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Tom: "This is because given the look-back rule, once the pitcher has the ball in the circle and the runners have stopped on a base, nothing else happens (normally) until there is a pitch, so there is no harm (or very little harm) to the game to just call TIME."
Under the LBR there is no reason to call time. You can't kill the ball until the runner touches the base, and you have to start play as soon as the pitcher touches the plate - so why bother? What is gained?
"So, WMB, do you see any real harm to the game by killing the ball after play has stopped?"
Not sure what you are talking about, Tom. As we both recognize, there is no value in calling time under the LBR.
However, SP w/stealing does not use the LBR. Instead play is killed when the pitcher receives the ball in the vicinity of the plate IF the runner had stopped when the catcher released the ball. (What, are they afraid of painting a circle on their fields?) Of course, if the runner is still moving you cannot kill the ball. Or if a play is made on the runner the ball stays live. And if the pitcher doesn't catch the ball it stays live.
So - is that what you want for FP? No more LBR, just call time when the pitcher gets the ball (somewhere?) and make the runner go back to the base? And "slam" the FP traditionalists because they don't want to adopt SP rules for their game?
No way for me. SP is based on hitting. Runners can't go anywhere until you hit the ball. So if you haven't hit the ball, nothing is lost by calling time. FP is a game of strategy to advance a runner and somehow, someway score a run. I coached HS softball and we spent hours of practice working on base running, of learning how to take advantage of, and to push defenses. You can't simply sit back on your heels and wait for the next hitter to drive it to the wall. You have to manufacture runs. And a lot of that is done on the basepaths. Don't kill the ball - or you kill the game!
WMB
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