Pitch hitting home plate

[Strike2]

I wish I couldn't but saw it weekly for a while. Picture slow pitch. That's it. Ok, not quite, but pretty close. When it's coming that slow, with an arc, it can cross at the knees or thigh and still hit the plate or right behind it. Makes it really dangerous for the inexperienced catchers too since they want to lean forward and try to catch it in the air.

I've played a fair amount of 6-12 slow pitch, and the called strike zone still required (by the principals of physics) the ball getting to some point beyond the plate. HS slow pitch the same. I also played unlimited arc where the strike call was based on the ball hitting the plate or the extension. The most objective strike decision ever! I still can't picture anything but a pitch coming down from Mars that crosses the defined FP strike zone AND hits the plate.

 

[CoachJD]

I got curious about this. Cannot find a rule stating it's a ball in one code. I'm looking at you USSSA. Any others?
ETA: Two codes. U2 Little League

The wording of the USSSA rules suggests a ball can hit the plate and still be called a strike because all it says is "A pitched ball enters any part of the strike zone in flight and is not struck at."

 

[CoachJD]

I've played a fair amount of 6-12 slow pitch, and the called strike zone still required (by the principals of physics) the ball getting to some point beyond the plate. HS slow pitch the same. I also played unlimited arc where the strike call was based on the ball hitting the plate or the extension. The most objective strike decision ever! I still can't picture anything but a pitch coming down from Mars that crosses the defined FP strike zone AND hits the plate.

At the younger ages, the bottom of the strike zone for some players is like a foot off the ground, maybe less. With a more pronounced arc from slower pitches, it certainly seems possible.

 

[jackfrost]

USA Softball Rule 7.3.A. Fast Pitch) A ball on the batter: For each legally pitched ball that does not enter the strike zone, touches the ground before reaching home plate, or touches home plate and the batter does not swing.

 

[efastball]

We are talking about a minimum 40 degree incoming pitch arc.

Batting practice would look like this.

 

[bmakj]

Ball hits the plate - ball. Doesn't matter where it crossed the front of the plate. Ball. Every time.

Walk fests are not fun for the players or for the umpires. The game gets boring and the kids start looking for a walk because the pitcher couldn't hit water if she fell out of a boat. That's not up to the umpire to make unhittable pitches strikes. I'm ok with calling the river, especially in instructional/rec leagues but not expanding it drastically. I called one of the leagues at 10U here where they redefined the strike zone as "top of the ankles to top of the shoulders and six inches on either side of the plate". So basically, "chins to shins, box to box". The strike zone was massive and we got a lot of called third strikes on pitches that really any decent hitter shouldn't be swinging at. "Helping" the pitchers doesn't necessarily help them, honestly. They learn that they don't need a lot of control.. Just toss it in and it will be a strike as long as it's near the plate. Also, consider that the batters learning that they have to swing at something that's a foot outside at their eyes doesn't help them develop into good hitters either.

As for a walk fest benefitting no-one - to an extent this is true but consider the umpire. 10 batters per half inning (some artificial limit put on in most of these rec leagues), full count, or near that to every batter, you get in 100 squats per full inning. In a 4 inning game, it's quite the workout. I did so much 12U rec this year that my thighs are like pieces of rebar.

much easier to teach better pitch selection as they get older and see bettere pitching, than to break the habit of looking for walks. I teach DD to reevaluate the strike zone every game, adjust to what each umpire is calling.

 

[eddieq]

Batting practice would look like this.
View attachment 22641

Hah. Not batting practice, but when my oldest was having trouble with fly balls and pop ups (picking it up, settling under it, etc.) I put them in the back yard and I stood on the deck (about 20 feet up) where they couldn't see me with a bucket. I'd toss one up without warning and they'd have to pick it up, call for it, and catch it. Once they got more comfortable, I'd toss it farther out so they'd have to get a fly on the run. Ended up being an infielder (no outfielder speed here) but didn't struggle on infield flies and pop ups after that.

 

[mmeece]

View attachment 22640

We are talking about a minimum 40 degree incoming pitch arc.

Batting practice would look like this.
View attachment 22641

That player is about a foot taller than many of the ones I dealt with, but that arc looks about right

 

[EdLovrich]

View attachment 22640

We are talking about a minimum 40 degree incoming pitch arc.

Batting practice would look like this.
View attachment 22641

Put the top of the ball at the knee and draw your line tangent to the bottom of the ball (which is that part that strikes the ground), and take into account that it is not a straight line, but a 'gravity curve'. and you require much less than that 40deg arc, in addition to the lesser height of the players at the lowest levels.

 

[efastball]

Put the top of the ball at the knee and draw your line tangent to the bottom of the ball (which is that part that strikes the ground), and take into account that it is not a straight line, but a 'gravity curve'. and you require much less than that 40deg arc, in addition to the lesser height of the players at the lowest levels.

Also, if you notice, I put the top line in the wrong place - should have been drawn at the front of the plate, which would make the arc abt 4-5 deg higher. So 40 is still pretty close. Love the details though.