IP...tough way to lose the big one
 

I know lots of blues hate calling IPs (and are sometimes instructed not to call them)...

Fredonia vs. Susquehanna NYS HS Class B Championship Game...2-0 Susquehanna. Both runs are directly or indirectly the result of IPs...both times Fredonia pitcher stepped on rubber with ball in glove, removes ball from glove and then returns ball to glove during her motion...oh well...coach must have been beside himself...

http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/co...ory/95426.html

Just last week in a first round state game in here Pa, a the winning run - scored in the bottom of the 10th - was the result of an illegal pitch. It happens and many of us make the right call - regardless of the whining & gnashing of teeth and comments like "We made it all the way through the section and the regionals and she’s obviously done it before, and nobody had chose to make that call."

Classic coach-speak
 

From the losing team's coach, "I’m not going to argue with him. But I’ll tell you this: We made it all the way through the section and the regionals and she’s obviously done it before, and nobody had chose to make that call. What can I say?"

From my reading of the article, there were 3 IPs called for the same thing. The first one did not directly score a run, it only moved the runner to 3B. The runner scored on a bunt.

Why did it take more than one of these IPs for the pitcher to stop bringing the hands together twice?

Pitching is muscle memory.


This is why officials who dont call IPs and think they are doing these girls a favor are really doing them a disservice.

Wade,
Ain't that the truth. Another problem that creates is those folks who cause the problem - by not calling the illegal pitch - never seem to be around to have to clean up that mess.

Guts
 

Third place game, 2004 WA State AA tournament.

Runner at 3B, top of first. While on the pitcher's plate, pitcher does the little flipping back and forth thing with the ball between her glove and bare hand. She almost drops ball, grabs it with her glove, reaches in and grabs it with bare hand, then starts the flippy thing again.

Boom goes the left arm.

so...for the next 5 innings I have the only RBI of the game.

I didn't feel a damned bit bad about it.

Folks, ya either have the balls to call it or you don't. It's just like my friend and fellow SMSUA member Lori Bish calling the young lady out for being out of the batter's box at the WCWS. What was that buzz word for a while - gravitas. Yah, that's it. Have some gravitas out there.

Happened in Atlanta Saturday at the 18G R/N Qual at the Adv. FP Camp:

4-4 tie. Top of 7th. R's on 3B and 2B. F1 has ball in hand, steps on PP, puts hand with ball in glove (the little flippy thing bkbjones talked about), then pulls them apart, puts hands at sides, then puts hands together again. PU calls IP, brings in winning run. Game ends a half inning later 5-4.

No, I was not the PU. But he had the balls to call it.

Yes he has the balls but you mean that is the first time the pitcher did that in 7 innings ?

Yes. But why does/should that matter?

If you have seen it before, and not called it, don't suddenly decide to call it in the 7th with the winning run on 3B.

For some reason, I seem to be seeing casual double touch a lot lately. By "casual" I mean obviously not a part of the pitcher's delivery, and not causing the batters any problems at all.

If it is not a game that matters, I have been telling the coach to watch his pitcher, and help her correct that before she gets into tournament play, especially championship play. Some of these pitchers are old enough (e.g. 16U) to have much better discipline when in the circle.

It is lazy and sloppy. I'd say the problem is more coaching than it is umpiring.

I agree with that. However, that was not the case this time.

Yup, I agree too. And in my recent state game, the first illegal pitch committed was also the last - in the bottom of the 10th.

My motto with illegal pitches (and balks when doing baseball) is to call them early, call them often and make them stop. Any issues about what other umpires allowed in previous games is not a conceren of mine.

It would have mattered if your answer was NO.