most versed in the legalities on the pitching motion and even SHE knew it was wrong!

I watched several High School games today with many, many illegal pitches being thrown. I saw only ONE pitcher get called. This was for placing the ball in the glove, then removing her hand (with the ball) to wipe a snot that had appeared in the balmy 35 degree weather from her nose. That was clearly giving her a huge advantage over the batter...riddiculous! In a different game the two opposing pitchers were illegal on EVERY pitch. One was throwing totally sidearm and sliding forward off the rubber, the other was crowhopping a foot in front of the rubber. Not one IP called, with 2 umpires on the field.

I just wish there would be some consistancy in calls somewhere. It is getting totally out of hand. Might as well crumple up the rule book and replace the empty roll of Charmin with it.

 

[default]

The best pitcher's in the world are illegal now and then, as far as leaping, goes watch cat have several still pic's of her and both feet are nearly foot of the ground. But never seen it called on her. Really is it that big advantage for pitcher's, college and olympic ump's dont call it do you think highschool joe and travel joe gonna call it. Tell my batter's who cares how she pitching get in there and hit. As a coach don't want my girl's worrying about what the pitcher is doing . I've seen coaches whine and cry about pitcher's during games before and take their team's focus off what it should be on the game they psych their team out and make the pitcher even more effective. If your a good hitter you don't care what she does just pitch me the ball. Pitcher's need all the advantage's they can get with the bat's they make now and with 43 ft. around the corner score's are gonna get crazy. And if you think the bat's aren't changing the game you don't know softball look at the rise in the use of face masks. Just my two cents.

 

[default]

Had a chance to watch a couple of televised games recently. From what I saw, it looks like "the big crackdown" on NCAA pitching is no longer all it was cracked up to be!

One game was the Florida/Florida State a couple of days ago. BIG TIME leaping, blatantly obvious in "real time"...and no Illegal Pitch calls that I saw.

The other was today's Northwestern/Michigan game. The Michigan pitcher had an odd rocker motion and it looked to me like her pivot foot raised up off the plate, then came back down on top of it, on every single pitch. Just the sort of "technical violation" that was getting called left and right early season but, again, no IP calls that I saw.

What I saw in these two games represents a MAJOR change from what we were seeing a couple of weeks ago. It looks like pitchers are back to their old tricks and the umpires are back to letting it slide (or, would that be "back to giving the pitchers the benefit of the doubt", per the recent NCAA memo?).

I watched that game as well and was thinking both feet were up and off and reconnected in a strange way and nothing was being called. That had to take years to work on and have that much power for 14 strikeouts...... did they give her this since they are #2 ranked? I bet there are many talking about that game seen on the Big Ten Net for all to witness.

 

[default]

The best pitcher's in the world are illegal now and then, as far as leaping, goes watch cat have several still pic's of her and both feet are nearly foot of the ground. But never seen it called on her. Really is it that big advantage for pitcher's, college and olympic ump's dont call it do you think highschool joe and travel joe gonna call it. Tell my batter's who cares how she pitching get in there and hit. As a coach don't want my girl's worrying about what the pitcher is doing . I've seen coaches whine and cry about pitcher's during games before and take their team's focus off what it should be on the game they psych their team out and make the pitcher even more effective. If your a good hitter you don't care what she does just pitch me the ball. Pitcher's need all the advantage's they can get with the bat's they make now and with 43 ft. around the corner score's are gonna get crazy. And if you think the bat's aren't changing the game you don't know softball look at the rise in the use of face masks. Just my two cents.

OK so your last paragraph pretty much sums up that because of better bats it's ok for pitchers to CHEAT because they are now at a disadvantage?

 

[default]

i dont think it is ok to cheat but if they called every pitching rule to the letter every good pitcher would be illegal at some point.the high school ump who said if she is making an attempt to drag is ok with him is more how i feel.in front of rubber most times is a divot so pitchers get used to foot being a little off.as long as toe is pointed down and foot is not way off ground dont see major advantage.now a plant replant that gives a pitcher extra drive and power should be called i believe but ncaa realized pitchers were all off a little and for sake of games probably said lighten up a little

 

[default]

I watched Houston vs. Tulsa and saw the exact same thing. Obvious crow-hopping by the Tulsa pitcher all game long and not one word about it.

 

[default]

I just watched the Michigan/Northwestern game last night for the first time. I had DVR'd it, but had not had the time to watch. The Michigan pitcher had two illegal pitches called in the first inning for not dragging her foot. Unfortunately, after a long weekend and not starting to watch the game until late I fell asleep in my chair and do not remember the rest of the game. I will go back tonight and watched the rest and see if there are anymore. I also wondered about the pivot foot coming off the mound in the begining. I thought maybe I did not understand something about college pitching rules.

 

[default]

I also watched the Houston/Tulsa double header and the one Tulsa pitcher was driving me nuts! That pivot foot was up in the air for all to see, and not one call. Oh well. Guess that's why I'm not a blue.

 

[default]

Florida - Kentucky they called the Flordia pitcher for illegal pitch. She was leaping and not getting the toe even close to the ground. They did a very good job of explaining why it is hard to call.

