The Kelly Barnhill Thread

[Rick Pauly]

Interesting.....when googling espn2 to get the times for the NCAA WCWS selection show..........here is the picture that they feature....logo'd by the SEC. Seems like they are kind of throwing it in the face of the softball purist.....people who want the rules enforced.

 

[riseball]

maybe they should just go with the international rules and have done with it. then everyone could just play. everyone starts from the same spot, jump, leap, skip, do what you want, pitch.

Yeah, that way all the little skippies with crap mechanics can play right along side the kids who put in the work to do it right. No thanks. True success is not achieved by dumbing it down to lowest common denominator. What next, do away with pitching and use a tee because some kids can't hit? If pitching legally is too difficult for a kid to master, maybe they need to find a different way to spend their weekends.

 

[FastPitchCat]

maybe they should just go with the international rules and have done with it. then everyone could just play. everyone starts from the same spot, jump, leap, skip, do what you want, pitch.

change the rules so those who don't follow them become legal? what about those who WORK HARD TO BE LEGAL? no, thanks.
if they want to leap, skip and jump, they should do it in the men's fastpitch.

 

[Softball scholar]

I think the problem with calling illegal pitches is so difficult for the umpire to see them and identify an IP. The girls are moving fast, the umpire is 40 to 50 feet away, and were talking about a deviation of inch off the ground to call leaping, and its very dynamic what feet do in pitching. You have to admit its very difficult to call an illegal pitch. Also the umpires have to worry about whats going on in the game, like runners leaving early and balls and strikes etc. Its difficult. Its not easy identifying the illegal pitch with the slo mo video the internet warriors on DFP have. The umpires don't have instant replay as a tool. If I was an ump, I would want to be certain its legal, and I think that's why they're so hesitant to make the call.

So here's my proposal: why not give coaches 2 or 3 video illegal pitch challenges a game. And if your challenge is correct, than you get to keep it for the next challenge. You can do this by having a couple of cameras with different angles with focus on the feet. Have a little flag like football or you just ask like in tennis. You cant do this at low levels, but at the NCAA level should have the resources to pull this off. You could even have an umpire pitching specialist to make the evaluation. I think were asking to much of the umpires to make this call under current system. Until we go video replay in a game, were never going to solve this problem.

 

[riseball]

I think the problem with calling illegal pitches is so difficult for the umpire to see them and identify an IP. The girls are moving fast, the umpire is 40 to 50 feet away, and were talking about a deviation of inch off the ground to call leaping, and its very dynamic what feet do in pitching. You have to admit its very difficult to call an illegal pitch.

Ok, yes an inch os so off the ground is hard to see. What about those like Barnhill and Carlson who are obvious? Why are those not called? Before you call IP's every time you have to call it the first time. Are we to believe that with the literally thousands of IP's committed by folks like Barnhill and Carlson not a single one is visible to the umpire? That is simply not a plausible scenario.

However, I like your idea of the challenge as it would very quickly rectify the issue. Human behavior changes instantly as soon as a camera is in play.

 

[Softball scholar]

Ok, yes an inch os so off the ground is hard to see. What about those like Barnhill and Carlson who are obvious? Why are those not called? Before you call IP's every time you have to call it the first time. Are we to believe that with the literally thousands of IP's committed by folks like Barnhill and Carlson not a single one is visible to the umpire? That is simply not a plausible scenario.

However, I like your idea of the challenge as it would very quickly rectify the issue. Human behavior changes instantly as soon as a camera is in play.

I think with the camera challenge, It might regulate those homer umps "like Risball mentioned at Florida home games". If everybody is watching the replay, you're going to have to call it correct.

Most layman fans at the game and on tv don't have a clue what an illegal pitch is. With the replay challenge, they might understand it better. Its kind of a downer to a regular fan to watch a girl throw a good pitch, that looks like every other pitch, then the ump says sorry. That's illegal and it a ball. I think with the challenge, it might slow the game down a little, but it would add some drama and suspense.

 

[djcarter1966]

Ok, yes an inch os so off the ground is hard to see. What about those like Barnhill and Carlson who are obvious? Why are those not called? Before you call IP's every time you have to call it the first time. Are we to believe that with the literally thousands of IP's committed by folks like Barnhill and Carlson not a single one is visible to the umpire? That is simply not a plausible scenario.

However, I like your idea of the challenge as it would very quickly rectify the issue. Human behavior changes instantly as soon as a camera is in play.

At the beginning of innings no runners on base especially at CWS with extra umpires umpires the first and third base umpires can EASILY see what the pitcher is doing.

 

[Swim Coach]

At the beginning of innings no runners on base especially at CWS with extra umpires umpires the first and third base umpires can EASILY see what the pitcher is doing.

Pardon my ignorance, but do all three umpires have jurisdiction to call an IP?

 

[Ken B]

I believe HP watches the hands, timing and possibly the lanes and the field umps watch the feet.

 

[djcarter1966]

I believe HP watches the hands, timing and possibly the lanes and the field umps watch the feet.

agreed I thought the base umpire had foot detaching from plate but I would refer this to one of our reside umps [MENTION=426]Comp[/MENTION] you out there?