Illegal pitch video.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Big Slick

And the extra half cent: I think there is way too much effort and concentration on being outside the 24". If the pitcher starts in the middle of the pitcher's plate, a female pitcher cannot be outside the 24" without leaping (which should be called). Bio-mechanically, it is impossible for someone under the height of 6'5" to drag and deliver a pitch with proper hip placement.

Completely and utterly untrue. I would say that a 24" violation is very rare, especially from the middle. But it's not bio-mechanically impossible at all. We had one pitcher 2-3 years back that took advantage of local umpires who just refuse to call IP's and pitched in such a way that her whole body was left (from her POV) of the 24" lane when she release. As in ... almost a balk in baseball, she went so far toward the first base line.

And she started on the THIRD base side of the plate.

Got called for IP's on the first 5 consecutive pitches to begin her district tourney and was pulled, never to pitch again in that tourney.

[Big Slick]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

Completely and utterly untrue. I would say that a 24" violation is very rare, especially from the middle. But it's not bio-mechanically impossible at all. We had one pitcher 2-3 years back that took advantage of local umpires who just refuse to call IP's and pitched in such a way that her whole body was left (from her POV) of the 24" lane when she release. As in ... almost a balk in baseball, she went so far toward the first base line.

And she started on the THIRD base side of the plate.

Got called for IP's on the first 5 consecutive pitches to begin her district tourney and was pulled, never to pitch again in that tourney.

Then she was a very rare individual who could throw a pitch with either a) her hips complete square to the plate or b) she pushed off with such force to drag the entire 24" of the pitcher's plate, not lose momentum, pivot (to close her hips) and release the pitch. Either way, she is the EXCEPTION, not the rule.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Big Slick

Then she was a very rare individual who could throw a pitch with either a) her hips complete square to the plate or b) she pushed off with such force to drag the entire 24" of the pitcher's plate, not lose momentum, pivot (to close her hips) and release the pitch. Either way, she is the EXCEPTION, not the rule.

Definitely agree she was the exception. a) she was definitely facing the batter ... if not left of the batter ... upon release. If you took a picture of her at the moment of release from home plate, she would appear to be facing you with her arm outstretched toward you. b) yup, but that part's not rare... the little drag marks most pitchers make are more than 2 feet long. c) she didn't close her hips - she was wide open (toward home) at the release.

It was a bizarre motion. I think she did lose momentum because of it. The other thing that was also illegal is that her arm was often out away from her body (wrist further than the elbow)... almost Kent Tekulve-ish. I bet she would have been pretty good without the odd motion. As it was, it was ONLY the odd motion that gave her any advantage - she wasn't all that fast, and her pitches, while strikes, were all hittable... once batters got used to the odd motion (which should have been IP'd in the first place), she got hit.