What's the college rule on this ...

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Mar 4, 2015
526
93
New England
Let's say the starting pitcher is batting for herself in a college lineup. She's replaced by a reliever. When the pitcher's place in the lineup comes up, the starting pitcher re-enters the game and bats. I believe that's legal. But then can the same reliever re-enter the game and resume pitching?
 

Strike2

Allergic to BS
Nov 14, 2014
2,049
113
Nope. Starters can re-enter, but subs can't. If a coach wants a pitcher to continue to bat after she's been replaced, they'll construct their lineup ahead of time to accomplish that.
 
Mar 4, 2015
526
93
New England
Nope. Starters can re-enter, but subs can't. If a coach wants a pitcher to continue to bat after she's been replaced, they'll construct their lineup ahead of time to accomplish that.

Gotcha, thanks!

But to clarify, the pitcher can re-enter and bat again in her original place, right? That's a starter re-entering. Would this simply mean that the reliever (a sub) is finished if the starter comes back either as hitter or pitcher?
 

Strike2

Allergic to BS
Nov 14, 2014
2,049
113
Gotcha, thanks!

But to clarify, the pitcher can re-enter and bat again in her original place, right? That's a starter re-entering. Would this simply mean that the reliever (a sub) is finished if the starter comes back either as hitter or pitcher?

Yes, the pitcher can reenter in her original batting position, however...

Chances are the pitcher would never actually leave the game. The starting pitcher who also hits might be the DP, and someone else would be the Flex. The non-hitting reliever would be put in the Flex spot, and the DP (the starting pitcher) would stop playing defense.
 
Mar 4, 2015
526
93
New England
OK, I think I follow.

So let's take this game from the 2021 WCWS. Starting pitcher Odicci Alexander, originally in the batting order as a pitcher, can then move to DP after she's replaced in the circle by Humphrey, who then becomes a non-hitting player (or flex). Does that mean the original DP, Hall, must either move to a playing position, or be replaced (as was the case here by Phillips)?



1655865058723.png
 

Strike2

Allergic to BS
Nov 14, 2014
2,049
113
OK, I think I follow.

So let's take this game from the 2021 WCWS. Starting pitcher Odicci Alexander, originally in the batting order as a pitcher, can then move to DP after she's replaced in the circle by Humphrey, who then becomes a non-hitting player (or flex). Does that mean the original DP, Hall, must either move to a playing position, or be replaced (as was the case here by Phillips)?



View attachment 25896

Without the lineup card, the box score is sometimes difficult to decipher. The coach at DD's school is a sorcerer, and is able to manipulate the lineup card in ways that I sometimes wonder how it's legal.

Shifflett apparently started the game as the Flex playing 1B, although it's possible that Hall played 1B and Shifflett never left the bench. When Alexander was pulled from pitching she remained in her spot in the lineup, and the new pitcher (Humphrey) entered using Flex spot, replacing Shifflett. Yes...the player in Hall's spot now has to play defense. As Hall apparently sucks at 1B :unsure:, a new 1B came off the bench into 7-hole. Until I started paying closer attention to college lineups and scoring, I didn't realize that the DP designation could move like that, but it apparently can.
 
Last edited:
Feb 13, 2021
880
93
MI
3. Objective: Create a space in the lineup for relief pitchers who do not hit, while allowing the starting pitcher to also play offense. a. Matchup: Pair up your starting pitcher (DP) with your relief pitcher (FLEX). b. Typical sequence: At the pregame meeting, as soon as the lineups are accepted, enter your DP to pitch. You now have nine players who all are playing both offense and defense and the FLEX has left the game. As the game progresses and relief pitching is needed, enter the relief pitcher for the FLEX (or re-enter her if she was listed as the starting FLEX player) and allow the starting pitcher to continue hitting and running in the DP spot in the batting order. Note: Either the DP can run following her hits or FLEX can run the bases.

Since neither the Starting P nor the Reliever have ever legally left the game, they wouldn't even have burned their re-entry. You could, conceivably rise and repeat as many times as you like between the two as long as other pitching replacement restrictions are followed.
 
Last edited:
Oct 24, 2010
308
28
Without the lineup card, the box score is sometimes difficult to decipher. The coach at DD's school is a sorcerer, and is able to manipulate the lineup card in ways that I sometimes wonder how it's legal.

Shifflett apparently started the game as the Flex playing 1B, although it's possible that Hall played 1B and Shifflett never left the bench. When Alexander was pulled from pitching she remained in her spot in the lineup, and the new pitcher (Humphrey) entered using Flex spot, replacing Shifflett. Yes...the player in Hall's spot now has to play defense. As Hall apparently sucks at 1B :unsure:, a new 1B came off the bench into 7-hole. Until I started paying closer attention to college lineups and scoring, I didn't realize that the DP designation could move like that, but it apparently can.

It can't. The DP spot is fixed in the lineup at the start of the game. The Flex is tied to the DP's spot; that's the only spot the Flex can legally bat.
You'd have to go through the play-by-play to figure out who is only batting and not playing defense at any particular time; it's not necessarily the DP.

In the example (if I read it correctly) Hall was the starting DP, Phillips is the substitute DP, also playing 1B, Alexander, the starting pitcher, is now playing offense only. Should the coach bat Humphrey, the only legal option is in the 7-spot currently occupied by Phillips.
 
Last edited:

Strike2

Allergic to BS
Nov 14, 2014
2,049
113
It can't. The DP spot is fixed in the lineup at the start of the game. The Flex is tied to the DP's spot; that's the only spot the Flex can legally bat.
You'd have to go through the play-by-play to figure out who is only batting and not playing defense at any particular time; it's not necessarily the DP.

In the example (if I read it correctly) Hall was the starting DP, Phillips is the substitute DP, also playing 1B, Alexander, the starting pitcher, is now playing offense only. Should the coach bat Humphrey, the only legal option is in the 7-spot currently occupied by Phillips.

Phillips is in the DP batting spot, but her position is only labeled "1B". According to the box, Alexander went from P to DP...it's right there. Not the first time I've seen it.
 
Jun 6, 2016
2,724
113
Chicago
Phillips is in the DP batting spot, but her position is only labeled "1B". According to the box, Alexander went from P to DP...it's right there. Not the first time I've seen it.

The box score will only list positions a player "played," which doesn't necessarily have to match what's on the original lineup card.

I have many times listed a player as DP on the lineup card, but they play defense the entire game, and someone who is listed in a position never touches her glove. If we were doing a box score, the person who was actually the DP wouldn't have DP listed since she never "played" that position.

The DP doesn't really "move," and I think it's misleading/wrong when an announcer says "so-and-so is now the DP." That's not true. The DP is the DP, and sometimes the DP plays a position (It's more accurate to say "The DP is now pitching"). I don't think it's just semantics either. The person who is not on the field when the DP takes the field does not assume the role of DP because the Flex cannot enter for her. It's literally false to say she's the DP.
 

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