Pitching at the WCWS

[marriard]

I felt like Carda never had control from the start in that game. Her misses were huge. Just one of those days. Unfortunate it was that game when it happened.

On a side note: I think that any body part hanging over in the river, should be fair game for bruising. Ball or a strike but no base.

I think it is sad that a D1 team at the WCWS doesn't have a second pitcher to come in that can be trusted. Both teams in the finals have 2 great options and a 3rd decent option and I don't think that is a coincidence.

Fielding has been uneven too. There have been some clearly elite athletes playing who are still relying on that versus having execution level skills.

I also think some of the coaching has been really suspect. Not calling bunts in clear bunting situations, terrible situational fielding positioning waiting WAY too long to change pitchers, strange substitutions, etc. Carda had been wild from the start, but it got worse and she couldn't throw a strike past the 8th inning unless she threw a 44mph change up... you could see she was going to walk in a winning run but hey, lets leave her out there.

The strike zones have been awful, but what should we expect. It is too small in NCAA already and squeezing it further isn't helping, but when you think about it, what level of umpiring should we be expecting? There isn't a really a career in this like there is in baseball.

And I guess we just threw the leaping IP out. Carda leaped on almost every pitch without a call and on most it was obvious. She hasn't been alone.

On the other hand I have enjoyed watching every game. Total blast.

 

[FastpitchFan]

All due respect Marc... (yes, I still owe you that email... it's coming if I ever have a day without doctor appointments) When making it to the WCWS much of that "wow factor" that you put into the endurance can be summed up in 1 word: Adrenaline. 9, 10, or 11 inning of an elimination game should give someone all the adrenaline they need to stay strong. I can remember the final days of one of the most prestigious tournaments in North America (circa 1999) and it was 100+ degrees. This was already after pitching 4 of the 5 pool play games on Fri and Sat. We made the top 4, which meant 2 wins for the championship (seeds 1 vs 4, 2 vs.3) We won our semi final 3-0 and headed into the championship vs. our arch rivals. And I cannot overstate RIVALS, like the greatest rivalries in all sports: Duke-North Carolina, Bo Sox-Yankees, Alabama-Auburn, and Police-soccer fans all tied into this one game. I was pitching against one of the greatest pitchers ever (now BYU pitching coach Pete Meredith) and it was pure adrenaline that kept me going. We won 3-1, a game that is still one of my most memorable for the rivalry, winning THIS tournament, etc. And my team gave me 3 runs, all I needed to do was keep them 1 run less than we had. B7 inning, my adrenaline got the best of me and I walked the lead off batter. San Jose St head coach Peter Turner came up to bat and swung at an inside drop ball FIRST PITCH, hitting a ground ball for a 5-4-3 double play. With a 1-1 count on former U of Utah and Southern Utah head coach Kyle Magnusson, I got him to pop up to shallow left field on an outside low rise to seal the victory. I still get goose bumps thinking of that.

Of all the games I've pitched (wins and losses) that is one I will never forget and adrenaline got me through it. I could recite dozens of games where I went 15 innings but without the adrenaline, pressure, etc. that takes over in big games, big tournaments, and with that the pitcher can do more than in a run of the mill game. Sometimes the inspiration for the game IS the game.

Bill

Hi Bill: I have to agree 100% with you on this. That's a great post. Adrenaline is much better than any ''Red Bull'' to give you wings and Super Human energy!