[jrgchip]

I'm a pitcher (and hitter) in men's competitive leagues and have:
o Watched a fellow pitcher be knocked unconscious by a liner off his forehead (he recovered, but retired from softball);
o Been verbally assaulted for throwing "unhittable" pitches in a game "meant for hitters"; and
o Been frustrated by the vascillation between the desire to make the pitcher a skilled position and wanting the game to be a true hitters game.

I'd like to offer some possibilities for the future of SB with regards to pitching and safety. It seems to me that we just need to decide between the competing views I noted above.

If we want the game to be a true hitters game, then we should take away the dependence on, and variability between, pitchers. At the same time, we can prevent the danger cited in this thread. Replace the pitcher with a pitching machine and the game becomes truly a hitting (and fielding) game.

If we want pitching skill to be part of the game, then we should remove a number of the rules (limited arc, for one) and provide for their protection (which I don't think can be done through equipment rules). Instead place a 6-foot high shield half way between the mound and the plate. Any batted ball that hits the shield is an out and the pitcher is safe from a line drive. I suggest a 6-foot height because it also addresses one of my pet peeves as a pitcher...the judgement required to determine whether a pitch is legally high enough. If the pitch hits the shield, it's a ball.

Food for thought. I'm very curious about responses.