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First of all...I just put this here for discussion and trying to present a different point of view on the way the rule reads.
I posted it a couple of different places because I wanted opinions and discussions from different people that may not read all of the various forums. Frankly, I'm a bit surprised that you, MD, seem so closed minded on this one. Your history has suggested that of someone that sometimes questions the logic and written word of the rule(s) and points out discrepancies. This is one of those situations, in my opinion. To address Dakota...as described to me, this pitcher did this every pitch. |
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To Dakota - the answer to your second assumption is not yes. You're talking about a person moving in 3 dimensions. There is no pause during a backswing. To put it in scientific terms - the backswing might momentarily have zero forward velocity (although not zero velocity in every direction) but it never has zero forward acceleration... while the motion described in the OP has both zero velocity and zero acceleration... a noticable pause, or a stop in the delivery. |
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I'm sort of curious as to how a pitch can start without a motion to pitch?
This is part of my problem with all rule sets. The rules and interpretations have been bastardized over the years to accommodate the pitcher. Until this began, FP was not always a pitcher's duel |
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A backswing is allowed, therefore rearward velocity is allowed. There must, therefore, be a transition from rearward to forward, during which transition, the rear/forward velocity reaches zero... i.e., it stops. |
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If you allow illegal pitches, you punish the pitchers who do it right. |
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I'm not sure how I would have ruled had I been presented with this action by the pitcher without having had this discussion. I have no problem calling it illegal if it is, in fact, illegal. Show me. |
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Equating the infinitesimal (literally, btw) time the arm has no forward velocity with a noticeable pause is an incredible stretch to me.... but if you insist on calling them the same thing - then you've just stretched the rules to disallow backswings, not to allow the motion described in the OP. Good luck with that. |
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The only reason this is deemed illegal is because it is unusual, IMO. If mere stopping between the back motion and the starting of the forward motion was illegal, then the pitchers referenced above would also be illegal. |
So, you think stopping should be allowed?
Tell ASA to change the rule. Since the rule says she MUST NOT STOP, this pitcher is illegal. |
You guys keep excerpting the rule to leave out the "forward motion" part. 6-3-C says she must not stop the forward motion. Since she has not started the forward motion, the forward motion has not stopped.
Now, if she did what was described and then just never delivered the pitch, then that clearly violates the "immediately" delivering the pitch rule 6-3-A. Again, I don't think 6-3-C applies since the forward motion has never started. It is the forward motion that must not be stopped or reversed. Therefore, for this to be illegal, it must be judged to be violating 6-3-A in not "immediately delivering the ball to the batter" after making a motion to pitch. Hence, my reference to the look back rule. How long is "immediately"? The OP says "for a second" and "noticeable pause". Without seeing the pitcher, I'm having a hard time making the absolute ruling (coupled with sneering sarcasm) that some of you seem comfortable with. |
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And I think you'll get into trouble comparing the pitching and look back rules when quantifying the term "immediately". We don't allow the pitcher to stop her motion to pitch because it can put the batter at a distinct disadvantage. Is there a similar disadvantage that a runner puts on the pitcher when she doesn't advance or return immediately to a base? I don't feel there is. The amount of concentration a batter puts into the pitch as she locks and loads is much higher than what a pitcher puts into a runner who is off a base. Any slight hesitation in the pitcher's motion that isn't part of her pitch is going to disrupt the batter's concentration. She separates her hands and then puts the ball against her hip, it sounds like she's almost appearing to be looking in for a sign again. |
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