Well, here it is...

[_MIA_]

Some of the facilities we've seen over the last two years have been gorgeous. Others, not so much.

When I was at Tufts, they were not great. They seem to have improved a lot since then (although I haven’t actually been back since I graduated)

 

[LEsoftballdad]

When I was at Tufts, they were not great. They seem to have improved a lot since then (although I haven’t actually been back since I graduated)

My school has Joe Nathan as an alumni and benefactor for the baseball team. It hasn't trickled down to the softball facilities just yet.

 

[JOND]

In another post I did see you comment acknowledging the bats are hotter now,
but what about the other changes in the game that Additionally gave the offense a Greater Advantage?
So much so that it changed/ grew batting averages dramatically.

Genuinely asking because I see you have such a strong perspective about the rule change. Wondering what your thoughts are about other changes? Thanks for adding to conversation.


... Clearly you are able to describe seeing how to call it.
View attachment 28578

honestly don't know what rule changes have been put in place to advantage the offense. or changes otherwise. happy to comment on them if can be provided. i'm not a fan of slapping, I've made that known. i believe the batters' boxes should be shortened to prevent running up onto the field to hit the ball to prevent such. i've said also that they should move the fences back and lengthen the bases to 65 or 70 feet. i'm not pro-offense or pro-defense, i'm pro- playing by the rules. my DD is a former pitcher, now HS and club/travel SS and RH power hitter.

 

[JOND]

I would venture a guess to say there are a lot of mercy wins in out of conference games between P5 teams and smaller D1 schools.

i would agree with this. vast diff. b/t P5 and smaller D1. i think the NCAA should incentivize fewer D1s and more D2 and D3s. the amount of money/resources expended by small schools (sub 3,000 enrollment) to "compete" at the D1 level seems wasteful

 

[JOND]

Less offense doesn't make for more competitive games...better distribution of talent does.

was just about to say this. at the club, HS, or college level, the top top pitchers are just unhittable. a lot of them leap/crow hop. that's my issue here.

 

[JOND]

Shush..

here's my issue, to be as specific as possible. i have a HS player. we are not a traditional power SB town. we taught our pitchers to pitch to the rule as kids, not knowing that the rule would not be enforced. our top pitcher is borderline D1, even dragging the back foot. and we have several very good hitters and win almost all of our games in the top division in the state. that said, there are some traditional power programs that have pitchers who are very tough to hit, for anyone, and many of them crow hop/leap/replant. they must have been taught that way, "kudos" to their dads/coaches i guess. it's hard for us to believe we have a chance to go far in the state tourney when you know at some point you're going to face an illegal pitcher that will not be called on it. is that sour grapes? is that being offensive biased? i don't know. i just think it's wrong that the rule, which imho would level the playing field for all, is not being enforced. and NOW, with the new rule change, the issue/unfairness will be even further exacerbated.

 

[Vertigo]

honestly don't know what rule changes have been put in place to advantage the offense. or changes otherwise. happy to comment on them if can be provided. i'm not a fan of slapping, I've made that known. i believe the batters' boxes should be shortened to prevent running up onto the field to hit the ball to prevent such. i've said also that they should move the fences back and lengthen the bases to 65 or 70 feet. i'm not pro-offense or pro-defense, i'm pro- playing by the rules. my DD is a former pitcher, now HS and club/travel SS and RH power hitter.

I’d say moving to the optic yellow ball, moving the pitcher back 3 feet, creating the “Mowatt” lane, using balls that fly off the bat, composite bats are a few I can think of; and yeah, I’ll say it - never using the “slapper rule” when a regular hitter blatantly steps over the batters box lines. Saw that one quite frequently this past college season. The rule applies in that situation as well, but never seems to get called. And yes, I am a pitcher/slapper parent, so full disclosure.

 

[JOND]

Hmmm, egregious is a strong word. Those pitchers in the Olympics were not getting called for crow hopping and neither will anyone else pitching in a similar fashion. Egregious crow hopping is what Men's Fastpitch does. Those pitchers shown in the Olympics are literally the Gold standard of what the current pitching rules will allow.

gold standard, yes, for illegality imho. btw, if it wasn't an advantage, they wouldn't do it. they would do something else.

 

[JOND]

I’d say moving to the optic yellow ball, moving the pitcher back 3 feet, creating the “Mowatt” lane, using balls that fly off the bat, composite bats are a few I can think of; and yeah, I’ll say it - never using the “slapper rule” when a regular hitter blatantly steps over the batters box lines. Saw that one quite frequently this past college season. The rule applies in that situation as well, but never seems to get called. And yes, I am a pitcher/slapper parent, so full disclosure.

i've said they should go back to 46 feet (3 more) as well. that's little league distance. interesting, if you ask the girls, that might even advantage the pitcher b/c the screw/curve balls have more time to move. a lot of them move up in the box, even against gas, if the girl has good spin pitches b/c they want to hit it before it moves. i think seeing more movement would be pleasing on TV, too, if that matters.

 

[_MIA_]

here's my issue, to be as specific as possible. i have a HS player. we are not a traditional power SB town. we taught our pitchers to pitch to the rule as kids, not knowing that the rule would not be enforced. out top pitcher is borderline D1, even dragging the back foot. and we have several very good hitters and win almost all of our games in the top division in the state. that said, there are some traditional power programs in our state that have pitchers who are very tough to hit, for anyone, and many of them crow hop/leap/replant. they must have been taught that way, "kudos" to their dads/coaches i guess. it's hard for us to believe we have a chance to go far in the state tourney when you know at some point you're going to face an illegal pitcher that will not be called on it. is that sour grapes? is that being offensive biased? i don't know. i just think it's wrong that the a rule, which imho would level the playing field for all, is not being enforced. and NOW, with the new rule change, the issue/unfairness will be even further exacerbated.

My kid is a position player and I have never once thought about any of this.. . I am more worried about her fielding,hitting and throwing mechanics..eg things she (with my help) can control.