Semi-Regionals... 47 foot mound... you gotta read this story!

[amanda_cake]

My HS team made it to the semi-regionals. Because we were the higher seed, we were allowed to host. First inning, the other team (defending regional champ, was in our old district--we switched two years ago--seeded #3) did not score any runs. Bottom of that inning, the pitcher tells her coach that the rubber feels funny, that it felt as if it was too far back. Our coach assures them that everything is fine but offers to measure. Their pitcher says no, everything is fine. We score two runs.

Before we could start the next inning, they measure the mound. Turns out we had been pitching from 47 feet all year long! No one had picked up on it. After the fact I'd learned that some of our pitchers had complained about it but no one checked up on it... they said that it just didn't feel right. My HS Varsity played over ten games on that field. Our JV played about the same. Around 20 games on that field and no opposing team or umpire had noticed.

They spent 22 minutes on the phone with the head people in the state. The other team wanted to restart the game or for us to have to forfeit for having an illegal field. We ended up resuming play, as the rulebook says to do with the mound at 43ft.

Now, we are concerned about a protest on all of our home games since our field wasn't right. In addition, the other team tore us up and down in their paper. The pitcher was quoted as saying something along the line of we didn't deserve to get to semis because our field was illegal, it wasn't fair. The other coach said the umpire apologized to her. In front of over 100 people (a HUGE crowd for us, bigger than I've ever seen!) we find out that our pitching rubber is wrong. A reporter for their paper asked our coach if this was some well crafted trick... like this would be an advantage to anyone.

The opposing team managed to beat us by one run, however... we are proud to have gotten to that point. I think last year might have been the first time that our team ever went to regionals. I don't know if we'd ever made it past the first round before.

What do you think will happen? Will our games be protested? Comments?

 

[quincy]

I cannot find it but I thought I had read that if there is an Issue with the pitching plate that it is corrected at the end of the inning.

So even if it was noticed after the other Team batted, they would still need to pitch from 47’, then the plate would be corrected after the inning is complete.

I think all the games played with the incorrect distance are official games.

 

[alabama_lowlife]

How would any of the other teams know for sure where exactly the pitching rubber was when those games were played? For all anybody knows whoever dragged the field last could have hung the rubber with the drag and replaced it incorrectly? What I'm saying is they'd have no proof that it WASN'T at 43 feet at the last game.

 

[Sparky Guy]

The games wont be protested because both teams played with the same conditions. There was no advantage to either team. They did the right thing. They corrected the field at the end of the inning.

I hope your HC told that reporter to take a hike right then and there after insinuating the mistake was done on purpose.

 

[KevinC]

That's a good story I've been at a few rec league games where play was started with the plate at 35' instead of 40' or vice-versa until someone figured it out. I can pace things off pretty accurately so I usually check before our games.

The good news is your pitchers should have no problem hitting their spots 43'

 

[joemcq51]

First, the past games have no bearing on the current mound distance. It would have to be caught at the time. My question is how the heck did nobody catch that the distance was a full 4' further back than any other field you played on all season? I have read so many comments on this board about HS ball being rec 2.0, and this absolutely proves that point. Not one umpire, pitcher, opposing coach, 8 yr old spectator decided to check that the rubber looked a little off?????? Congrats on making regional semi's. Sounds like you had a great season.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Wouldn't there be an advantage to a girl that had practiced from 47 feet, on her home field all year, as opposed to all the other girls practicing from 43?

Four feet is a lot. I can't believe that no one would notice it. My girls notice, if they are off 6 inches.

I don't have any knowledge of the rules, so I can't help on that. Good luck.

 

[Carty]

For Illinois, if the distance is discovers to be off it gets corrected immeadiately, no waiting to finish the inning. No penalty, play just resumes after the correction. It happened once this year to us, it was at 40'. I have a visual that works, the pitching plate at 43' is not quite between on a line between 1st and 3rd, slightly to the 2nd base side.

 

[Comp]

Under FED rules, if the pitching distance is found to be incorrect during a game, it is to be corrected immediately and the game continue.

 

[amanda_cake]

How would any of the other teams know for sure where exactly the pitching rubber was when those games were played? For all anybody knows whoever dragged the field last could have hung the rubber with the drag and replaced it incorrectly? What I'm saying is they'd have no proof that it WASN'T at 43 feet at the last game.

It's not one of those rubbers with nails that you hammer down. It goes in like a base does... has a plug for if we take it out. To my knowledge, it has not been taken out all season.

The story in our hometown paper just came out... NO mention of the pitching distance issue. NONE. I was shocked that it wasn't at least mentioned.

Our HC continued to talk to the reporter after that and some of the things she said were quoted in the paper. I was loading things onto a wagon at that point, so I was over hearing everything.

Like everyone, I'm questioning as to how no one know that the mound was wrong... obviously our coaches thought that it must be right when it was laid out this year. This was our first year at 43 feet, so they figured that whoever put the mound it did it right. I still don't know who moved the rubber back.

I wouldn't call this rec ball 2.0. Despite this huge error that we played with all season that no one caught, we are one heck of a ball team. I'm shocked that we had the defense that we did... that 47 feet gave hitters a lot more time to react, therefore... there were a lot of balls put in play at home this year. Our infield and outfield is pretty solid.