Things College Softball Announcers Can Quit Saying 2022 Edition

[JayW]

How would that be different from a situation where a grand slam was reversed because a base umpire made the same call?

Because Gasso and others are just using it as a strategy because they get a certain number of appeals. Wipe out a grand slam for a runner being 6 inches off a base when no umpire saw it in real time? No thanks. And especially for a home run. How did the runner leaving early affect the result in any manner? She jogged home a 1/2 second earlier? The penalty is way disproportionate to the offense.

 

[JoeA1010]

I'll give another plausible alternative with a slight detour to set it up. Our English curriculum is reading-heavy, so my Juniors are just now writing their first major paper. I have never read so much gibberish in my life. So many words and then "more extra words" ( ) without saying anything.

I finally asked a few of them why. "I am trying to sound smart," was the common response. "Because it has to be 500 words," was the other.

Education is failing communication, especially in McJournalism students. You are seeing this in junior cadet reporters these days. The TV analyst who has spent their "writing life" limiting themselves on social media has to fill air time. The days of Vin Scully are gone. "More words" replaces quality journalism. Subject matter expertise is lost to a shiny head of hair.



Sadly, this is true with pro-league announcers, too.

Yes, I have no doubt this is true. As a former journalist and college coach, I would see it all the time whenever a student would ask me to look over a paper. It would be a contest to see who can string together the most words devoid of meaning.

 

[The Man In Blue]

How would that be different from a situation where a grand slam was reversed because a base umpire made the same call?

I know I am painting myself into a corner here . . . So here comes my potential hypocrisy. . .

I know the broadcasters commented that teams have people assigned to watch runners leaving early, as they should. An umpire missing this call is no different than an umpire making this call.

HOWEVER, replay is supposed to correct the egregious errors. When they have to go frame by frame to make the determination, it is not egregious. I find it very hard to believe anybody in that dugout actually saw the runner break contact fractions of a second before the ball was released. It was a fishing expedition that they got lucky on, just as the prayer for an obstruction call was a fishing expedition that didn't work.

When a coach has challenges to burn, why not use a gameshow lifeline? (My why not: because that isn't the purpose.)

Last year I was BU on a game where the VT head coach wanted a 2-run homerun taken off the board because a fan (from his side of the field) threw a ball on the field as the pitcher was pitching and his F3 picked it up as the game ball was sailing WAY over the centerfield fence. Sorry coach, we aren't here to bail you or your pitcher out. Unless it is NCAA, apparently.

 

[schwabach]

I know I am painting myself into a corner here . . . So here comes my potential hypocrisy. . .

I know the broadcasters commented that teams have people assigned to watch runners leaving early, as they should. An umpire missing this call is no different than an umpire making this call.

HOWEVER, replay is supposed to correct the egregious errors. When they have to go frame by frame to make the determination, it is not egregious. I find it very hard to believe anybody in that dugout actually saw the runner break contact fractions of a second before the ball was released. It was a fishing expedition that they got lucky on, just as the prayer for an obstruction call was a fishing expedition that didn't work.

When a coach has challenges to burn, why not use a gameshow lifeline? (My why not: because that isn't the purpose.)

Last year I was BU on a game where the VT head coach wanted a 2-run homerun taken off the board because a fan (from his side of the field) threw a ball on the field as the pitcher was pitching and his F3 picked it up as the game ball was sailing WAY over the centerfield fence. Sorry coach, we aren't here to bail you or your pitcher out. Unless it is NCAA, apparently.

I tend to agree with you. I am wondering what, if anything, can be done about it. These coaches are paid to win so they will use the rules to their advantage.

From the article link below, it sounds like base runners will have to be a bit more conservative in their timing.

Oklahoma's Patty Gasso: Softball's New Replay Rules 'Taking Away From the Excitement of the Game'

Games across the country have been slowed down by an offseason rule change allowing coaches to challenge if players left base before the ball leaves a pitcher's hand.

www.si.com

 

[The Man In Blue]

I guess winning is more important than the excitement of the game.

 

[The Man In Blue]

I tend to agree with you. I am wondering what, if anything, can be done about it. These coaches are paid to win so they will use the rules to their advantage.

From the article link below, it sounds like base runners will have to be a bit more conservative in their timing.

Oklahoma's Patty Gasso: Softball's New Replay Rules 'Taking Away From the Excitement of the Game'

Games across the country have been slowed down by an offseason rule change allowing coaches to challenge if players left base before the ball leaves a pitcher's hand.

www.si.com

I guess winning is more important than the excitement of the game.

Short of some wholesale change to replay rules, my only suggestion would be to allow the umpires to determine if it was immaterial to the play and the technical violation could be ignored. Sort of similar to how a runner (in some codes) can be called out on an obstruction play if the obstruction did not effect the end play (e.g., runner was obstructed, but gunned out by ten feet).

 

[schwabach]

I guess winning is more important than the excitement of the game.

Short of some wholesale change to replay rules, my only suggestion would be to allow the umpires to determine if it was immaterial to the play and the technical violation could be ignored. Sort of similar to how a runner (in some codes) can be called out on an obstruction play if the obstruction did not effect the end play (e.g., runner was obstructed, but gunned out by ten feet).

You have been around sports more than I have. I assume you have seen that, for most coaches, winning is necessary. Colleges aren't paying high salaries for sportsmanship.

 

[CoachCeetar]

HOWEVER, replay is supposed to correct the egregious errors.

When a coach has challenges to burn, why not use a gameshow lifeline? (My why not: because that isn't the purpose.)

Is it? MLB goes on about this too, popping up half an inch over the bag on a slide, etc. But where was it ever supposed to be about _egregious_ errors? The intent of the base is "you're safe when you're touching it". So these types of calls are technically correct, and was always the intent, we just couldn't get down to that granular scale to tell so human eyes had to be "good enough"

I always imagine a high-tech sensor, base turns green when a runner is on it, ball turns red when it touches a runner who's not in contact with the base. Ball touches glove unlocks the base for tag-ups, etc. They'd be out in these situations.

If we want it to be different I think we have to change the rules a little, including the replay ones. I personally favor a more 'ump in the sky' approach where egregious and like, scoring plays at the plate are reviewed automatically, probably with the push of a button by the on-field ump.

I'd argue that using the gameshow lifeline IS the intent of this type of challenge replay system, to introduce a measure of gamesmanship. It's why I'm not thrilled about the idea of using it for a future ABS system.

 

[The Man In Blue]

You have been around sports more than I have. I assume you have seen that, for most coaches, winning is necessary. Colleges aren't paying high salaries for sportsmanship.

Oh, I have. And I’m not shy about calling out somebody for lamenting and claiming they have scruples immediately followed with their price for giving them up.

But then, I took an almost 50% pay hit to become a public school teacher in an underserved population, so I am half daft anyway.

 

[schwabach]

But then, I took an almost 50% pay hit to become a public school teacher in an underserved population, so I am half daft anyway.

Good on you. Not a teacher myself but my mother was a teacher, father and brother, professors. I still respect the profession.