My DD played a 14U tourney a couple of weeks ago that was put on by a local umpires association. Something happened that I have never seen before.
Sometimes my DD leaps with the back foot losing contact with the ground. We are working on eliminating it, but sometimes it is there. When she leaps, her foot comes off the ground an inch or so, but with the hole in front of the pitcher’s plate, it is less clear than on flat ground or turf.
My DD pitched the first game and the base umpire noticed her leaping and warned the coach, who talked to my DD. She did better but did not eliminate the problem completely. So he called 8 illegal pitches over the next 5 innings which were defensible calls. He looked pretty funny because he got into a crouch with his hands on his knees and focused only on my DD’s back foot. We lost 2-1, but the IP calls weren't a factor.
After the game, I went to look at the tournament brackets under a small pavilion where the umpires were hanging out between games. While I was reading the brackets, the base ump got the attention of all of the umps. He said, “I just got through with a game and the pitcher was a leaper. She plays on ____ team and her number is ##. Go nail her! I got her a bunch of times. Go get her!”
He didn't know I was her dad. I didn't respond because there was no way my DD would be better off if I tell him what I thought. It would turn it into a “thing” and would have consequences later. There were three more games left for the day. She pitched parts of two more games and was not called for IP again.
What do you think of the ump and what he said?
Sometimes my DD leaps with the back foot losing contact with the ground. We are working on eliminating it, but sometimes it is there. When she leaps, her foot comes off the ground an inch or so, but with the hole in front of the pitcher’s plate, it is less clear than on flat ground or turf.
My DD pitched the first game and the base umpire noticed her leaping and warned the coach, who talked to my DD. She did better but did not eliminate the problem completely. So he called 8 illegal pitches over the next 5 innings which were defensible calls. He looked pretty funny because he got into a crouch with his hands on his knees and focused only on my DD’s back foot. We lost 2-1, but the IP calls weren't a factor.
After the game, I went to look at the tournament brackets under a small pavilion where the umpires were hanging out between games. While I was reading the brackets, the base ump got the attention of all of the umps. He said, “I just got through with a game and the pitcher was a leaper. She plays on ____ team and her number is ##. Go nail her! I got her a bunch of times. Go get her!”
He didn't know I was her dad. I didn't respond because there was no way my DD would be better off if I tell him what I thought. It would turn it into a “thing” and would have consequences later. There were three more games left for the day. She pitched parts of two more games and was not called for IP again.
What do you think of the ump and what he said?