Crowhopping, Barnhill, and Confessions of an Umpire

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Aug 30, 2015
286
28
My name is 4KidsDad and I'm an umpire.

I believe Barnhill and crow-hopping is illegal, no question.

During a recent HS varsity game, I came across my first crow-hopper/re-planter in real life (as an Umpire). But I only called 3 illegal pitches during her 3 and 2/3 innings.

Why didn't I call every pitch? Because I was afraid of the outcome; anger, confusion, possible or probable coach or player ejections, the pitcher no longer being able to throw, and general mass chaos.

I'm sorry I've let you all down. I'm sorry I didn't have the stones to stick my neck out and make the world right again. I'm sorry to this sophomore young lady who has been sent down a dark path when I had the chance to help her.

As Edmund Burke said, 'The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.'

I did nothing and I'm ashamed.
 

JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,231
38
Georgia
I did nothing and I'm ashamed.

The first step to getting help is admitting you have a problem...

The next step is to tell the head coach of the crow-hopper that the next time you will not be so nice and will call an IP on every pitch she throws until she fixes it, and that you are doing it for her own good!
 
May 4, 2016
70
18
East Coast
During a recent HS varsity game, I came across my first crow-hopper/re-planter in real life (as an Umpire).

Best thing that ever happened to my daughter (back in 10U) was an Umpire asking to speak to her, the Coach, and her Dad (me) after the game. Told her that she was crow hopping / replanting and that he didn't call it today, but would call it in the future. The Coach and I had been trying to get her to stop doing it for months, but we were speaking Greek to her. The umpire on the other hand was a Greek God speaking from the Heavens and HIS/HER words carried etched in stone weight.

Only took an hour of practice with lots and lots of tears to fix once the Greek God told her she needed to fix it.
 

martianr

Softball DAD
Jan 26, 2014
177
18
Whiting, Iowa
Thanks for sharing you experience. At least you admit that you actually saw it without SLOW MOTION. So when the SEC umpires say that can't see it because it is to fast...BS. Did you talk to the Head Coach and inform that person of the illegal pitching?
 
Jun 12, 2015
3,848
83
What you did is definitely better than 99% of them. Recently our AC pointed out an illegal pitch to an umpire. He's cool about it but she was quick pitching and that to me is more of an issue than a leap anyway. Even after he mentioned it the umpire blew it off. Wouldn't even say anything to her about it, much less call it.
 
Feb 17, 2014
7,152
113
Orlando, FL
Thanks for sharing you experience. At least you admit that you actually saw it without SLOW MOTION. So when the SEC umpires say that can't see it because it is to fast...BS. Did you talk to the Head Coach and inform that person of the illegal pitching?

Most umpires only see what they want to see. They claim they can't see it from behind the plate but grandma in her coke bottle glasses has no problem seeing it.
 
Sep 29, 2014
2,421
113
But at least now they know there is a problem that she needs to at the very least make sure looks at and understands.

Can't remember when exactly but I did feel a little bad for the girl at the WCWS that basically had to leave the game in the first inning because the umpires basically told her after 4 or 5 IP calls in the first dozen pitches that they simply were not going to let her get away with it, period end of story. All those pitching coaches, travel coaches, HS coaches and umpires through the years did her a huge disservice. I think there is just too much $$ and prestige on the line for this to happen to Barnhill but if an umpire is just sick and tired of it and is retiring after this year so he does not need a job next year it could happen.
 
Sep 14, 2011
768
18
Glendale, AZ
Best thing that ever happened to my daughter (back in 10U) was an Umpire asking to speak to her, the Coach, and her Dad (me) after the game. Told her that she was crow hopping / replanting and that he didn't call it today, but would call it in the future. The Coach and I had been trying to get her to stop doing it for months, but we were speaking Greek to her. The umpire on the other hand was a Greek God speaking from the Heavens and HIS/HER words carried etched in stone weight.

Only took an hour of practice with lots and lots of tears to fix once the Greek God told her she needed to fix it.

This gives me an idea....I'm changing my user name to Blue Greek God.....:)
 

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