Quote:
Originally Posted by RKBUmp
You may want to check your rule book.
FED 6-5-2 The pitcher may request the other ball before throwing a warm up pitch by giving the ball in her posession to the plate umpire, the pitcher has now made a choice and must pitch that ball until such time as the ball goes out of play or becomes blocked.
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That addresses two different issues at two different times.
"The pitcher may request the other ball before throwing a warm up pitch." That addresses the start of the inning.
"The pitcher must pitch that ball until such time as the ball goes out of play." That does not say that she can't continue to pitch the ball AFTER it goes out of play. It just says she has to use it UNTIL it goes out of play.
Have you every asked a pitcher why she wants a new ball? Maybe the one you have has a nick in it you didn't see, she can't grip it as well or a ball got returned to you that looked like the game ball but really wasn't.
I want pitchers to throw strikes, so I give the pitcher a ball that she is comfortable with. It's not a protestable issue. It's really just a mechanic/procedure. I think we have bigger fish to fry than that.