USSSA Pride Catcher calling sign to hit batter

[JJsqueeze]

The answer to it being an up and in or an intentional bean is already in the thread. It was intentional, I am just wondering if "most competitive player" is a compliment or a euphuism.

 

[shaker1]

The answer to it being an up and in or an intentional bean is already in the thread. It was intentional, I am just wondering if "most competitive player" is a compliment or a euphuism.

After the sting wears off, it's a compliment. The batter won. Defense gave up. She got the base, but earned it.

 

[IR a Pitching Dad]

Don't think that bats that are used today leave batters defenseless besides if batters so were so concerned about getting hit there would be more attempts to get out of the batter's box vs taking one on the well padded elbow AND governing bodies would rethink the rule that rewards the batter for staying the box and getting hit by a pitch.

 

[sluggers]

We don't know "why" she was being hit. The pitcher was not trying to hurt the batter. (If the pitcher were trying to hurt the batter, she would have been throwing up and slightly behind the batter.) My guess is that the batter had done something like shove or trip a base runner. So, this was payback. At college level and up, the players keep "dirty play" in check by being physical during a game.

While I understand Shaker's point about "losing the battle", there is more going on than simply one batter. The pitcher is expected to hit batters if one her teammates has been disrespected or injured.

There are usually two or three key players on a softball team. They are "the glue" that keeps the team together. If one of the key players asks the pitcher to hit a batter, then the pitcher has to hit the batter.

This behavior should not be condoned or taught at the lower levels. The pitchers aren't as accurate at the lower levels, and the batters aren't as quick and well protected.

 

[djcarter1966]

When you see things like what the Florid hitters did last year I think you will get pitcher pitching in and batters getting hit. As a pitcher you can't give up the inner half of the plate. I did not feel sorry one bit for any of those Florida hitter getting balls to the elbow pad... what I was waiting for was one of those umpires to call a strike on the hit batter (there were a couple close ones) and put the batter back in the box.

As for OP I'm with Hillhouse unless there was something else going on I saw what looked like a pitch up and in that was probably up and in a little too much...I am not saying she was throwing it for a strike but it was probably a purpose pitch that got away, maybe she even threw it not caring one way or the other if it hit her just wanted her thinking so maybe the next outside pitch or change up was more effective

 

[Rocketech1]

This behavior should not be condoned or taught at ANY levels.

I fixed it for you. This is the exact mentality that continues this cycle of nonsense and will never stop unless its unacceptable at ALL levels.

djcarter1966 - nothing wrong with throwing inside if the batter is crowding the plate to establish the inside strike zone; what the OP is talking about is intentionally hitting a batter no matter where they are in the box to retaliate for god knows what. It really has no place in softball/baseball and is a shame that some think its ok to throw a 65mph fastball at someone else.

To the argument that the batter is not defenseless because they have a bat. I don't see too many batters protecting their ribs or head with a softball bat. Ridiculous argument....

 

[klamath632]

The batter can step out of the way and get a free pitch, or the batter can lean in and get a free base. There is no downside. The ridiculous argument is you saying that a. the batter is defenseless, or b. a pitcher can't throw the ball wherever she wants to throw it.

 

[AUtiger98]

I fixed it for you. This is the exact mentality that continues this cycle of nonsense and will never stop unless its unacceptable at ALL levels.

djcarter1966 - nothing wrong with throwing inside if the batter is crowding the plate to establish the inside strike zone; what the OP is talking about is intentionally hitting a batter no matter where they are in the box to retaliate for god knows what. It really has no place in softball/baseball and is a shame that some think its ok to throw a 65mph fastball at someone else.

To the argument that the batter is not defenseless because they have a bat. I don't see too many batters protecting their ribs or head with a softball bat. Ridiculous argument....

If intentional HBP was removed from the game you would see softball/baseball turn into something you would not want to watch. Example, in college we played against a kid from a Caribbean country. He hit a homerun, rounded first and put his helmet under his arm and began to celebrate. By the time he rounded 2nd his coach scolded him and he put it back on. Typical this is the type stuff someone would get plunked for, but our coach realized it was a cultural thing and not to show us up. I realized then that the threat of retaliation with a HBP (usually to a teammate instead of the offender) is used to keep the game clean. If you don't clean up your act, your teammates will get tired of taking the brunt for your actions. If removed we would see tons of showboating and many more dirty plays on the higher levels. Dirty slides, dirty tags at the bases, nothing illegal, just unnecessary and dangerous. And most likely if the intentional HBP were removed, we would just see more fist fights begin after the dirty play or showboating.

 

[CoogansBluff]

And most likely if the intentional HBP were removed, we would just see more fist fights begin after the dirty play or showboating.

I can't remember a seeing a fist fights in softball.

But you're saying if not for the intentional HBP, we'd see fewer fist fights?

I'd expect the opposite. Isn't the intentional HBP the No. 1 cause of fist fights in MLB?

Also, let's get back to softball. How many players and teams believe they are playing dirty? Many teams and players believe they play the game aggressively, but how many in their minds think that what they are doing is dirty? Probably very few. So if you get plunked, and you think it is on purpose, are you more likely to tone down your aggressive style for fear of retaliation, having learned your lesson, or are you more likely to ramp it up? To become defiant? Or to retaliate yourself?

 

[CoogansBluff]

In a pro league, if teams want to play that way, I don't care. It's like ultimate fighting. I think it's barbaric, but they are professional consenting adults. If they want that to be part of the game, so be it.

Anything involving children, whether high school or travel ball, it's unethical IMO for kids to throw at kids, or for adults (coaches) to condone kids throwing at kids.

In college, you're an adult, but you're representing a university. The team does not belong to the players or the coach, but to the university, and I doubt throwing at hitters and risking escalation and embarrassment to the school is in line with the university's mission statement.