Proposed ASA SP Rules Changes

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally posted by greymule
Whatever they demonstrated at that school, around here, players and umpires do not recognize excessive speed unless the ball is thrown practically at modified speed. That includes tournaments in which teams from eight or nine states participate, so it's not just us. Nobody expects excessive speed to be called if the pitch is simply "flat." The rule about ejection was to penalize a pitcher who was being unsportsmanlike, not who threw a second pitch at 5 feet 11 inches. Bad suggestion!

I agree. Most umpires don't call it because there wouldn't be anyone left to pitch and it's hard enough to get these guys to throw strikes as it is.

As for allowing the ball to hit the plate—or disregarding the existence of the plate in determining strikes—I think it's quite common for a pitch to enter the strike zone and then hit the plate. It would allow more strikes to be called, but I'm still against it. Why not just go to mat ball?

While it is possible for a pitch to pass through the strike zone and catch a portion of the plate, it is more likely that if it hits the plate, it did not get over that front knee at the front of the plate. Also, it would just create to the confusion by allowing some to be strikes and others balls.