Worlds greatest IP?
 

So there I was browsing through the Nationals "around the country" Pics on ASA's face book page .. and there it was... the worlds greatest IP.. you know folks, when that pivot foot aims to 2B.. that makes the call soooo easy..

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._5578723_n.jpg

This was another one on there, a run of the mill IP..

http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._6778776_n.jpg



IMO.. not called all year...

Yeah, I saw those pics, too. Even I went, "holy crap, that HAD to have been illegal!"

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._5578723_n.jpg


You sure this wasn't an ASA version of Swan Lake?

Yeah, maybe they just one the game and she was doing the "oh what a feeling" dance.

On a similar topic, here's a question I have that came up this year. Let's say you see one or two pictures of a pitcher leaping in the newspaper. Of course they're only talking about what a great pitching job she did. Then you have the same pitcher in a game you're working. It's a big match up between two state ranked high school teams. Your partner is (a) a rookie doing his first varsity game, and (b) a baseball guy who only works a couple of softball games a year, doing his first of the year. Obviously you're going to do the plate for the game.

Would you call attention to the pitcher's delivery during the pregame with your partner?

No.

The first picture was obviously during warm-ups. That is NOT the ready-position for any F9 at Nats.

The second picture is interesting, and seems that IP might be more nit-picky in real time. The pivot foot is still shedding dirt. The dirt trail does not seem to indicate a lot of elevation, and the lead foot is just about to hit the ground. For all we know from the picture, she may be one of those pitchers who end up with the figure-4 leg finish.

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._5578723_n.jpg


Is it my imagination, or is her left arm as long as her left leg? :confused:

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._5578723_n.jpg


She cannot be illegal, she is from Huntington Beach and everyone knows SoCal pitchers are as legal as they come, just ask her coach. :rolleyes:

Maybe leaping will be legal in PGF?

Why not?

Speaking for me, not Dakota....I wouldn't because if he doesn't know what an illegal pitch is before the game I'm sure not going to be able to teach him that in a minute during warmups. Secondly, if he doesn't know what it is, how is he going to explain it to the coach when questioned about why he called it and how it was illegal. If asked he will probably say because my partner told me it was, now that makes me look like I'm creating issues. Just my thought.

Has anything good ever happened to anybody because they primed their partner (expecially a rookie) to make a particular call?

I wouldnt say anything either.


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I wouldnt agree with tony that this had to be during warm up.. we admitedly dont know.

I would say that is how she throws, warm ups or when pitching....

An IP that good needs consistent practice.

"Legal" would imply rule.. which there are none.

I'd guess how they will handle it is.. its a showcase, let em play. Maybe talk to em before the inning starts.

wade and Dholloway covered it pretty well. If my partner does not know what an IP is, and I prime him to call it, as wade says, nothing good can come from that.

OK, I can live with that although I don't entirely agree. I guess my next question is when 2/3 of the crew apparently can't call IPs, why are they assigned to work 3-man on "a big match up between two state ranked high school teams"? Just curious.

I guess you'd need to ask BlitzkriegBob that question, although like anything else in human endeavor, not everything is determined strictly by merit.

Yeah, I agree with what everyone else says also. For the record, I didn't say a word to either partner. To clarify, I had this pitcher in two games, and the two partners I described each worked one game with me. Her team was was ranked in the top 5 in Class 3A, and they were facing another top 10 in Class 3A, and the number 1 team in the state from Class 4A. When they faced the #1 team, it was a rescheduled game, and while I was originally scheduled to work with a pretty good umpire the first time around, I ended up with the rookie for the makeup game. He didn't have much to do on the bases, as it was a 2-0 game with the #1 team's pitcher one out away from throwing a no-hitter, and both runs were pushed across in the same inning...one on an IP called by yours truly (remarkably without a peep from the DC, he knew what she did). I can't tell you why he ended up with this game, I don't do the scheduling.

In situation (a) or (b) I would be thinking about the future conversation I would be having with the assignor.