Pitchers and foreign substances
 

There is a big, long discussion on the baseball board regarding the stuff that Detroit pitcher Kenny Rogers had on his hand at the beginning of Game 2 of the World Series.

Rogers finger 'stuff'

I posed this same question on the baseball board to get a feel for the philosophy of how baseball umpires would handle it. I would like to ask how we as softball umpires would react:

If you noticed something unusual on the pitcher's person, would you intitiate an inspection or would you wait for the opposing coach to bring it to your attention?

Preventive umpiring.

If I noticed something on the pitcher that could be a problem, I would check it out, discreetly.

I agree with Mike's assessment.

Yes, Scott . . . and then JO changes the ruling and HIS rule book to suit!

Say what?................

ditto :confused:

Why be discrete?

I agree with Tony on this. Why? If something is suspicious I'll probably call the coach out and go to the pitcher and look at her hand. If it's nothing I offer some sort of "apology" and go back to the game - if it's something - that's different. Maybe there's a purpose for being discrete but I don't know what that would be.

I'm another one who is going to discreetly check something. I'll get a look at it when I clean the pitcher's plate and take a little longer than normal - may even have a brief discussion with the pitcher.
If after I've discreetly looked, I'm still suspicious, I'll take a "formal" look. That, most likely will be with my partner and the pitcher's coach.
If, after I've discreetly looked, I think it's nothing - nobody ever need know that I got a good look at "it".

Sorry, Mike . . . just referencing an uncomfortable situation Scott encountered with an "inventive" UIC.

oh for goodness sakes.. this is JO softball not the MLB World Series where Tony and his good ole boy network dont want to raise a stink.

If I have reason to suspect something is on the pitchers hand, i'm calling time and me and the coach will go have a look.

Simple.

Who said it was JO? Ever work Men's Major FP? I know a couple on this board have. Do you know what color the ball is by the time the pitcher is finished with it?

I work as much mens FP (usually B&C) as I can; although because of the area, not as much as I like.

Its still the same - I'd check the pitchers hand if I needed to (ie they made me)
:D

But of course he would. It could even include making sure that the foreign substance was back on there after the one inning DQ-ing. :D

Wade,
There's a big difference in being asked to check a pitcher's hand by the other team and you as an ump noticing. Andy's original question was what would you do if YOU noticed. Your latest to Mike said "Its still the same - I'd check the pitchers hand if I needed to (ie they made me)" This makes me think we're reading things differently.

So, to clarify my response
If I notice, I am going to take a discreet look as I said above.
If I am asked by the other team, that's already "formal", so I'm going to get my partner and we are going to actually inspect.

Having done some B & C ball, if you ever get the chance to work some Majors - do it. That's a whole 'nother world. I laugh when I see the major leaguers trying to bat against some women olympians and not doing well (celebrating when somebody hits a weak foul). Move the pitchers back 3 feet (to start) and add maybe 20mph to the speed - the major leaguers wouldn't even sniff the ball until the catcher showed it to them.

Care to 'splain yourself Lucy?
- good ole boy network?
- don't want to raise a stink?
:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

I'm thinking maybe he meant Tony LaRussa, not Tony Cannizzo:p

Does it really matter?
 

Not nearly as much as in baseball.

the ML Baseball is 25% lighter, less than half the volume, thrown from 30 to 50% farther away (depending on softball level of play),and thrown 1.5 to 2 times faster (depending on pitch selection and softball level of play) than the ASA legal 12" softball.

A bit of pine tar will have a significantly greater effect on the flight of the ball in baseball than in softball.

Maybe it would matter to King Feigner in his heyday, but not to the vast majority of fastpitch pitchers.

That would 'splain it just fine.:cool: