Hit By Pitch and the college game

[AlwaysImprove]

Watching a lot of regionals, super's. The game has gotten goofy.

The constant diving into pitches. People trying to determine if a ball was in the strike zone when it hit the batter. One of the commentators said the pitch had to cross the white line in the batters box before HBP was given. Everyone wearing ton's of padding on their front side.

How long before umpires wake up and realize that "Must attempt to avoid" gave them a ton of latitude to make the right call.

[jonriv]

No requirement avoid as long as they are in the batters box

[Comp]

No requirement avoid as long as they are in the batters box

That is not how the rule reads. No attempt to avoid if the ball is entirely within the batters box. For the ball to be entirely within the batters box it has to be at least 6" off the corner of the plate. If the ball is not in the batters box, the player must still attempt to avoid and cannot purposeley attempt to get hit.

High school went to the same rule last year and I have seen more and more players purposely crowding the plate daring the pitcher to throw on the inside corner.

[Fredegar]

JR ... while what you said is true (with Comp's clarification), I think you missed the point of the OP. He's saying the OLD rule "must attempt to avoid" allowed the umps to make the "right" call.

As AI said, many kids are wearing all kinds of padding, crowding the plate, with their knees and elbows hanging in the 6" area between the box and the black, ready to take one for the team. They're daring the pitcher to throw anywhere inside, so they get their free base.

[ontheblack]

JR ... while what you said is true (with Comp's clarification), I think you missed the point of the OP. He's saying the OLD rule "must attempt to avoid" allowed the umps to make the "right" call.

As AI said, many kids are wearing all kinds of padding, crowding the plate, with their knees and elbows hanging in the 6" area between the box and the black, ready to take one for the team. They're daring the pitcher to throw anywhere inside, so they get their free base.

Hopefully that is all the Barry Bonds tactics they adopt.

[Crabby_Bob]

...
High school went to the same rule last year and I have seen more and more players purposely crowding the plate daring the pitcher to throw on the inside corner.

THIS is why the rule change is stupid.

[jonriv]

JR ... while what you said is true (with Comp's clarification), I think you missed the point of the OP. He's saying the OLD rule "must attempt to avoid" allowed the umps to make the "right" call.

As AI said, many kids are wearing all kinds of padding, crowding the plate, with their knees and elbows hanging in the 6" area between the box and the black, ready to take one for the team. They're daring the pitcher to throw anywhere inside, so they get their free base.

But when was it ever called?? Most umps gave the hitter the benefit of the doubt(not that they always should have) It has long been a pet peave of mine(even in baseball) Now umps don't have to pretend they have any disgression. Right now, unless the batter is in the strike zone- an ump is not going to call anything but "take a base" and coaches are telling their players just that

[MTR]

But when was it ever called?? Most umps gave the hitter the benefit of the doubt(not that they always should have) It has long been a pet peave of mine(even in baseball) Now umps don't have to pretend they have any disgression. Right now, unless the batter is in the strike zone- an ump is not going to call anything but "take a base" and coaches are telling their players just that

It was called when it was obvious. But the issue is now different. Before the change, there was a requirement to attempt to avoid no matter where the ball was, even through the center of the box. IMO, it became harder to see the obvious as the talent in the game became diluted. All of a sudden, you had batter's @ 10U "freezing" and this became a mantra among coaches' arguments that permeated throughout softball and to the highest level as THE excuse for the player not attempting to avoid the pitch.

[ontheblack]

But when was it ever called?? Most umps gave the hitter the benefit of the doubt(not that they always should have) It has long been a pet peave of mine(even in baseball) Now umps don't have to pretend they have any disgression. Right now, unless the batter is in the strike zone- an ump is not going to call anything but "take a base" and coaches are telling their players just that

It was called when it was obvious. But the issue is now different. Before the change, there was a requirement to attempt to avoid no matter where the ball was, even through the center of the box. IMO, it became harder to see the obvious as the talent in the game became diluted. All of a sudden, you had batter's @ 10U "freezing" and this became a mantra among coaches' arguments that permeated throughout softball and to the highest level as THE excuse for the player not attempting to avoid the pitch.

It became harder to see the obvious? In what parallel universe does this make sense?

What am I missing here? Can someone explain this to me?

[AlwaysImprove]

But when was it ever called?? Most umps gave the hitter the benefit of the doubt(not that they always should have) It has long been a pet peave of mine(even in baseball) Now umps don't have to pretend they have any disgression. Right now, unless the batter is in the strike zone- an ump is not going to call anything but "take a base" and coaches are telling their players just that

It was called when it was obvious. But the issue is now different. Before the change, there was a requirement to attempt to avoid no matter where the ball was, even through the center of the box. IMO, it became harder to see the obvious as the talent in the game became diluted. All of a sudden, you had batter's @ 10U "freezing" and this became a mantra among coaches' arguments that permeated throughout softball and to the highest level as THE excuse for the player not attempting to avoid the pitch.

They take something that it is creeping up from 10U, let it flow into the college level. Then decide there are too many arguments over whether she was attempting to avoid or frozen up. Then ask for the removal of "must attempt to avoid" language to remove the arguments.

Add in that a lot of umps now think with the disappearance of the inside corner they have to give additional room for the pitcher on the outside of the plate. They have to be able to throw somewhere.

Now the game is placed from 4" to the inside middle of the plate, to 6" outside. The whole game is cantawampus.

Time for blue leadership to grow a pair, realize they made a mistake. If I were working the plate I would realize how management has made my life difficult and a a bit goofy.