Bit more to it and much more at stake than that.
The Kelly Barnhill Thread
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Not really.
No appreciation of the larger issue and the unintended consequences. Hear the same thing from the stands at HS games. Some people are involved with the game for decades, others are in and out in no time. Seems like those with the least experience and investment are always the ones ready to change the game for the sake of expediency.
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Care to elaborate on the larger issue and unintended consequences?
It was stated many pages back. Just following the rules as written seem way easier than changing what's written?? I'm not sure why its so hard for people to get.
BTW I'm a catchers dad.
BTW I'm a catchers dad.
Certainly. First consider two other changes to the game that in their time were described as minimal. The lowering of the top of the zone and moving the pitching distance from 40 to 43 feet. Despite what was expected these seemingly insignificant changes made a huge impact on the game. Now, some are advocating an even bigger change by allowing leaping and/or crow hopping. They will correctly argue that neither leaping and/or crow hopping provides a significant competitive advantage. Again, I agree with this premise. Today! Because today it is illegal and with the exception of Barnhill neither action is intentionally performed to attain a competitive advantage.
But what about tomorrow? What will happen when pitching coaches begin to teach pitchers "new techniques"? I have done this experiment with more than one elite pitcher with respect to leaping. Telling them to explode with abandon and do not worry about keeping the pivot foot down. Get the stride foot up and out and let the dog eat! The results are immediate and at times significant. In the case of my own DD she easily gained 2 -3 mph. Again she was intentionally leaping in order to gain additional velocity. And the technique she used was certainly not perfected. In addition to the gain in velocity she extended her stride almost a foot often landing outside the circle.
A couple weeks ago in the SEC tournament she came out of the chute working 68-69 mph. Were she permitted and encouraged to leap that would change to a working speed in the low 70's with a reduced Time Of Flight (TOF) of 2 -5 %. She is not an an isolated example, I have seen similar gains with several other pitchers but as they say YMMV. I have only experimented with a small group of elite pitchers and only with respect to leaping. I have not done anything with crow hopping or stepping outside the 24" pitching lane. To that point consider Sydney Littlejohn of Alabama who has one of the best curve balls in the college game. What happens when she or others start stepping 1-2 feet outside the lane and you see hitters take a pitch only to get drilled in the rear leg? Even staying inside the lane I have seen this happen with screws or backdoor curves when hitters are dumb enough to move to the back of the box and get on top of the plate.
On its face allowing pitchers to intentionally leap and/or crow hop, along with removing the pitching lane may seem like a minor change and an expedient solution. But it holds the potential to rock the game well beyond the lowing of the zone or movement of the pitching distance to 43 ft. As a pitching instructor with only my best interests in mind, I say please make these changes as my calendar will overflow and my pitchers will dominate like never before. As someone who has been around the block quite a few times, I caution folks to be very careful what they wish for. The game has a very delicate balance and change for the sake of expediency is fraught with peril.
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Briefly just watched 3 pitches from Barnhill on my cell phone in her current game and can see she is replanting. Don't understand why umps at the game can't see it.
Cannonball
Ex "Expert"
- Feb 25, 2009
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This past inning where she struck out the sides, she went major air borne. IMO, it isn't close and should be called. In dd's conference no way does she get away with that.
Game should be broadcast on Monday Night Raw. NCAA = WWE
I think all one really needs to do is research Alicia Hollowell of Arizona and how she pitched. She was finally getting called for illegal pitches during the CWS and wasn't the same pitcher after having to follow the rules. Her release was always after she "landed", and almost always had her left foot either on the circle, or forward towards home plate. I wasn't a fan of Hollowell's because of how she was bending the rules as I saw them to getting an unfair advantage. PAC 12 then was the power house conference, much like SEC/ESPN call themselves now.
Again, PAC 12 umps weren't calling her pitches illegal. It was only when outside umps were used that she started having problems.
Again, PAC 12 umps weren't calling her pitches illegal. It was only when outside umps were used that she started having problems.
