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

[oneonone]

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

[mick]

Originally Posted by oneonone

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.

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.

[MNBlue]

Originally Posted by oneonone

...which definately gave the defense an unearned advantage.

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

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

[bkbjones]

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.

[greymule]

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 . . .

[CecilOne]

Originally Posted by greymule

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.

[mcrowder]

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.

[Skahtboi]

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.