Terminology question--the River........

[casedawg51]

I am a TB coach but my pitching knowledge is lacking. Been trying to get better and have seen and heard the term "the river" but never caught an explanation of it. What part of the plate/strike zone/off the plate is it referring to?

 

[casedawg51]

We use it to mean the area between the plate and the inside white line of the batters box.

Gotcha. Thanks

 

[Greenmonsters]

We use it to mean the area between the plate and the inside white line of the OPPOSITE batters box.

Added clarification in caps. IMO, the river typically gets wider the more inside the umpire sets up in the slot, the space between the batter and the inside corner of the plate.

 

[riseball]

If the river is only on the opposite batters box why would a hitter say they can't turn on a pitch on the river?

 

[Greenmonsters]

If the river is only on the opposite batters box why would a hitter say they can't turn on a pitch on the river?

IDK, inside to me is "the kitchen" i.e., you enter my kitchen at your own risk

However, its far more logical to call the inside slot the river and the outside slot the ocean i.e., many a batter has become lost flailing away in the ocean. We can revolutionize the game. What say you?

 

[riseball]

Love it. Works for me.

 

[coach james]

Look into buying the Schutte rubber home plate.
The center portion over the plate is red, yellow on the edges, and the "river" is green. It gives the pitcher and catcher an additional reference when calling...

 

[robertc3]

I have a striped home plate and I love it as a catcher. The pitcher can't see it as well, but it is better than just an all white plate. They get some reference.

 

[SoCal_Dad]

As others have posted, the river is the 6" between the plate and the batter's box.

One of TV announcers give a poor explanation of it over the weekend. They said it is a new term that has replaced the "black" because there is no black on/around the plate.

 

[Greenmonsters]

As others have posted, the river is the 6" between the plate and the batter's box.

So there's an inside river and an outside river? And is the thing between the two rivers an island or an isthmus?

I am disappointed that you're not a proponent of neomodern softball lexicology and the newly defined terms river and ocean