Tennessee coaches unhappy with California pitcher's shoe flap
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Totally ridiculous that a coach would even think about adding a "flap" on some girls shoe. You can either pitch legally or not.
No rule change needed. Just enforcement at a younger age. We played a girl last year from St Louis area that leaped, replanted about two feet in front of the plate, and pushed off again. Never called in the whole game.
No rule change needed. Just enforcement at a younger age. We played a girl last year from St Louis area that leaped, replanted about two feet in front of the plate, and pushed off again. Never called in the whole game.
I know some will say she's replanting and gaining a huge advantage but the slow-motion video shows her stride and drive foot land at the same time which is a leap and not a crow-hop or replant with another push.
It may be a small advantage and it may not...I honestly don't know but, one thing's for sure...it is illegal.
It may be a small advantage and it may not...I honestly don't know but, one thing's for sure...it is illegal.
JJ - You fail to see a defect in her mechanics? Would consider the pitcher from Cal worthy of inclusion of in the Model Pitchers Sticky?
Check out 1:53. Way back when she knew better.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s67Iu7ftsm4
Then again in 2010 she was still legal:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Z1zT85OBQU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s67Iu7ftsm4
Then again in 2010 she was still legal:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Z1zT85OBQU
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JJsqueeze
Dad, Husband....legend
I see pitching flaws in everyone, even Cat. but I am not really one to pick a single thing in a motion to dwell on, I look at the overall results a lot more. So for a girl that is 5'4" that brings it at 65mph, I usually just say that her results trump my opinions of her motion.
I am biased though. My little DD loves Sutherland Finch, something about short statured, fiesty, blond girls sticking together. And if you have every watched her pitch a full game it is really hard not to root for her, she is a firecracker and has the best energy in the circle of any pitcher I have seen since Lisa Fernandez.
As for the model pitchers sticky, there are plenty in there with various flaws so yes I would include her. If for any other reason than to show another short kid out there that even they can learn how to pitch really fast. Maybe there is another girl her size at that level but I have not seen her yet so she must be doing something right.
Katie's dad is an on again-off again poster here. Maybe he will chime in with some insight.
The real question is if Hal will start advocating and selling "The Flapper".
I feel bad for the kid. Not the legacy you hope for.
I feel bad for the kid. Not the legacy you hope for.
JJsqueeze
Dad, Husband....legend
on a lark I just went over to the model pitchers thread.....add these pitchers to the hit list of leapers...
Ueno, Fico, Waldrop, Hawkins, Escobedo....all have clips with daylight under their drag foot during the pitch in the model pitchers thread. So how much fun would softball be if it was enforced 100%?
Also ran across this little quote from Hillhouse...
"I have not been following this thread so I've not read any of the first 5 pages.... but for some reason I was pulled to it now and to see this last video of Japan Vs. USA. This is another example of what sickens me. Far too many people scream and cry bloody murder when a pitcher "hops" or when they perceive he/she is hopping, real or imagined. Yet absolutely nothing gets said about this USA hitter who clearly steps out of the box when she makes contact with the ball. It's another example of how we dumb down the game, try to make pitchers stay by 1950's rules while hitters are allowed to use 2011 style of play and equipment. We continually give hitters advantages of new bats, balls, not calling slappers out of the box, etc. yet the pitching rules are still antiquated."
Bill
Ueno, Fico, Waldrop, Hawkins, Escobedo....all have clips with daylight under their drag foot during the pitch in the model pitchers thread. So how much fun would softball be if it was enforced 100%?
Also ran across this little quote from Hillhouse...
"I have not been following this thread so I've not read any of the first 5 pages.... but for some reason I was pulled to it now and to see this last video of Japan Vs. USA. This is another example of what sickens me. Far too many people scream and cry bloody murder when a pitcher "hops" or when they perceive he/she is hopping, real or imagined. Yet absolutely nothing gets said about this USA hitter who clearly steps out of the box when she makes contact with the ball. It's another example of how we dumb down the game, try to make pitchers stay by 1950's rules while hitters are allowed to use 2011 style of play and equipment. We continually give hitters advantages of new bats, balls, not calling slappers out of the box, etc. yet the pitching rules are still antiquated."
Bill
(1) I agree that having one pitching rule regardless of gender would solve this...but would the women now pitch from the same distance as the men? If we're going to have one rule, they should (or vice versa).
(2) I'm sure that she has worked extremely hard to get a D1 scholarship...but she's NOT a kid...she's an adult and she knows damn well she's pitching illegally...and so does that "HOF" head coach at Cal...at some point in time personal integrity needs to take over.
(3) As an umpire, I agree that all the umpires that called games where she pitched in the past, saw the illegal pitching, and did not call it should have given the umpiring money back. That personal integrity thing again...
(4) Which of course leads us to those coaches that know their pitchers are illegal and bitch/moan every time an illegal pitch is called ("she hasn't been called for that all season...")..SHUT THE HELL UP AND HELP YOUR PITCHER PITCH LEGALLY...
I know, I know...that personal integrity thing is a mutha...
I would expect after a week or so it would be fine as it would come to a screeching halt. To your point it either needs to be enforced or a change must be made. Actually this is a good thing as it will hopefully bring the issue to a head as I do not think anyone wants to see the widespread proliferation of clown shoes.
In the interest of full disclosure I personally do not have a dog in this fight. My DD maybe gets an IP once a year and we have already experimented with will happen if she was allowed to leap. The result was an immediate increase of about 2 mph and a reduced time of flight so it is all good.
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