Pitching at the CWS--the Fouts meltdown

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Jan 6, 2009
6,591
113
Chehalis, Wa
(NOTE: Picking pitches against 14U and younger is stupid. What the Astros did was criminal. But, picking pitches in HS, college and beyond is part of the game.)

Yes, I do. I think FSU batters knew which Fouts' pitches were riseballs. So, layoff the high stuff and focus on the low stuff.

A couple of years ago, we picked riseballs against an all-state HS pitcher. 3B coach yelled a word to the batter indicate a rise. We told the team to layoff the rises (except for our best batter, who had a field day smacking riseballs to the fence). The pitcher got frustrated, and more or less fell apart.

Same thing happened to Fouts.

Watch the replay and look at the FSU batters. They are listening or looking for something in the time after the sign is given and before the pitch is made.

In HS we had a similar experience in the District championship game. Their pitcher had a very good change that she threw for strikes and often. We discovered she was giving the pitch away by raising her hands above her head in the windup compared to shoulder level on the rest of her pitches. Our girls hit everything after the telltale sign.

Oh, we won. Won State that year as well.
 
May 24, 2021
1
3
Fouts pitched a perfect game on Friday, the first in 21 years, on her 21st birthday. Against UCLA and Olympian Rachel Garcia (whose team imploded behind her, but that's another story). In response her world almost certainly exploded in a way that typically only happens after winning it all. She was in the mainstream media. Her phone was undoubtedly blowing up. Anticipation was rapidly building for a big Oklahoma v Alabama matchup. All eyes were on her. And then she had to sit and wait.

Saturday they had a day off. Then, back in action on Sunday and Fouts, from the dugout, watches them drop the first game to Florida State, sending it to the if necessary on Monday. They go from the top of the world to having their backs against the wall, four days that would be a lot to handle for anyone. Tough to keep the mind quiet in the way necessary to walk the edge of the razor blade against a top-tier team firing on all cylinders.

Regardless, she's an amazing pitcher and it'll be fun to see what comes next. I'd wager the adversity will make her stronger.
 
Jul 5, 2016
652
63
It's a team sport. Kilfoyl and the defense held FSU to 2 runs in the previous game. Alabama needed to win that game.

But, yes, next year should be interesting if Kilfoyl and Fouts are both healthy.
 
Aug 21, 2008
2,359
113
Semantics maybe but, it's amazing that this thread is calling it a Fouts "meltdown". People, she had a bad game. It happens. It's happened to Cat Osterman, Monica Abbott, Lisa Fernandez, 2 Time Olympic Gold Medalist Michele Smith, etc. etc. etc. I think it even happened to me once, but I'd have to think hard about when. ha ha. Since when is a single bad game considered a "meltdown"? I said then, and will say it again, Alabama lost and deserved to lose by not starting her in game 1 vs. Florida ST. I realize Bama didn't score, but who knows how the game would've been different if she pitched. We'll never know. But, I do believe this with my core, FSU could be her once, they wouldn't have beaten her twice. That's why it was flat out STUPID that she didn't pitch. You don't lose a game with your #1 on the bench. Period. End of Story.
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
Semantics maybe but, it's amazing that this thread is calling it a Fouts "meltdown". People, she had a bad game. It happens. It's happened to Cat Osterman, Monica Abbott, Lisa Fernandez, 2 Time Olympic Gold Medalist Michele Smith, etc. etc. etc. I think it even happened to me once, but I'd have to think hard about when. ha ha. Since when is a single bad game considered a "meltdown"?
I said this in another thread and made a reference to Pedro Martinez's 2000 season.

I hope you don't find this post offensive and it is approved by @mydogeaston
 

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