The Kelly Barnhill Thread

[sooner1]

One final note, looks like Ms. Barnhill picked up another POY award today, the CWSA and their Honda Sports Award. I emailed their public relations director AnnMarie Persons and thanked them for their support of women's college athletics. I also included the following concerning Barnhill's pitching:

1) A CROW HOP is not the pitcher's failure to drag the push-off foot along the ground. A crow hop is, as the name implies, a forward hop or step off the pitching rubber by the pivot/push-off foot (typically moving it forward a foot or more) to "replant" it and use it for a second push-off point. It is not permitted in girls/womens softball.

In their rulebooks, the USSSA, ASA, etc. offer essentially the same definitions for "crow hopping":

ASA - "A crow hop is defined as the act of a pitcher who steps, hops, or drags off the
Front of the pitcher's plate, replants the pivot foot, establishing a second impetus
(or starting point), pushes off from the newly-established starting point and
and completes the delivery."
And the ASA rulebook also states:
"Pushing off with the pivot foot from a place other than the pitcher's plate is illegal."

USSSA - "A crow hop is the replanting of the pivot foot prior to delivery of the pitch."
Additionally, under USSSA Pitching Rules:
"Pushing off with the pivot foot from a place other than the pitcher's plate is illegal.
NOTE 1: It is not a step if the pitcher slides (her) foot in any direction on the pitcher's plate,
provided contact is maintained.
NOTE 2: Techniques such as the "crow hop" and "the leap" are illegal."

I mentioned they are condoning illegal techniques and should rethink what example they are setting.

 

[martianr]

One final note, looks like Ms. Barnhill picked up another POY award today, the CWSA and their Honda Sports Award. I emailed their public relations director AnnMarie Persons and thanked them for their support of women's college athletics. I also included the following concerning Barnhill's pitching:

1) A CROW HOP is not the pitcher's failure to drag the push-off foot along the ground. A crow hop is, as the name implies, a forward hop or step off the pitching rubber by the pivot/push-off foot (typically moving it forward a foot or more) to "replant" it and use it for a second push-off point. It is not permitted in girls/womens softball.

In their rulebooks, the USSSA, ASA, etc. offer essentially the same definitions for "crow hopping":

ASA - "A crow hop is defined as the act of a pitcher who steps, hops, or drags off the
Front of the pitcher's plate, replants the pivot foot, establishing a second impetus
(or starting point), pushes off from the newly-established starting point and
and completes the delivery."
And the ASA rulebook also states:
"Pushing off with the pivot foot from a place other than the pitcher's plate is illegal."

USSSA - "A crow hop is the replanting of the pivot foot prior to delivery of the pitch."
Additionally, under USSSA Pitching Rules:
"Pushing off with the pivot foot from a place other than the pitcher's plate is illegal.
NOTE 1: It is not a step if the pitcher slides (her) foot in any direction on the pitcher's plate,
provided contact is maintained.
NOTE 2: Techniques such as the "crow hop" and "the leap" are illegal."

I mentioned they are condoning illegal techniques and should rethink what example they are setting.

Thank you. Regardless if they are shocked by knowing this at least we on this forum are letting a lot of people know that what KB is doing is wrong and they need to stop praising her.

 

[knightsb]

Flosoftball discusses Barnhill's Illegal Pitching




Full clip here, starts about 32:40

 

[martianr]

Great video. Thanks for posting that. So they do know.
Now that Barnhill is on the 2017 Women's National Team. Will she get called for illegal pitch? And will the others? Or are they like the NCAA to turn a blind eye.

PS. I sent the videos to Nancy Kempf. Since she called all of us ignorant for thinking that Barnhill pitches illegal.

 

[FastPitchCat]

Flosoftball discusses Barnhill's Illegal Pitching




Full clip here, starts about 32:40

right on the dot. but to say that leap, crowhop and replant doesn't give KB a significant advantage is just wrong.

 

[GunnerShotgun]

right on the dot. but to say that leap, crowhop and replant doesn't give KB a significant advantage is just wrong.

How significant is that advantage. Be specific.

 

[TMD]

Nice to see folks "in the business" talking about it. However, the final comment by the lady with short hair (not sure they mentioned names, sorry) about "vague obstruction rules, vague pitching rules" is only half right. Obstruction rules are vague, but pitching rules are crystal clear...they just won't call it.

 

[FastPitchCat]

How significant is that advantage. Be specific.

it's been discussed in the last 70 pages of this thread
it's obvious the faster KB throws, the higher her leap.

can you imagine a long jumper having to drag one foot?

 

[riseball]

How significant is that advantage. Be specific.

Based on seeing her in person the few times when she was held accountable it was 3-5mph, with a significant loss, of command and movement. Then again it is a moot point since attaining a competitive advantage has nothing to do with enforcing the rules. It only aggravates the matter. When you work outside the rules, attain a competitive advantage and do so knowingly you become a cheat. It seems many have a hard time with the concept of following the rules. Which is why we have police, courts, and prisons.

 

[GunnerShotgun]

it's been discussed in the last 70 pages of this thread
it's obvious the faster KB throws, the higher her leap.

can you imagine a long jumper having to drag one foot?

In my experience leaping provides no advantage with regards to pitching speed. There is an advantage to being closer to home plate and that math has been done (the advantage was small).

Now crow-hopping is a different animal (which we are discussing here). I haven't seen any math on the advantage of crow-hopping and I was curious. You said "significant" advantage so I was wondering if you had some statistics, radar data, etc.

It was a curiosity rather than a challenge.