What would you do?

1fingeredknuckler · Jun 21, 2013

If you were coaching a high school team in a high school state tournament, and had won your semi final match putting you in the championship game, the next day, and that evening you were confronted by a state and national official who was present at the tournament, and they said to you " your pitcher is pitching illegal, and we are going to call all illegal pitches".

This team is like 23-1

So what do you do?

Comp · Jun 21, 2013

This wouldnt happen to be the game you are talking about would it?

WIAA state softball: Mineral Point takes advantage of 13 illegal pitches and finishes pitch perfect : Prep-zone

marriard · Jun 21, 2013

1fingeredknuckler said:
So what do you do?

Assuming that she is illegal I would have had her fix it a long time ago.

If it is the game Comp mentioned, I would have to see the action to determine if that is she is truly throwing side-arm. It is REAL easy to see if it is happening.

Comp · Jun 21, 2013

Here is video of the pitcher in the article.

Mineral Point wins WIAA Division 3 state softball title : Prep-zone

Amy in AZ. · Jun 21, 2013

How sad that this game turned out this way. Hopefully, the school's AD will ask to meet with these officials that decided to tell the umpires to call something in the championship game, that wasn't called all year.

This caught my eye, from the article - Each time an illegal pitch is called, any runners on base automatically advance 90 feet

Comp · Jun 21, 2013

While I agree it should have been called all year, illegal is illegal and should be called regardless of the importance of the game. Its not like the coach wasnt warned it was going to be called and he chose to pitch her anyway.

David Carter · Jun 21, 2013

The only thing that bothers me about this whole situation is you look at a couple pitches that were called illegal vs others that were not and it's hard to tell the difference. Even if you want to start calling it in the championship game you have to be consistent within game. Where do you find an umpire who will basically just cave into whatever a state official says at the drop of a hat, is your identity that wrapped up in being a state championship HS umpire, to make it through district, regional and sectional you would think they had seen her before, as an umpire I am not going to call something unless I think its a violation...maybe they just found an umpire who agreed with them and picked him for the game. Not to mention who are these state official that obviously have a vendetta against one team

Sounds like a wonderful situation where adults inserted themselves into this game that kids play so it could be about them and not about the kids, the article said 6 of the 7 runs came from these illegal pitch calls sound like it would have bee a great game without these calls but with them it will just be remembered as the game where state officials and umpire robbed the kids of a chance to let the game be decided on the field.

Video was not the best but I did not see anything that seemed to crazy actually her delivery looked a lot like Ricketts kind of an over the ball curve/drop type action but hey that is just me maybe some one can slo mo or freeze frame a couple obvious illegal ones....anybody know these girls or this team, maybe have the inside scoop. Although I have to say the girl talked to the reporter after the game and I can say that I was super impressed with her poise, although she had probably cried her eyes out by that point.

ms244 · Jun 21, 2013

I have been called out by a couple of members of this site about my comments about illegal pitching. They admitted that they were instructed by the TD not to call illegal pitches during some tournaments. Until we get umpires and tournament directors to enforce the ASA rules that they are supposed to enforce, you will continue to have problems like this occur. Now that they were "allowed" to pitch illegally, they are going to be held to the rules. This only makes matters worse.

Until we get pitching coaches to instruct towards the rules that we play, and coaches to coach to the rules that we play and especially the umpires to actually enforce the rules, this will continue to happen. Just ask Mike Candrea how this worked for him. He had an illegal pitcher that was allowed to pitch illegally the entire year only to be called "illegal" during the World Series games. How does that benefit the player, the team or the game of softball? Ultimately the problem starts and stops with the umpires who are hired to enforce the RULES of the game. If they start calling IP's during 10u,12u and especially 14u this won't happen.

MTR · Jun 21, 2013

David Carter said:
The only thing that bothers me about this whole situation is you look at a couple pitches that were called illegal vs others that were not and it's hard to tell the difference. Even if you want to start calling it in the championship game you have to be consistent within game. Where do you find an umpire who will basically just cave into whatever a state official says at the drop of a hat, is your identity that wrapped up in being a state championship HS umpire, to make it through district, regional and sectional you would think they had seen her before, as an umpire I am not going to call something unless I think its a violation...maybe they just found an umpire who agreed with them and picked him for the game. Not to mention who are these state official that obviously have a vendetta against one team

Sounds like a wonderful situation where adults inserted themselves into this game that kids play so it could be about them and not about the kids, the article said 6 of the 7 runs came from these illegal pitch calls sound like it would have bee a great game without these calls but with them it will just be remembered as the game where state officials and umpire robbed the kids of a chance to let the game be decided on the field.

Video was not the best but I did not see anything that seemed to crazy actually her delivery looked a lot like Ricketts kind of an over the ball curve/drop type action but hey that is just me maybe some one can slo mo or freeze frame a couple obvious illegal ones....anybody know these girls or this team, maybe have the inside scoop. Although I have to say the girl talked to the reporter after the game and I can say that I was super impressed with her poise, although she had probably cried her eyes out by that point.

Or maybe like in other states, where many of the games are relatively regional as are the assignments of the umpires, this crew may not have seen this pitcher before. It happens, as does a fact that not all umpire associations are as dedicated to the enforcement of the rules as they are to being friendly to the teams and coaches. and have not called the pitcher illegal when she was.

And, BTW, as much as many people don't believe it, though most have never been in the position, the umpires take direction from those running the tournaments/programs. That IS part of their job. So many people like to blame the umpires from the NCAA on down, but absolutely refuse to believe they umpire as directed, not necessarily want to umpire the game. The umpire do not make the rules, or interpretations, just apply and enforce them as they are directed.

This has been stated repeatedly by umpires on these boards for years, yet the same whining returns year after year placing the blame at the umpires' feet just like the SP players.

JAD · Jun 21, 2013

Amy in AZ. said:
This caught my eye, from the article - Each time an illegal pitch is called, any runners on base automatically advance 90 feet

90 feet....LOL....did they play the championship game on a baseball field?

What would you do?

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1fingeredknuckler

TOUCH EM ALL

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marriard

Not lost - just no idea where I am

Comp

Amy in AZ.

Comp

David Carter

ms244

MTR

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