Florida head coach accuses umpires of cheating his team at WCWS

[UmpireErnie]

Wow! Watching UCLA vs. Florida and just saw in game interview with Florida head coach after having 6 IPs called against his team all for leaping. Coach’s quote: “I think they (his team) feel as cheated as I do right now.”

All of these IPs could clearly be seen on TV. There was not a whole lot of grey area, F1 clearly has two feet in the air. Frankly I think the NCAA should take some action for a head coach to come on national TV during a game and accuse the umpires of cheating his team.

Don’t want umpires to call IPs? Don’t IP. Don’t like the IP rule as written. Fine, work to change it. But don’t accuse the official who is doing his/her job as directed of cheating.

[SethPDX]

Originally Posted by UmpireErnie

Wow! Watching UCLA vs. Florida and just saw in game interview with Florida head coach after having 6 IPs called against his team all for leaping. Coach’s quote: “I think they (his team) feel as cheated as I do right now.”

All of these IPs could clearly be seen on TV. There was not a whole lot of grey area, F1 clearly has two feet in the air. Frankly I think the NCAA should take some action for a head coach to come on national TV during a game and accuse the umpires of cheating his team.

Don’t want umpires to call IPs? Don’t IP. Don’t like the IP rule as written. Fine, work to change it. But don’t accuse the official who is doing his/her job as directed of cheating.

Jim Leyland and Armando Galarraga think the Florida coach is a crybaby.

[LarryRc]

Let me start by saying that I umpire baseball and in no way do I understand the nuances to umping softball. But could this be one of those "rules" that does have some gray areas and is loosely called during the regular season. But when the post season comes, or in this case the College World Series, where EVERYONE is watching, they are told to call every Illegal Pitch regardless of advantage/disadvantage. And in this case Florida pitchers may have been doing this all year and not have been called this tight.

[SethPDX]

Originally Posted by LarryRc

Let me start by saying that I umpire baseball and in no way do I understand the nuances to umping softball. But could this be one of those "rules" that does have some gray areas and is loosely called during the regular season. But when the post season comes, or in this case the College World Series, where EVERYONE is watching, they are told to call every Illegal Pitch regardless of advantage/disadvantage. And in this case Florida pitchers may have been doing this all year and not have been called this tight.

Well as I understand it, the supervisors in charge of NCAA softball umpiring have been saying all year that umpires are to call the IPs they see and not to rationalize with, "didn't gain an advantage," "been doing it all year," "no one is complaining," etc. You're not going to get to the WCWS by not following directions.

For my part I once had a HS playoff game in which the pitcher was leaping time and time again. We kept calling it and were complimented by our evaluator afterward.

[UmpireErnie]

Originally Posted by LarryRc

Let me start by saying that I umpire baseball and in no way do I understand the nuances to umping softball. But could this be one of those "rules" that does have some gray areas and is loosely called during the regular season. But when the post season comes, or in this case the College World Series, where EVERYONE is watching, they are told to call every Illegal Pitch regardless of advantage/disadvantage. And in this case Florida pitchers may have been doing this all year and not have been called this tight.

That may very well be the case. If so, the officials who did not make the call in the past may deserve some criticism. But it does not IMO give the coach leave to go on TV and say he is being cheated by the umpires who are calling it as written and as directed.

Look at it in another light. Let’s say that for years you have taken income tax deductions that by the tax code are not allowed and finally this year you get caught. Do you think the IRS would buy the argument that since they didn’t catch you in prior years that they should not penalize you this year? Once they finish laughing at you they will audit all your prior returns! There seems to be this school of thought that since pitchers have gotten away with this in the past that now the umpires are somehow in the wrong for getting it right.

