Jordyn Bahl

[DonnyS]

What happened to accountability? The pitcher is, by your own admission, breaking the rules. The umpire is enforcing the rules, yet HE dictated the outcome of the game? Not the player making the illegal pitches? This is fascinating. Why does the player get excused from any accountability?

If you get stopped for speeding and it makes you 15 minutes late, did the cop cause you to be late or did you cause yourself to be late?

The pitcher illegally pitched every one of her pitches. They all should have been called according to the rules. They were not. Other pitchers pitch illegally, some are called and some are not called. This pitcher was, and has, been called on it inconsistently, and in this game more so after a mostly off-camera exchange with a coach. Inconsistent calling of a rule (against the same pitcher, against different pitchers, in the same game, or across multiple games) is frustrating to watch.

I'm usually early and if I'm ever late it's my own fault...but I speed regardless.

 

[radness]

they are calling it correctly, but the inconsistency is frustrating to watch.

This seems to be the root of the problem.

 

[Gtrips07]

Maybe she does practice it, I'm not there. There's a lot of things I probably could say but, I don't feel comfortable doing in an open forum.

My hunch is, she practices being legal. And pitching legal is probably like figuring out the umpire's strike zone: how much can I get away with before being called? Same as throwing pitches, if I throw this drop at the knees and it's a strike, my next pitch should be lower. If that's called a strike, I'll throw it even lower. And then lower until the umpire stops calling it. Heck, I'll roll the ball to the plate if the umpire will call it!!!!! And sometimes this philosophy happens with other aspects of the game: illegal pitches is one of them. How high/far can I jump before it's called illegal?

Now it's very easy for anyone reading this to say "She shouldn't jump at all!" And there's truth to that. And my only counter point will again be, I'd be 100% ok with not jumping, going back to 2 feet on the rubber, etc. as soon as Jocylen Alo swings a wood bat and hits a cork center ball that eventually goes soft. As long as one side (hitters) are given more and more advantages: bats, balls, smaller strike zone, keeping the fields at 200', etc. pitchers will continue to find some way to counter against that. I don't think the writers of the softball rule books had polycore balls and composite bats in mind when they wrote the rules about a pitcher needing to stay grounded.

I think no one wants to see games that are 1-0 every game, and I think that's one of the reasons for the acceptance of the offensive advantages. I'd also argue part of the higher scoring is that softball has learned from baseball and you have better hitters elevating the ball more frequently. I question if pitching is keeping up with offense; does a pitcher have enough spin and placement and are the right pitches being call at the right time?

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk

 

[Rolling Hard]

After every series, coaches are given an evaluation sheet to fill out about the umpires and their performance over a weekend series. I also know some coaches, especially a highly respected coach with a top ranked team, has a lot of sway in which umpires officiate their games: especially games at home and most definitely non-conference games at home. I'm curious what'll happen at a "neutral" site like WCWS, if the IP's are called.

Well that's a lot of BS. Coaches should have zero sway in which umps they get. Do you think MLB managers have a say so in who umps their games?

 

[radness]

More action=More fans
Hits + Runners + HR's + Scoring...
and Pitching controversy
What's not to love

 

[radness]

Do you think MLB managers have a say so in who umps their games?

Yes
Without having a single piece of knowledge about it at all.

 

[Westwind]

Tim Walton is pretty famous for having his umpires on a short leash.

Two Fagans on VT roster- one player one coach.

 

[Rolling Hard]

Yes
Without having a single piece of knowledge about it at all.

Because umpires travel throughout the season, minimizing their travel is important. However, the requirement that a crew not handle the games of any team too often forces each crew to travel after each series of games. Crews must travel long distances (i.e., up to 35,000 miles) during a season because of (1) the requirement that each crew must visit each MLB home city and (2) restrictions on a crew handling consecutive series for any team. In addition, the associated team schedules are not designed with umpire travel as a consideration

 

[radness]

Because...

Are you saying that the way they select umpires and where the umpires officiate is all legit?
Cuz......

... just imagining the influence of money

 

[Rolling Hard]

Are you saying that the way they select umpires and where the umpires officiate is all legit?
Cuz......

... just imagining the influence of money

I would like to think MLB managers would not have a say so in who umps their games. I cant imagine Joe Maddon calling up the head of the umpires union and asking him to assign or not assign certain umps to Angel's games.

If you are a college ump and being liked or preferred by college coaches could affect your schedule/income, therein lies a problem and may be contributing to the non-calls on illegal pitches. Does the if you want to work a lot better not enforce the rules mentality exist?