Saturday night game - LL majors

2 Hours, 20 minutes - 3 innings - score: 41 - 12.

3 out of 4 balls pitched either bounced a foot in front of the plate or were 10 feet in the air. When someone did hit the ball, there were usually multiple errors.

I adjusted the zone real quick to include anything from the eyeballs to mid-shin. Was there anything else I could have done to get through the innings any quicker (short of moving the pitchers 3 feet closer to the plate)??

-Kono

And this game really needed an Umpire????????

Del-Blue

No, just someone to keep plate clean so that they could
verify all those runs were actually touching the plate.

kono,

Glad that was your game and not mine, however, I do have
10U followed by 12U tonite. Brat ball...:D

glen

Warning for rules purists - heresy follows...

Don't reject that idea of moving the plate too fast...
Maybe you should pace off the distance and "discover" they have the pticher's plate set at 46' instead of 40'. Insist they correct it. ;)

What were you doing with that pie plate zone? If it doesn't kick up dust, it's high enough. If it doesn't hit the batter, it's just an inside strike. If the bat can reach it, it's an outside strike.

F3 juggling the ball is possession and control.
F3 with her foot nearby has her foot in contact.
No such thing as a trapped ball - its caught.
These apply to any other fielder at any other force play.

Wild pitches can't go out of play - it's just a ball, no runners advance (most coaches at this level don't know this rule anyway, so you'll be unlikely to get any arguments).

In other words, take any excuse for a defensive put out; just don't start looking for infraction outs (leaving early, etc) that aren't there, remember the objective is for the kids to play ball (or something like it), not get the gave over with.

<i><b>F3 juggling the ball is possession and control.
F3 with her foot nearby has her foot in contact.
No such thing as a trapped ball - its caught.
These apply to any other fielder at any other force play.
Wild pitches can't go out of play...</b></i>

If only we had anything like that to call - most everything was black or white. Either F3 caught the ball or it went sailing over her head. With the backstop we have - wild pitches don't go out of play.

I was looking real hard for some running infractions, but couldn't find them anywhere. The only place I could help was with the strike zone. I opened it up as much as I could morally live with (if the bats can't reach it, I can't call it a strike). These teams will face pitchers from other teams that can get the ball over the plate. I don't wan't tem thinking that they have to swing all the time at balls that are over their head.

-Kono

[QUOTE]Originally posted by kono

<font color = red><i>The only place I could help was with the strike zone. I opened it up as much as I could morally live with (if the bats can't reach it, I can't call it a strike). These teams will face pitchers from other teams that can get the ball over the plate. I don't wan't them thinking that they have to swing all the time at balls that are over their head.</font></i>

-Kono [QUOTE]

I totally agree with your assessement of not calling really out of
the strike zone, strikes. This is more harm than good. Now whenever
a pitcher throws a high one she thinks it is a strike, or a low 6 inches
outside one.
There are other ways to get the outs. You harm both pitcher and <b>bratter</b>
when you start really expanded strike zone.

My Bratter game tonight {10U] was 31-18...:cool: huh
They will get better as the days come and go, they always do.

glen

All I can say is ouch.........

Although I have had some that approached that........I cannot recall ever having one that bad.......

Some of the leagues I call in have run per inning rules through 12U..........(6 runs per inning)

This could possibly help if it were a frequent occurence.......

BTW........my youngest's team had two games this weekend in 10U that went to ITB after 6 innings.......one was a 1-1 tie.....the other was 0-0......and these were ASA Rec teams..............

Her team won one of them and lost the other.........actually pretty good ball for that age......

Joel

You got me glen.............grin

[Edited by Gulf Coast Blue on Apr 30th, 2002 at 06:12 AM]

Joel,

You seem to have been cut off or lost in thought. However,

<b>"Thinking is harder work than hard work."</b> <i>Leo Rosten</i>.

glen

15 run mercy after 3 innings