|
Here's the rub with the way the FED has set things up: If a pitcher gets a new ball (pearl) from the umpire, and goes down on the grass and spits on his hands and then goes right to the ball (doesn't wipe off) with the intent of "rubbing up " that new ball, it's a ball on the batter. They make no allowance for on the dirt, off the dirt, live ball, dead ball, or any timeframe. If he goes mouth-to-ball without wiping, it's a ball.
They've also said that if the pitcher is on the rubber with runners on base, and is working from the set position, if he reaches up to lick his fingers (goes to his mouth) before he comes set and does not wipe off, it's a BALL on the batter. Hmmm... That should be a BALK since he starts his hand up and then stops.
In Illinois we've revised the FED position to say essentially this: If the pitcher is in contact with the rubber working from the WINDUP position WITH NO RUNNERS ON BASE and he goes to his mouth and then the ball without wiping, it is a BALL on the batter. That is the ONLY time he will be penalized with a BALL - he must be in contact with the rubber with no runners on base. If he is working from the SET position and goes to his mouth (either before OR after he comes set), it will be a BALK, because he has started his hands and stopped.
The better choice for the FED IMHO would have been to just go to the Pro rule, or else leave it alone. The way it's written now is just too restrictive (when the intent of the change was to make the penalty more lenient). That's why we are going with a different interp in Illinois.
JJ
|