So even Mike White says Barnhill is a cheat. Not sure how the NCAA can continue to ignore the elephant in the room. But do not underestimate them, they always seem to find a way.
The Kelly Barnhill Thread
- Thread starter knightsb
- Start date
Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch
Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.
- Sep 10, 2013
- 601
- 0
i didn't hear him directly mention any names in particular. i guess it was implied?
If not her, then who?
- Sep 10, 2013
- 601
- 0
silkwood, barnhill, carlson are the most obvious. hmmmm i wonder if mike white is a DFP'er?
Of those which one dominated the game, made it to the WCWS, and has based her entire softball career on pitching illegally and not getting called for it? Yes, this issue is bigger than Barnhill but she is definitely at the the top of the list.
ArmyStrong
Going broke on softball
In my very naïve and inexperienced point of view, I think NCAA needs to go through some sort of IP cleansing or chemotherapy where the organization gets honest and objective about illegal pitching.
Monica Abbott - great for the game - you pitch illegally.
Ally Carda - team USA - you pitch illegally.
Even Cat Osterman, Jennie Finch and Sarah Pauly can be seen in some clips where, by definition, pitch illegally.
Just because the greats got away with it in the past, it shouldn't mean a precedence is set.
Kaitlin Lee - love the way you compete - you pitch illegally
Silkwood, Carlson - illegal
Kelly Barnhill - why mess with a good story? - you pitch illegally
Delanie Gourley - probably my favorite pitcher right now - there are times when you pitch illegally, too.
NCAA needs to acknowledge that they've failed open on illegal pitches for many years, not just this year. Then they need to put a plan in place to review, revise (as applicable) and enforce the rules.
For some pitchers, it will be a temporary rude awakening; for others it will require a simple adjustment of mechanics. If the players I mentioned above are as good as advertised, cleaning up their pitching would be just one more reasonable hurdle towards greatness.
By doing nothing, the NCAA is making a farce of a great game.
Monica Abbott - great for the game - you pitch illegally.
Ally Carda - team USA - you pitch illegally.
Even Cat Osterman, Jennie Finch and Sarah Pauly can be seen in some clips where, by definition, pitch illegally.
Just because the greats got away with it in the past, it shouldn't mean a precedence is set.
Kaitlin Lee - love the way you compete - you pitch illegally
Silkwood, Carlson - illegal
Kelly Barnhill - why mess with a good story? - you pitch illegally
Delanie Gourley - probably my favorite pitcher right now - there are times when you pitch illegally, too.
NCAA needs to acknowledge that they've failed open on illegal pitches for many years, not just this year. Then they need to put a plan in place to review, revise (as applicable) and enforce the rules.
For some pitchers, it will be a temporary rude awakening; for others it will require a simple adjustment of mechanics. If the players I mentioned above are as good as advertised, cleaning up their pitching would be just one more reasonable hurdle towards greatness.
By doing nothing, the NCAA is making a farce of a great game.
- Feb 7, 2013
- 3,188
- 48
I have said for awhile that we have a pitching epidemic that has been going on for at least a decade (at all levels of the game not just top tier D1). Maybe the governing bodies will finally do something about it?
- May 17, 2012
- 2,814
- 113
I would favor them relaxing the leaping rules but fear that would lead to more replanting.
I would start by taking away the extra base awarded to base runners and double down on enforcing the rules as is. I think that the extra base penalty impacts the game to dramatically. Perhaps this would encourage umpires to call illegal pitches as needed without the concern of impacting a game in such a severe way.
I would start by taking away the extra base awarded to base runners and double down on enforcing the rules as is. I think that the extra base penalty impacts the game to dramatically. Perhaps this would encourage umpires to call illegal pitches as needed without the concern of impacting a game in such a severe way.
- Oct 19, 2009
- 1,821
- 0
I was having a conversation the other evening with a HS coach and he advised that Mike White made the comment that the SEC ignored IP wile the P-12 called it. I never was able to verify he made that comment.
- Jun 8, 2016
- 16,118
- 113
IMO the best way to do this is to gradually enforce these rules from the lower levels and work their way up. Strictly enforce it in travel ball/HS first then move on to college. Hopefully if they do this there would be very little need to
do it at the college level. For a college pitcher to change might be "easy" mechanically but would probably do a job on them mentally. If they all of sudden called it on Barnhill everytime in the Regionals what do think the outcome would be? Would she even be able to pitch? Not necessarily fair to somebody who was made to think it was ok to pitch a certain way for 10+ years to all of a sudden tell them they can't do it anymore. Not sure diluting the game at the highest level first is the best way to grow the game.
do it at the college level. For a college pitcher to change might be "easy" mechanically but would probably do a job on them mentally. If they all of sudden called it on Barnhill everytime in the Regionals what do think the outcome would be? Would she even be able to pitch? Not necessarily fair to somebody who was made to think it was ok to pitch a certain way for 10+ years to all of a sudden tell them they can't do it anymore. Not sure diluting the game at the highest level first is the best way to grow the game.
Last edited:
