Pitching

[DG]

That's funny. A 10 year old who gains an advantage by pitching off the end of the rubber.

[chris s]

Originally posted by DG
That's funny. A 10 year old who gains an advantage by pitching off the end of the rubber.

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The only advantage I see is that he's not pitching with his pivot foot 6 inches loower than free foot......saves on sprains and breaks

[cowbyfan1]

It does gain a bit of an advantage. I used to slide from one end of the rubber to the other on the same batter just to give a differnt angle, usually from farther away to closer in as it made the batter feel the pitch was more inside than it was. I would hang off the end of the rubber as well some. I also threw side arm alot so being on the left of the rubber I would throw over the top then when I would slide to the right I would throw side arm. Made the feeling worst.

I would also use this on pick offs to 3rd. I got a little closer and on the side arm it let me "cheat" a little on the step to 3rd/home. Made my pick off to 3rd as nasty as Petittes move to first. Coach would actually have the 3b cover third like a 1st basemen would.

[TBBlue]

Originally posted by DG
In "51 Ways to Ruin a Baseball Game" Carl calls this one a highly technical balk that is best to "ignore it until someone calls it to your attention (They never will)." Technically, any part of the foot can not hang off. This A's pitcher is obviously not gaining an advantage on a pickoff to 1B by hanging off the other side of the rubber.

Amen. Don't pick boogers.

Also, technically the A's pitcher's entire pivot foot is in front of the rubber if you draw a line from 1b to 3b through the rubber. It seems to me that "off the end" of the rubber is saying you can't toe (or heel) the side of the rubber and be legal, because the entire pivot foot is not on, or in front of the rubber at that point. It is on the side. In my opinion that is why you see ML pitchers barely on the corner, but in front of the rubber, and never have I seen them toe the end of the rubber.

[Saltydog]

TBBlue,
I NEVER thought about 'in front of' the rubber the way you described it. That def. makes sense, esp as you reference it to ML throwers. Thanks much!



"The only advantage I see is that he's not pitching with his pivot foot 6 inches loower than free foot......saves on sprains and breaks"

Chris! You've ump'd/played on one of our fields!? We just assumed there couldn't be others with holes that deep. But it does go nicely with the pond that forms behind the plate, right about where you would stand, when it rains. In fact, I saw a guy with a pole the other day. Asked him where he was going. He replied; "Field 18, I hear the Blues are running."