Illegal pitchs-Florida/UCLA

[Bishop]

Bishop, you say 5 of the 6 pitchers you coach can keep contact with the pivot foot. Then you say "It's not physically impossible to comply with rule, it's not even difficult." referring to keeping contact with the pivot foot. Apparently, for one of your students it must be difficult.

Nice claws there Tojo, do you have bit teeth too?

It wouldn't be difficult for her to fix her crowhop if she would excute the drills she's been shown to correct the mechanics causing the problem. Since turning 13 it seems I, her private coach and her parents have developed a case of the stupids and aren't worth listening too. I can show her the path, but she still has to do the walking.

 

[tojo]

Seems that you have some nice claws yourself in some of your post, but I agree with you that she has to do the walking. My point was that it may be difficult for some whether they have the stupids or not.

 

[Bishop]

Seems that you have some nice claws yourself in some of your post .

Fair enough. I don't try to be an rear, but I do a good job of it sometimes none the less. I'll try harder, to avoid it I mean.

My point was that it may be difficult for some whether they have the stupids or not.

That one bothers me. I did not, nor would I ever say any of my players, nor anyone elses for that matter were stupid. Let me say it again so there is no misunderstanding. She has hit puberty and is experiencing all the complications of emotion, judgement and personality that go along with the hormonal rollercoaster of adolescence. I think that is the reason she is no longer working with the adults in her life who are trying to assist her.

I made the suggestion, that she thinks we are stupid, and that's why she doesn't listen to us anymore.

 

[tojo]

I don't have time for attitudes from students. In my rules, I emphasize bringing a good attitude and lots of energy or you can go home or to another instructor. Of course some come with an attitude but it can be adjusted if confronted with the alternative.

 

[Lozza]

I guess like most people are wondering why all at once hopping and jumping are being called. It sees like something is up, what I don’t know. Will the rule change to allow it? Some of the coaches have a great deal of pull so who knows. My concern is that my daughters pitching coach preaches that this motion can cause injury to the pitcher, leaping and jumping, if that is the case then the rule needs to be enforced.

I'm shocked that they're making such a big deal of it, when its JUST changed internationally. Leaping is now legal as per the ISF. I personally hate it, but I'm still trying to figure out if that's because its been illegeal for so long or if there's a good reason for it.

I don't know if the action is bad for people, I don't know if any studies have been done on it. You would assume the constant jarring would do it, plus there's a greater chance of injury (you only need one rock there for a pitcher's ankle to roll if she leaps)

 

[Bishop]

I don't have time for attitudes from students. In my rules, I emphasize bringing a good attitude and lots of energy or you can go home or to another instructor. Of course some come with an attitude but it can be adjusted if confronted with the alternative.

I'd like to have that option to be honest. I'm not an instructor. I'm a volunteer coach. The kids I work with are the ones on our team. Coach says work with them on mechanics and I say 'Yes Coach' and do the best I can. Granted, the ones with attitude, don't practice and don't improve won't see much circle time until they get those issues fixed. It's more of a 'We won't tell you that you can't do something, we'll show you what you need to do so that you can. Then it's up to the player and her parents to take care of the needs if the needs can't be met in team practice. Did that make sense? I know what I want to say but not sure if that's what is coming out in text.

 

[Cannonball]

First, I think that the illegal pitches called were all valid since each and every time the camera supported the umpire's call. Did anyone notice last night that after the first inning, the calls stopped? Was this intervention by the NCAAs? I hate to think so but I think it is. Did anyone notice last night that the camera on the replays from centerfield did not show the pitcher's foot? I had a group here to watch and everyone agreed that the zoom shots that have taken place throughout the tournnament suddenly were closer and didn't show the pitcher' foot. Now, you could see the foot from the wide angle behind and so, I thought that nothing changed in the pitcher's delivery. In fact, anyone remember the sceen where all of the UCLA fans including Enquist were screaming illegal pitch when UCLA had runners on second and third. While it might have been a ploy by them, I think that those claims had merit.

As an FYI, I don't think the illegal pitch calls are good for the game in a promotional sense since this is the biggest audience College Fastpitch will have. However, that doesn't change the rules and their enforcement. I was very disappointed last night since I do believe that there is a reason that no illegal pitch was called after the first inning. Let's see what happens now. I'm betting no more illegal pitches will be called.

 

[mkral]

CB,
We too watched hard last night and noticed that as well and when the camera got to Enquist it did not stay on her long at all when she was so mad about the IP. If they are going to call the IP's through the entire tourney then they need to continue to call it in the championship games as well. The camera angles were different, no doubt.
The rules are the rules no matter what and they should not stop enforcing them now, IMHO. These umpires have the hardest job in the world and really do an excellent job. They have been consistent in my opinion so far so if it was brought down to them from above to lay off then that is really to bad and not real fair to the other teams that have already competed in the WCWS.

