Quote:
Originally Posted by waltjp
During the first inning I noticed that the pitcher for the home team appeared to be setting with his non-pivot foot clearly in front of the rubber.
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Technically speaking this pitcher would be then pitching from the stretch and not the windup. FED 6-1-3: For the set position (...) he shall stand with his entire non-pivot foot in front of a line extending through the front end of the pitcher's plate.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cbfoulds
Since it is not legal to pick-off from the windup in FED, and since I can think of no possible advantage of any kind that this starting position confers on the pitcher, this is, IMHO, booger-picking.
It also virtually guarantees you a high volume discussion with the pitching coach: I know this from personal experience.
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I have a different feeling about this situation. When it has happened to me in the past I let the coaches know that the rule-book defines each of the pitching positions by how the pitcher's feet are positioned. I let them know that if their pitcher's feet are in that configuration then he is in the stretch and subject to the restrictions of it. Most of the coaches that I have talked to understand that fact and have then worked with their pitchers to correct the situation.
Those that didn't I have further told them that instead of rules committee giving the "power" to the umpires to decide when a pitcher is pitching from the stretch or windup or setting some sort of ambiguous degree or distance as a determining factor they chose to use the rubber. A clearly visible spot on the field thus taking our judgement out of the equation.
If they still don't listen, I wait for the other team to get a runner on 3rd, and let the pitcher switch to his windup/stretch and hit him with a balk for not stopping.
