Sarah Pauly Pitching Clips

[SoCalASABlue]

This is exactly why every year, calling IPs is my soapbox speech at my organization meetings. When they are not called and there are runners on base, the umpire is absolutely cheating the offensive team of defensive penalty award(s) that they have earned according to the rules that do not have to wait for any appeal.

 

[goosesdad]

My point is still - if an umpire is going to make the IP call, make the call early and make it often. If an umpire waits until the late innings of a close game and makes the call with runners on base, the pitcher could have been doing the same thing all game. It's just that the umpire happened to notice, had an ah-haaa! moment, and now the outcome of the game is changed by call, not the pitchers delivery. And it could have been just a very slight slide forward or a fraction of an inch off the ground. Is there an advantage - maybe but likely hardly measurable. Is it illegal? By definition- absolutely. But not calling it early in the game cheats the defense, offense and everyone else watching or otherwise involved in a well played competitive game.

Most of this stems from my belief in the integrity of the athlete. I do not believe that a softball pitcher decides to "cheat" on a certain pitch and change his or her delivery. I think most of the time it is the focus on trying to make a pitch faster, or break more that leads to the change in mechanics or the mechanics are flawed in the first place. So, an umpire can certainly play by the rules, but that umpire had better establish those rules right in the beginning. Now if they are out there trying to quick pitch, or doctoring the ball with vaseline, well then, that's another thing altogether.