It is a systematic effort to eliminate umpire judgment so the coaches can teach black and white.
1) When is a ball out of the strike zone ruled a strike without an attempt to actually contact the ball? When the coaches decided not pulling back from squaring to bunt became an attempt.
2) When did umpires need a rule allowing them to warn coaches or players for arguing balls and strikes, or any judgment? When the coaches decided they needed the protection of a required warning to know when they crossed the line with an umpire, so they CAN argue until then.
3) When did umpires need help knowing that batter CHOSE to be hit with a pitch; had time and opportunity to avoid, but "took it" for the awarded base? It had been taught forever; do it until you are caught, just like illegal pitches, leaving early on steal attempts, hindering runners on the base paths, and so on. Because the coaches want it black or white, it is now legal.
I believe I have posted the following here before. If your daughter came home with bruises, cracked ribs, broken bones, and it was because her boyfriend told her to do something, you would kick the crap out of that boyfriend. Yet, because a softball coach tells her "take it for the team", you think it okay?
Bad enough this was acceptable for college players; the mentality is they are being "paid" to play, so do what the coach says. And they are all athletes, we are told. (Not anyone's daughter, or girlfriend; not even to be thought of as women or children that a father/man might think should be protected from unnecessary injury and pain.) But the average high school "player"? And the middle school player (playing by high school rules on a "feeder" team)? My opinion; shame on the rules committee for thinking this is the right answer for the game.
No matter where the pitch belongs.
