Illegal Pitches

[Sam]

Every coach who knows anything about anything knows when their own pitcher throws illegally. That coach has choices. Get it corrected during the season and be good at Nationals or let it go and hope it nobody notices at Nationals. There are enough crocodile tears shed on this thread to drown.....a crocodile. The whiners could have fixed their pitchers. For christ's sake, they had 10 months to do it and they CHOSE to do nothing. If you don't like the IP's being called at Nationals, FIX YOUR PITCHERS! Don't sit on your collective asses and cry about it here when you had total control of the situation and you did nothing about it.

Harsh, but true! Unfortunately most coaches don't know that their pitcher is throwing an IP. The pitching coach may have even taught them to leap!

They can sure tell when the opposing pitcher is leaping. They know. They are too lazy to do anything about it. They would rather complain than actually do something that will help the kid.

[Battle]

They can sure tell when the opposing pitcher is leaping. They know. They are too lazy to do anything about it. They would rather complain than actually do something that will help the kid.

I agree Sam. They know. I will say this, DD was at a national a fews years ago and out of the blue, she starts licking her fingers before the pitch. Sometimes she would wipe on her pants and sometimes she would go straight to the ball. I thought to myself, "what the hell is she doing and were did she get that from?" She never has done that before for anyone to correct. She got called on it and when I asked asked her about it, even she didn't know or at least that's what she said.

[Marriard]

I feel sorry for the umpires with this rule. The way it is written, it is impossible to call consistently especially across the country.

- You can't realistically watch a pitcher's feet AND watch whether the base runner is leaving early
- The holes in front of the pitching rubbers you get make the 'drag' thing impossible to call (how are you meant to decide if they would drag if the ground was level???)
- Some of the 'leaps' are small. Some are 'large'. And many are quick and fast. Very hard to see.
- It is hard to call at young ages when pitchers are learning to pitch
- Sometimes it is a 'point of emphasis' and then it isn't.

And as a (reasonable) umpire you also don't want to ruin a game by making the call knowing that all the other umpires haven't been making the call all year/in other areas/etc/etc/etc...

So IMHO the problem is the rule itself. It needs to be rewritten in such a way that it can be called consistently at all levels.

[Comp]

It isnt that hard. The problem is, the umpires that dont call it make the umpires that do into the bad guy and "the umpire that just has to be part of the game". Every coach out there has a rule book and the book takes you step by step through what is legal and what is not. If their pitcher isnt legal, it is no ones fault but their own. How many practices every week do they have to work on it? How many pitching lessons does the pitcher go to and no one tells her to fix it?

[GIMNEPIWO]

It isnt that hard. The problem is, the umpires that dont call it make the umpires that do into the bad guy and "the umpire that just has to be part of the game". Every coach out there has a rule book and the book takes you step by step through what is legal and what is not. If their pitcher isnt legal, it is no ones fault but their own. How many practices every week do they have to work on it? How many pitching lessons does the pitcher go to and no one tells her to fix it?

OK ... true that ... But, exceptions, canyons in front of the rubber & over zealous or non-edumacated umpires ... In your opinion, do they exist as well ?

[Mark H]

In terms of attracting young girls to the sport and fans to the seats, in the long term, what are the pros and cons of keeping or discarding the leap rule?

[Marriard]

It isnt that hard. The problem is, the umpires that dont call it make the umpires that do into the bad guy and "the umpire that just has to be part of the game". Every coach out there has a rule book and the book takes you step by step through what is legal and what is not. If their pitcher isnt legal, it is no ones fault but their own. How many practices every week do they have to work on it? How many pitching lessons does the pitcher go to and no one tells her to fix it?

How many pitchers have pitching coaches (or good pitching coaches)? While the majority of the good pitchers do, there are many, many girls pitching who do not - even at TB level. While it may become less of the case as they get older, players of varying level are mixing all the time at various level at rec, travel ball, and school ball.

I don't think there is a major advantage of significance to 'leaping'. I don't know if it was made legal that you would see a major change in pitching styles to take advantage of this. You would however see the current illegal pitch discussion move to something much easier to call for the umpires - which is replanting/crowhopping where there is much a clearer advantage.

Right now it is a bad rule which is called somewhat randomly and inconsistently. It is time to change it to make it better for the players and umpires.

[Anti-Clone]

Hmm...if there is no advantage to leaping, why are they doing it?

It's not a natural act or motion. So one would only do it if there was an advantage.

If there is no advantage, then why bother committing an illegal act with no return?

[Marriard]

Hmm...if there is no advantage to leaping, why are they doing it?
It's not a natural act or motion. So one would only do it if there was an advantage.
If there is no advantage, then why bother committing an illegal act with no return?

I would argue that leaping is a much more natural motion than dragging when pushing hard off a foot. This is why you have to be taught to drag while no one I know is taught to leap.

Watch a bunch of sprinters start a race (which is a fair comparison since we often talk about sprinters starts with pitchers exploding off the rubber). They push into a position where both feet are off the ground - there is no drag there.

[GIMNEPIWO]

Hmm...if there is no advantage to leaping, why are they doing it?

It's not a natural act or motion. So one would only do it if there was an advantage.

If there is no advantage, then why bother committing an illegal act with no return?

My personal opinion is that the 'leap' is the gateway to the 'replant' or 'crow-hop' which do give an advantage ...