Had an obnoxious coach this weekend that wanted the entire mitt below the chin. Didn't get the call from me.
My dopey partner, the PU, didn't make the call either but after the game in discussions with the coach... agreed with the coach! That's my teammate. I responded to my partner, "You're not helping our cause any here. If that's the case then that pitcher didn't throw a legal pitch the entire inning. And you didn't call any balks." The coach laughed and left.
Jim Beltz, The only place I have seen this in writing (but there are probably others) is in Referee Magazine a couple months ago (May or June issue). Their opinion, and I think it is a proper one, is
any part of the mitt below the chin qualifies as a legal set position. And recall that in FED rules this is only applicable to the set position and not the windup.
I've never seen the purpose for the rule. I've had a couple people suggest that it is to prevent the pitcher from spitting on the ball. I don't see this as reasonable. In fact, the vast majority of pitchers don't hold their mitt open to their face from the set position - the back of the mitt generally faces the batter.
I'm with Bfair and the others... no advantage gained, nothing deceptive... don't look for uneeded things to call.
