Softball pitching - when movement fools the umpire

[Ken Krause]

Had a kind of frustrating day today at our fastpitch softball tournament. Actually the first two games went well. But in the third game we ran into a bit of a problem pitching/umpire-wise. I'm curious to hear if others have had the same issue.

Our pitcher, who is also one of my students, was really moving the ball tonight. I couldn't see it from the dugout, but I got that report from my catcher and some of the parents behind the plate. They said she was really on.

Yet she struggled, because the umpire we had apparently couldn't deal with left-right movement in particular. She throws a curve ball and screwball that actually break, a drop that can actually drop. But despite crossing the plate, they were being called balls. It got so bad she had little choice but to throw fatties, and started getting hit. Her catcher was frustrated too -- so much so she asked me to call the pitches because she couldn't figure out what the umpire wanted.

Of course, from the dugout all I knew was balls and hits. I eventually had to take her out and put in another pitcher. It wasn't until after the game that I learned how well she had actually pitched.

She was frustrated too. But I guess it's a compliment, really. She was moving the ball so well she was fooling the umpire. Not saying there's a direct comparison, but I wonder if Cat Osterman ever had the same problem when she was 14?

More...

 

[Lozza]

Ken I've had the same problem. Threw a brilliant curve ball and the umpire, I kid you not went 'HOLY HIT DID YOU SEE THAT BALL MOVE?' When my catcher asked him what the call was he said it was a ball as he wasn't sure if it crossed the plate. Only time I've ever thrown my glove while walking off a diamond ;-)

 

[PEPPERS]

My daughter has nice breaks on her pitchers and a number of times UMPS may miss a call or two, even had an UMP that advised he missed a number of calls after a game one time and complemented my daughter on her movement of the ball, advised a few times she fooled even him.

Ever know and then we get an UMP that you just about have to set it in the middle of the plate to get calls and of course what happens, the poor pitcher ends up getting hit hard. With $300.00 bats and with so many kids that have great swings an UMP is putting a kid in danger when they will not give coroners. I can live with runs, hard hits, but when a bad UMP puts a kid in harm’s way, I get testy about that.

That is the way a pitcher protects herself being 38 feet at release point from the batter with pitches that a batter cannot make solid contact with.

 

[joemcq51]

Sometimes when the pitches are moving that well, it takes an inning or so for the ump to realize it. Usually they will loosen up as the game goes on. But there is always that ump that wants the entire ball within the plate. Hopefully they are consistent on both sides. It feels like your pitchers have to throw into a tin can to get a strike called. Those games are ususally no fun for a pitching coach.

 

[shockcoach]

We have been running into several umpires that will not give the outside corner. I have had my pitcher and catcher both say they are good quality outside strikes, not close calls. One grand-parent behind the backstop who's daughter tried out for the Olympic team in the 90's as a pitcher also tells me they are quality strikes getting called balls. They are also getting fooled on the change ups. It's really starting to tick me off. As Peppers said, it's a safety issue when you're zone is making the pitchers throw down the middle.

It's my belief that they're wanting to turn the game of softball into baseball. Sorry, but a 15-12 score isn't a fastpitch score. Start calling strikes, strikes!

 

[Ken Krause]

What I wonder is why they want to call so many balls? With time limits at tournaments the tournament directors obviously want to keep the games moving. Squeezing the strike zone simply prolongs the game, and keeps the blue out on the hot field longer. Makes no sense to me whatsoever.

 

[chinamigarden]

I don't know what age groups your dds are playing. It has been my experience, both in baseball and fastpitch. The older the players, the better the umps. It seems like the assigners know who is good and who is not, so rather then put a lousy ump at a 16u game, they get put at the 10u and 12u level, where they aren't used to seeing good movement. Hopefully your girl will soon grow out of the bad umps.

 

[WinThemAll]

I don't know what age groups your dds are playing. It has been my experience, both in baseball and fastpitch. The older the players, the better the umps. It seems like the assigners know who is good and who is not, so rather then put a lousy ump at a 16u game, they get put at the 10u and 12u level, where they aren't used to seeing good movement. Hopefully your girl will soon grow out of the bad umps.

You are right! But what always gets me, is that 10s/12s pay the exact same price to enter the tournament and most often get the "newbies" or the ones who should have retired five years ago not to mention put down on the crappy fields.

 

[chinamigarden]

You're right, its not fair. When my DD played 10u we had this one ump who was not good at all. We saw him again at another tourny and he had an eye patch on. As it turned out he was much better behind the plate with the eye patch, must have been a double vision thing But since it was his left eye with the patch, when he was in the field he never saw girls leaving early by the end of the game girls were 2 steps off the bag before the pitch.

 

[WinThemAll]

You're right, its not fair. When my DD played 10u we had this one ump who was not good at all. We saw him again at another tourny and he had an eye patch on. As it turned out he was much better behind the plate with the eye patch, must have been a double vision thing But since it was his left eye with the patch, when he was in the field he never saw girls leaving early by the end of the game girls were 2 steps off the bag before the pitch.

LOL!!! Too funny!