 

[default]

Just wondering if girl is planting and replant I'm all for that call , because I do feel that is a definate advantage, but what is the advantage they gain by not dragging toe? I'm old school nothing better than a pitcher's duel, nowaday's it's all about the hitter's. The bat's are ridiculous little girl's hitting ball's 250-300 ft. wasn't that many yr's ago mask's were unheard of now everyone wear's them, why because of the bat's are so much better. And now they are gonna move mound back to 43 ft. all about offense. Not sure why they are doing that 40 ft. been fine for all these year's Oh yeah might be because of the bat's. Maybe we should have more restriction's on the bat's so we wouldn't have too have the mask's or move the mound, or put astrerisk's in highschool record book's, just a thought. Someone has too stick up for the pitcher's . Can you tell dd's are pitcher's

 

[default]

I watched that same Fla vs. KY game the Fla pitcher was leaping on just about every pitch. It was amazing that it wasn't called until I believe the fifth inning. Michelle Smith gave a real nice breakdown of the "crow hopping" rule. My DD,who is 10 and pitches, could not believe it was not being called. I told her be thankful that she has a pitching coach who has taught her the right way to drag her toe. I have seen a lot of "leaping" with 10U girls already this early Spring. It will eventually catch up to them in bigger tournaments.

 

[default]

We watched the Fla-Ky game also. My dd, who is 10 and pitches, called her out immediately. I have also seen quite a few 10U crow hopping already.

 

[default]

Why do they keep making pitching a "point of emphasis" in High School every year? The problem is that Joe umpire wont call it cause all the other Joe umpires wont call it. The few that do call illegal pitches catch hell from the pitchers coach.

When I see an illegal pitcher I try and get it called but if they aren't going to call it you have to let it go and coach. Next year when the pitching distance changes to 43' at then even the crow hopper, replanters will be at 40'.

As for bats ASA, has continously been more and more restrictive every few years. There is no longer any advantage swinging a new composite. If anything they are now a disadvantage when they are new.

 

[default]

For those that believe that obvious pitching infractions should go uncalled, I have a suggestion. Maybe umpires should call some foul balls fair, because the wind blew it foul? Or maybe because it was the "batter's intention" for it to be fair? Maybe call more runners safe at first, even though they were out by a mile, just because the batter/runner was really running as hard as she could?

My DD is a pitcher, and if she's violating the rules - IT'S AN ILLEGAL PITCH! I don't care what she intended to do - it's what she ACTUALLY did, and it's the umpire's responsibility to the integrity of the game to call ANY AND ALL rules violations.

The rules were designed to prevent any player from having an advantage. I don't really believe a replanting pitcher has THAT much of an advantage, especially if batters are well trained. I've seen leaping replanters get shelled just as much as a legal pitcher, so it's all relative.

 

[default]

The recent round of games show we are back to the token call. They may call it once to say "we know you are illegal" but then do not have the guts to keep doing it. And anyone that thinks that it isnt an advantage you dont know anything about pitching. Think of it as the other team being allowed to move up their pitchers plate 3-6 inches in front of yours. I think you would complain then. When you make a leaper drag they do not get out by 3-6 inches. It is not easy to pitch and drag properly but I have seen many 10year olds pitch successfully without being illegal so to give a free pass for trying at the high school level is a joke. There is no parital credit.

 

[default]

I was at a HS game this weekend and saw a pitcher not keeping the drag toe in contact with the ground at all, probably 6-8? of air between her ?drag? foot and the ground. Nothing said the first game. The second game, the opposing coach finally questioned the umpire and they addressed the situation. Pitcher never did it again the rest of the game, probably lost 4-5 mph of speed though; the extra drag/anchor slowed her down that much. Makes me think the pitcher is aware she is doing it but knows she gains the extra speed, so she will continue to do it until called. It?s amazing how many people either don?t know the rules or choose to ignore them.

 

[default]

"The other was today's Northwestern/Michigan game. The Michigan pitcher had an odd rocker motion and it looked to me like her pivot foot raised up off the plate, then came back down on top of it, on every single pitch. Just the sort of "technical violation" that was getting called left and right early season but, again, no IP calls that I saw."

I also saw that game. A commentator had mentioned that this pitcher has been working really hard on keeping her toe down because she has been called on it numerous times. I looked at my dad and said, "I don't think she quite has mastered that yet!" ;&

 

[default]

I watched that same Fla vs. KY game the Fla pitcher was leaping on just about every pitch. It was amazing that it wasn't called until I believe the fifth inning. Michelle Smith gave a real nice breakdown of the "crow hopping" rule. My DD,who is 10 and pitches, could not believe it was not being called. I told her be thankful that she has a pitching coach who has taught her the right way to drag her toe. I have seen a lot of "leaping" with 10U girls already this early Spring. It will eventually catch up to them in bigger tournaments.

Michelle Smith also stated that the pitcher would lose advantage by hopping because the pitchers body wt. was being directed upwards instead of toward the plate, also that the pitchers leverage was reduced somewhat.