Stupid Local Rule

[BretMan]

Stupid rules and local rules go hand-in-hand. But, the men's fastpitch league where I play has adopted what has to be the number one stupidest rule in the history of stupid local rules.

We play by ASA rules- with modifications...lots of modifications. These modifications are proposed and voted on by league coaches during the off-season, each with their own agenda and each with varying degrees of cluelessness.

For instance, they allow a continuous batting order and free substitution on defense. That one's not so bad, as it does promote participation in what is, essentially, a recreational league.

They use four outfielders. Odd for fastpitch, but since we play on unfenced fields it does provide some degree of balance between offense and defense. Up until about 10 years ago, this league was for 30-and-over players only, and that played into the four outfielders rule. Since opening up the league to all ages, the rule has been retained. Not the stupidest of rules- just different.

The wise and all-knowing powers that be have made batting helmets optional. Not the smartest of rules, but still not their stupidest. You do have some stupid players that forego the helmet though. I always wear mine and it saved me a probable concussion on one nasty hit-by-pitch to the head.

Their absolute stupidest rule which, when you think about it would be impossible for an umpire to enforce, involves courtesy runners. With a continuous batting order, the standard ASA courtesy runner rule (a player not in the game- everybody is in the game) can't be followed.

So what they came up with is a courtesy runner can be used for any player at any time, and the courtesy runner can be any player- SO LONG AS THE COURTESY RUNNER COMING IN IS NO FASTER THAN THE PLAYER BEING REPLACED.

How in the world would an umpire know which player is faster than the other? What is he going to do- stop the game and have the two guys run a couple of timed forty yards to see who is the fastest?

A stupid and virtually unenforcable rule, somehow pushed through by a couple of crybaby coaches that felt violated because teams were legally using the previous C.R. rule (anybody at any time) to put good runners in for older or injured players.

Our coach, who is 65 and still plays a few innings here and there- and is exactly the kind of player the old C.R. rule was supposed to address- pointed out that at one recent game, the only player slower than him was me- I had a severly sprained ankle at the time and had to ride the bench for a couple of weeks. (I still think I could have out-limped him in a footrace!)