[LarryRc]

No, I agree the coach was a rat. Every replay I saw an IP. Thats one thing I don't like about some coaches is their attitude toward umpires directly affects the players. The coaches reaction I think had more to do with the girls giving up 16 than the 6 IP did. And of course UCLA hot bats.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by LarryRc

No, I agree the coach was a rat. Every replay I saw an IP. Thats one thing I don't like about some coaches is their attitude toward umpires directly affects the players. The coaches reaction I think had more to do with the girls giving up 16 than the 6 IP did. And of course UCLA hot bats.

This pitcher has been called a bundle of times this year, during the SEC playoffs and NCAA's. This is nothing new.

Larry, this is the equivalent to a pitcher being called for a balk on a regular basis and then continuing to do so through the world series and then whining about it.

[pop300ln]

what about the other pitcher from UCLA? did she not fly? fair for one is fair for the other. if both feet are off the ground it is an IP BY THE RULE. a 1/2 in or 3 inches u guys are rule crazy. MAKE THE CALL or use common sense.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by pop300ln

what about the other pitcher from UCLA? did she not fly? fair for one is fair for the other. if both feet are off the ground it is an IP BY THE RULE. a 1/2 in or 3 inches u guys are rule crazy. MAKE THE CALL or use common sense.

Great, another putz who thinks they know how this works. Say goodbye, pop.

[pop300ln]

u are a true little league um or maybe a t-baller

[KJUmp]

Originally Posted by LarryRc

Let me start by saying that I umpire baseball and in no way do I understand the nuances to umping softball. But could this be one of those "rules" that does have some gray areas and is loosely called during the regular season. But when the post season comes, or in this case the College World Series, where EVERYONE is watching, they are told to call every Illegal Pitch regardless of advantage/disadvantage. And in this case Florida pitchers may have been doing this all year and not have been called this tight.

Not in this instance.....
Brombacher, Florida's starting pitcher was called for 2 IP's in the game, that brought her total IP's for the season to 17. She led the SEC in IP's this season with 15, 12 of those were called on her in conference play.
So both her and her coach are no strangers to her having IP's called on her.

There were a total of 4 IP's called in the game against FL. 1 IP was called in the first inning and 3 IP's were called in the third, one on Brombacher and two on the pitcher who relived her, Gammel. All the UCLA runners who advanced a base on the IP's eventually scored, including a runner (Yundi) who scored from 3rd on the second IP called on Gammell,

[vcblue]

pop they showed UCLA pitcher in slow motion a few times. There was no illegal pitch. Don't listen to the announcer. She is rule stupid.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by LarryRc

Let me start by saying that I umpire baseball and in no way do I understand the nuances to umping softball. But could this be one of those "rules" that does have some gray areas and is loosely called during the regular season. But when the post season comes, or in this case the College World Series, where EVERYONE is watching, they are told to call every Illegal Pitch regardless of advantage/disadvantage. And in this case Florida pitchers may have been doing this all year and not have been called this tight.

Larry, what does that have to do with the price of eggs?

If it is against the rules, it is against the rules. Apparently, someone believes it is an advantage or there would be no rule forbidding it.

And at this level, there really is no excuse for not knowing what you are going wrong.

[LarryRc]

Ya I get that its illegal and now seems that it has been called alot. I was just asking if it might have been ignored. irish you call every rule every time regardless?

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by LarryRc

Ya I get that its illegal and now seems that it has been called alot. I was just asking if it might have been ignored. irish you call every rule every time regardless?

At this level, yep. That is why the teams are paying me to be there. If there are rules which are to be taken lightly or not place an emphasis upon, the UIC will instruct me accordingly.

That has been the problem that has lead to the issue here. Over the years, umpires have ignored certain "unpopular" rules, which made some coaches happy and others not.

The lines you see (or saw at the beginning of the game) extending from the end of the PP are a direct result of umpires not calling the IP for being out of the 24" lane. It is a difficult rule enforce, but so many pitchers abused the lax enforcement, the coaches got ticked off and changed the rule book to add these lines as a "reminder" to the pitcher and maybe aid the umpire in enforcement.