View Single Post
  #8 (permalink)  
Old Sun Jun 29, 2003, 09:51pm
WestMichBlue WestMichBlue is offline
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: West Michigan
Posts: 964
"only they would spend just a little time and open that rule book they are given each season and get a better understanding of the game they choose to coach!! . . . . . . OR UMPIRE?

OK, my turn. 18U, U-trip Qualifying Tournament, first game Friday. F1 warming up, must be getting ready for NCAA ball for she has that big stride step sideways, drags the pivot foot behind her and pitches back into the batter. I thought that I better get this taken care of before we got into the game so I went out to talk with the pitcher. Said "you can't step outside the width of the plate." "What do you mean, Blue?" So I draw the line in the dirt and say "you can't land completely outside this line." She looks at me with those big blue eyes and says "I didn't know that!"

By this time I've got a couple coaches coming on the field and yelling "what's going on? What's going on!" "He won't let me step over the line, coach." "THAT'S BS. THAT'S ONLY BEFORE THE PITCH THAT SHE HAS BE BE WITHIN THE PLATE. YOU CAN'T PROVE THAT. SHOW ME A RULE BOOK WHERE IT SAYS THAT!" I said that I didn't need a book, that I knew the pitching rules, and that I needed for them to move to the bench so I could get the game started. "WELL SHE CAN LAND ANYWHERE SHE WANTS, AND YOU CAN'T PROVE OTHERWISE." "Well, Coach, you are right; she can land anywhere. But if it's outside the 24" plate width I will have to call an illegal pitch." Now they are really going bonkers. They want to protest; they are calling for the UIC. "Sorry Coach, no protest, and that is in your tournament rules. I said that I was tired of listening to them, to git in the dugout right now or this game will be over before the first pitch.

"Play Ball." And that first step is fully 6" outside the 24" width. Arm out, illegal pitch. One side of field erupts in jeers and boos; snickers from the other side. I probably called 6 or 8 illegal pitches in that first half inning. And the noise was ugly.

Somebody must have got the word to the coaches because they calmed down, and were even nice to me. And F1 moved over a bit, still have the big sideways step, but was now landing on the line so no more illegal pitches.

Interesting sidenote; female (college) coach for other team approached me after the inning was over and said quietly "shouldn't my runners have advanced a base on those illegal pitches?" I replied "yes, but I forgot at the time and I didn't want to inflame the situation any further." She smiled and turned away. What a gem! She had every right to challenge during that first half inning, but chose to keep quiet.

"Now for the rest of the story." Umpires are using 2nd floor of concession stand as a changing area and we are looking out on a game today. Same team is playing, same pitcher, same illegal side stride. From above we are looking straight onto the pitcher's plate. I drew the attention of a fellow ump to the stride foot landing and asked if he would call that illegal. No, he said and then started to explain what things he would call illegal. "Would you not call that because you don't want to, or because you don't think that it is illegal?" I asked. "It's not illegal" he replied. "Her feet only have to be within 24" to start the pitch." (Now where have I heard that before?) When I said that it was illegal he replied "well, if I saw it in the book then I would call it illegal. But I've never seen it there."

BTW, this a a rising star in our association; 7 yrs experience, lots of H.S. ball including State Tournaments, summer JO tournaments, and men's FP leagues.

WMB

Reply With Quote