As I said, she did do it occasionally, but not every time.100% "bears weight" every pitch. When her right knee re-flexes you know there has been a 2nd push. She does it every single time. And you don't need slo-mo or freeze frame to see it. It's plain as day in real time. You just have to actually be watching.
Reading this made me feel bad that I made DD stop crow hopping, again. Almost every time, when I read a discussion about IP, I felt bad for stopping her.100% "bears weight" every pitch. When her right knee re-flexes you know there has been a 2nd push. She does it every single time. And you don't need slo-mo or freeze frame to see it. It's plain as day in real time. You just have to actually be watching.
But I'm calm about this now, lol. I know it's not going to be called. I am peace with it now. Like I said above, after 6 years of this, our pitching coach is starting to teach my daughter the Monica Abbott cheat step. If everyone else is cheating, we need to be too. It's like the steroid era.
Personally, I see a big difference between Barnhill and men's crow hopping. Barnhill was illegal under the rules but I see no real advantage to what she did. She didn't use her hop to her advantage the way a REAL crow hopper do, not the way men crow hoppers advantage. I think that's where the umpire's issue(s) came with her. When you compare Barnhill to a men's pitcher, it's not the same thing. So, it makes it harder to label what she actually was doing. At the end of the day, it's illegal. She went airborne and that's where the legality ends, the second the back foot leaves the ground.As I said, she did do it occasionally, but not every time.
You do agree that she did not do it the way men crow hop, right?
Thats fine, I hope everyone is equally as vigilant when it comes to slappers out of the box, runners leave base early, etc. I know I'm biased but it's funny how some of those things are considered gamesmanship but, a pitcher trying to get ANY kind of an advantage is "cheating". lol. Yes, I know it's not quite that black and white but, my overall point is valid. Or so I think.my biggest point, is if it is in the rules, it should apply to ALL pitchers. Especially the older they get. Completely understand umps not calling IP on the 10U pitcher after the first couple infractions and trying to complete the games. Not ideal, but understand it.
BUT to blatantly not call it on HS and beyond level pitchers is inexcusable. Abbot's step forward off the rubber is visible, obvious and illegal. Should be called every pitch until fixed. And for the ump to say, "she's not getting an advantage", Where in the rule book does it say you can ignore a rule if there is no advantage in your opinion / judgement?