The Ethics of Softball. Your Input.

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Feb 17, 2014
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Orlando, FL
There are a lot of D1 pitching coaches that wished it worked as easily as you think it does. Making mechanical adjustments during a season, while trying to pitch weekly is impossible. That means you have to take the athlete out of the normal pitching rotation. Then even if you do that, you have to fight 10 or more years of the poor mechanics. The athlete has to go back to basics and may lose velocity and/or spin. Even if they make the adjustment and build back up an approximation of their previous spin/speed, they will often revwrt durimg game situations. It is not as easy as just pointing your foot down.

I have a story of a highly recruited pitcher, big kid about 6', very athletic. Blew it by kids all the time. Curve/screw at 67-69 with good movement with a decent change, and a rise at 64-66. She went to her school of choice and their new PC was like whoa, she's illegal, and sure enough, she gets called several times in her first several games (including once with a runner on third to walk in the winning run, but that's another story). The HC says, we need to fix her so they embark on her learning how to drag. Her progress is impeded by still needing to pitch occasionally and reverting to leaping (and getting called for IPs). She picks up the drag but her mechanics have completely changed. She is now throwing 57-59 and she's throwing everything flat when dragging. She, and her PC, start to work on building back her speed/spin and she makes some progress. They run out of time for the season. She comes back and is throwing very flat yet and decides along with the coaches that she wants to concentrate on hitting as she realizes she's still struggling with the drag mechanics (and there is a new stud pitcher on the team). This young woman is no longer pitching.

I don't think it's fair that the inconsistency of enforcing the rules played a major part in the young woman above not pitching while KB still is. Not only that, KB is being rewarded for her rule breaking while those who are legal like the stud pitcher referenced above, are performing at a high level but hamstrung by following the rules.



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Over many years I have worked with quite a few D1 pitchers and have a pretty good idea how it works. In your example I suspect that her new PC found her not to be just illegal, but her mechanics were a mess. No reputable PC would ever try to replicate Barnhills mechanics, and would agree that she is successful despite her mechanics, not because of them. What you describe is a non-typical D1 pitcher who like Barnhill has significant mechanical issues. Because these pitchers are surrounded by enablers who never hold them accountable, they never develop solid pitching mechanics. As you describe they could blow the ball by hitters and as we often hear they "never get call for it in HS/TB."

What I was referring to with pitchers like Nickie Blue and Kaitlin Lee are pitchers who by most standards are mechanically sound, and may have a slight leap. Those pitchers, like the vast majority of others out there are quite capable of complying with the existing pitching rules. If the rules were vigorously enforced they will not need to leave the game and will carry on as effective as before. They do not need to have the rules changed in order for them to continue to compete at the highest level because of poor mechanics. Not enforcing the rules and giving pitchers with poor mechanics a pass does not do them any favors, as they never reach their full potential. As long as they are rewarded with artificial success there is zero incentive to achieve true success.
 
Last edited:
Dec 12, 2012
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The SEC softball coaches did not want Barnhill called for IPs...so, they didn't complain about it. I have no idea why.

By the time the playoffs came around, everyone looked the other way.

The conference hires the umpires...and if the college coaches want rules to be ignored, they can get the rules ignored. If an ump calls too many IPs, then that ump will be effectively blackballed.

All of the SEC Coaches????
-or-
Just Walton?
 
Dec 12, 2012
1,668
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On the bucket
There are a lot of D1 pitching coaches that wished it worked as easily as you think it does. Making mechanical adjustments during a season, while trying to pitch weekly is impossible.

Help me to understand why this isn't as easy as it appears to be.

If they are illegal, then they shouldn't be in the pitching rotation anyway.
I fail to see where the big problem is here?
 
Feb 17, 2014
7,152
113
Orlando, FL
All of the SEC Coaches????
-or-
Just Walton?

Most coaches will not last long if they speak out regarding the officiating in the SEC/NCAA. As a coach of what is viewed as an insignificant sport, it will earn them a quick trip to the AD's office and possibly an opportunity to coach elsewhere. Understand that many colleges have sports such as softball because courts have demanded it. How long do you think Pat Murphy would last if he popped off to the SEC/NCAA and brought added scrutiny to the Alabama football program?
 
Dec 12, 2012
1,668
0
On the bucket
Most coaches will not last long if they speak out regarding the officiating in the SEC/NCAA. As a coach of what is viewed as an insignificant sport, it will earn them a quick trip to the AD's office and possibly an opportunity to coach elsewhere. Understand that many colleges have sports such as softball because courts have demanded it. How long do you think Pat Murphy would last if he popped off to the SEC/NCAA and brought added scrutiny to the Alabama football program?

Possibly.
I can't Imagine any harm to Derek Mason if the SEC came down on his football team, but then again Vanderbilt doesn't have a softball team. Some would say they don't have a football team either!
 

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