4 "hit-by-pitch" fast balls in a row!
 

I was watching (not calling) my daughters little league softball game (12 year old/majors) game one night this week and the other team brought in a new pitcher that had great speed, but no control. She nailed the first four batter with wild inside fast balls. The coach only came out after the fourth girl was hit...this due to the parents starting to voice their concerns, and removed her from the game. My question is...as the plate umpire, what do you do when this happens. Do you or can you request that for safety reasons the pitcher be removed? How many girls would you allow a pitcher to hit befor intervening. After the second girl was hit the next two batters positioned themselves as far away from the plate as they could out of fear, which definately gave the defense an unearned advantage. Just courious. All four girls were right handed batters. And I would estimate the pitches to have been between 40-45mph. The PU at the game was a dad that was drafted from the stands and the pitcher was the DC's daughter.

Thanks for your time.

Mike

oneonone.

I have been in that situation, but I never played the safety card.
After any pitcher demonstrates such lack of control, I may privately tell the manager, "I am uneasy." [I've never been beyond that step.]

Third batter seems like a bunch to me, but then I didn't just fall of the bleachers to help. :)

I think they earned it by giving up four base runners, and one run.:eek:

I would let the DC know I was concerned, but it would be up to him to coach his pitcher and team.

I know an umpire, upon whom a bounty has been raised should this umpire ever lay eyes upon Spokane, WA...and no, this umpire is not me.

This umpire had a similar situation in a very big tournament in Spokane several years ago. Sunday morning game that was out of hand. Not wanting to waste his "good" pitchers, Coach uses Lil Suzie to finish up. Lil Suzie couldn't throw hard enough to break wind, much less a body part. Nonetheless, Lil Suzie hit 2 girls in a row.

This unnamed umpire went out to "warn" the DC, who of course went nuts. The unnamed umpire also went nuts. The screaming could literally be heard over 100 feet away -- that's where the umpire camp was located.

This wasn't the only thing this umpire did, but it was the last in Spokane. Two wonderful Spokane umpires, Gary Koch and Rob Hough, promised me that if I brought this unnamed umpire back to Spokane they would shoot this umpire first and then shoot me. Can't say I blame 'em. I'd shoot me too if I did it.

Only thing was...the next year I brought someone even worse. :eek:

Some youth rec baseball leagues have concocted rules that require removal of the pitcher after a certain number of batters are hit by pitches. People probably figure softball is the same.

And you can't show bunt and wiggle the bat, and you must slide, and . . .

Too early in the morning for such obscenity! :)

The unstated point about the OP is that there is no rule that requires or allows the umpire to do anything about this. If I were the OC, I would discuss it with DC, even with the DD factor.

I agree with the consensus ... at the VERY most, a casual quiet mention to the coach that he may want to address the situation. Unless we see something intentional, we really have no rule basis for removing this pitcher.

Since there are no rules governing this type of situation, as has already been pointed out, I usually do nothing. If I am asked my opinion by the DC, then I will certainly give it. Other than that, it is there game, the coaches are capable of knowing what is going on and what needs to be done.

There is a concept in law that committing an act in conscious disregard of danger is the equivalent of intent. It covers people who shoot into buildings just for the hell of it with no real intent to kill, but who kill occupants anyway.

Pitching a ball towards a batter at speeds capable of causing serious bodily injury, knowing that your control is so poor that you have a high likelihood of hitting and injuring the batter, is acting in conscious disregard of significant danger, and amounts, says I, to intent. Intentionally hitting a batter is unsportsmanlike conduct or malicious contact for which the penalty is ejection.

I have had this problem three or four times. It always is a 12-year-old daughter of a pushy dad/coach. She whips the ball towards the plate as fast as possible with next-to-no control, fast enough to break an arm of the frail little darling who just wants to be playing games with her friends. I say, first hit: that's softball; second hit: warn coach; third hit: eject.

I raised this question on a thread a year or two ago and was told by people whose opinions I respect that it's not up to me to be making up rules. I haven't acted on my beliefs yet, but if I don't and someone gets hurt, I'll feel bad.

I don't like "eject" based upon a lack of skill.
I am guessing that wild pitcher may be quite well suited for a field position and not have to watch the rest of the game through those big tears. http://www.clicksmilies.com/s1106/tr...smiley-044.gif

Unless the rules of the sanctioning body say something else, a pitcher's ability or lack of ability to throw strikes is not something I have any say over. If I think the pitcher is intentionally throwing at batters, I'll take action. If she is just a lousy pitcher, I'm likely in for a long game.
If the rules of the game say there is a limit to the number of batters who can be unintentionally hit by a pitch, then you have a rule to cover it. Otherwise, ya go no valid umpiring reason to take any action.

Then you need to do one of two things. Find an organization which shares you beliefs or stop umpiring. Any sport in which a hard object is propelled at a high velocity is going to going to include possible dangerous situations whether it is baseball, softball, lacrosse, ice hockey, field hockey, etc.
However, isn't it something that players in these sports cause no more injuries than others like soccer and basketball. Go figure.

ALL participants are aware of that when they begin playing the sport. All parents should be aware of the dangers of a sport before allowing their child to participate.