New One fro Me
 

Last night varsity softball. I am on the bases. Visiting team changes pitchers. While HP and the coach deal with substitutions, I do my due diligence and count warm up pitches. When she finished the 4th one, I told the home plate umpire one more.

The coach comes all unglued that we should not be counting warm up pitches unless we count both teams. HP and coach exchange pleasantries and coach gets a warning to knock it off.

I have never seen such a conflict over something so petty.

Definitely petty, even with the situation needing a pitcher change.

I often wonder how many of us enforce the excess pitch rule and whether it matters if the catcher/pitcher has been told no more.

A lot of catchers think 5 pitches and THEN a throw down pitch. :rolleyes:

There is no penalty if the pitcher throws additional pitches while the umpire is performing other duties.

If that is still the sitch when the 5th pitch is thrown.

My point being, if the plate umpire is still performing other duties there is no need to stop the pitcher from warming up and there is no penalty for the pitcher to keep throwing during this period.

Not disagreeing, just expanding. ;)

When I am doing the Plate and am going to be busy, I will tell the catcher to keep warming up the pitcher until I tell them to stop.:eek:

Why?

That's coaching and might contradict the actual coach.

At one of the state meetings (Ohio), this was discussed and we were told that while doing the admin functions, we should tell the pitcher to take more pitches to stay warm if necessary.

Simple response to coach...."I AM counting warm up pitches for both teams"

If worth a response at all, analogous to "call it both ways".