 

[mkral]

Not to get in the middle of Tojo and Bishop but man do I agree with the whole 13 yo attitude thing. It is hard and I like what you said about showing them the path but they need to decide to walk it. That is great!! My DD is in a whole new world right now and I am as stupid as a rock in her opinion. We have been very close and it hurts me to see this happen now but it is her life and I can only guide her so far in it. Luckily I have an 11 yo that still thinks I am pretty cool but that will only last for another year or so. I guess I need to make the most of it. Our motto has been and always will be "Attitude and Effort!" Some get it and some don't.

 

[batsics1]

Guess what helps to promote the attitude that the grown-ups around them are stupid? People like Michele Smith who say that the pitcher is not cheating and is not gaining an advantage by doing something illegal. The NCAA for not cracking down on it consistently. The network for not pointing it out when it happens even when it isn’t called. The league and tournament umpires for not calling it.

I understand all the reasoning and rationalizations. But, when I try to explain that it is more important to do things the right way my kids have more than enough ammunition to support an opinion that it doesn’t matter.

Fowler and Candrea are cheaters. Here’s the evidence. The Wikipedia definition of cheating in sports: There is an implicit agreement among participants that they will play by the rules and eschew unfair measures to win. Cheating occurs when actions are taken that violate the rules of competition in order to gain an advantage.

Every illegal pitch gives the pitcher an illegal advantage. The difference in time and space between squaring the ball to hit for maximum distance in fair territory and hitting a foul ball pop-up is infinitesimal. That means that a few thousands of an inch or second can be the difference between a homerun and a weak grounder. The fact is a pitcher’s job is to make the batters miss by at least those few thousandth of an inch or second. Leaping a half an inch off the dirt or outside the lane means that they can affect the outcome of the pitch differently than a legal pitcher – an advantage. The rules do not stipulate that it is to be overlooked if the pitcher didn’t mean to or if it is hard for her not to. It does not matter if doing so is not the most efficient way to pitch. The fact that it might not be as efficient to leap (an arguable point to say the least) is still an advantage. If a pitcher loses 1 mph by pitching illegal it is just as effective as if she gains a mph or more. It is an unfair advantage. If a pitcher pitches legally 9 out of 10 times the one illegal pitch is still an advantage as it will change the flight path of the ball in some manner that the pitcher cannot achieve legally – an advantage.

Fowler has pitched illegally at least 23 times in front of the nation at THE showcase for college softball – she, and more so Candrea, should be an embarrassment. At some point she suddenly corrected the problem and it has gone away. We are now suppose to congratulate her for her toughness. I suggest another response – condemnation. Why? If she can correct the problem than why didn’t she before it caused so much drama and controversy? Why did it get fixed only when it became a disadvantage?

Basketball requires a player to miss a game if they get too many flagrant fouls during postseason play. If any sport has an issue with consistency it is basketball. Soccer has a red card. Fowler should have been kicked out of the tournament at some point for flagrant disregard for the rules. I know there isn’t a rule for that, it is merely what I think should have happened.

Candrea, his staff, all the Az supporters throwing fits when an IP gets called are complicit in encouraging cheating. The NCAA and ESPN are also complicit to some degree. Fowler’s mother booing when her baby gets called for cheating is complicit. Honestly, I have nothing against Fowler. She is probably a fine person in general and has the potential to be among the great pitchers of all time. I wish her as much success as she is capable in the game and in life just as soon as she understands that she has been cheating and permanently stops because it is the right way to play and live.

Candrea, on the other hand should be condemned and punished. He knows better. He had her for a half a year before games began. He allowed her to be in the sad position when the spotlight was shinning brightest. He allowed it to go on until it hurt him. Shame on you Mike. You hurt the sport and that is unacceptable. Your lame excuses that the umpires need to let her know what she is doing wrong or that they are not being consistent are unacceptable. You know what she is doing wrong and you know she has done it consistently – probably from the first time you viewed her skills tape.

Why am I so adamant about this issue? Candrea makes me look stupid when I try to teach my daughter to do things the right way. Michele Smith makes me look stupid when she says doing something illegal isn’t cheating. The NCAA makes me look stupid when it turns a blind eye to cheating. Everyone complaining about the IPs interfering with the game and it’s no big deal make me look stupid. I am perfectly capable of looking stupid from time to time all by myself, I don’t need the help.

At least on this one I know I am right because I can answer a simple question: What would John Wooden do if he were a softball coach? In the end this issue has less to do with softball and more to do with what lessons my kids will carry from softball into life. Watching Candrea complain that his cheater is being treated unfairly and the network announcers justifying cheating in a variety of ways is sad.