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Just For Fun
by Dave
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Recently, at a softball game, a girl suffered an injury while pitching. She was struck in the hand by a line drive. She could not continue pitching. The hand was swollen, black and blue, and looked as if it might be broken, possibly in several places. The girl had to come out of defensive line-up but due to the rules under which this game was played, the team was forced to either bat her or take an out when her position came around. They chose to send her up to bat while holding the bat in one hand. What do you think about that?
Before you answer, consider that this was not some sort of big time college or professional game. This was not a national competition. This was a USSSA sanctioned 10U game. It was for a state title and probably a bid to nationals. But we're talking 10U here. Really! I mean it!!
To round out your understanding of this event, the pitcher and other players on the opposing team were upset to the point of tears with the prospect of having to pitch and play against a girl bandaged and obviously hurt. The opposing team objected to the umpires. They consulted with the UIC and tournament director. Ultimately the conclusion arrived at was there was no relevant rule and the decision was entirely up to the coaches of the team with the hurt girl. She batted against a pitcher wiping tears out of her eyes. The outcome is unimportant.
That's what I thought you'd say!
My reactions are as follows:
1) As a parent, I would never allow my child to suffer through that. I'd probably never again allow the team's coaches the privilege of working with my kid. I might consider legal or other action to make sure the coaches never worked with children again.
2) As a coach, I'd never ask a kid to do something like that. Instead, I would feel it my duty to have the parent take the kid for immediate medical attention. I don't have the expertise to have an opinion on what sort of damage might be done but it does occur to me that perhaps permanent nerve damage could result from severe swelling. While we provide legal protections to volunteer coaches acting within a degree of normal, prudent person, (I believe this transcends that and I know how I would vote on a jury if a case like this ever came before me. The coach would lose his house!
3) As a person who has coached softball and been involved with a few organizations, I wonder how this could possibly enhance the particular team's, coach's, and org's reputation. If this, in and of itself, does not reduce the number and quality of kids who show up at tryouts, there is something seriously wrong with our community.
4) As an outsider of the teams and the tournament - I wasn't there and am going only by witness accounts - I am ashamed that anyone in the youth softball world would have a kid bat under these circumstances. I'd like 5 minutes with the guy who made this decision. But, while I feel strongly about promoting the sport, I think this event provides the impetus for certain rule changes which I'm going to get to shortly.
5) Finally, as a person interested in the game and its rules, I believe umpires should be given "reasonable man/woman" rights to determine whether they believe a player should or should not be allowed to continue in a game. At the very least, there ought to be some reasonable guidelines beyond mere "blood" rules. Tournament directors ought to be able to say, "no, this kid cannot continue."
It does not matter to me that the kids on the opposing team did not want to play against this girl. It does not matter to me that the pitcher was crying at the prospect of having to pitch against her. It matters some but is not dispositive that these were 10s. They could just as easily been 12s, 14s, 16s. I am still against the girl being put up to bat. At some age and level of competition, I suppose my opinion changes - it has to.
Had this been the NPF championship game, I think you have to let the batter bat. Ditto for the WCWS. Between say 16U and the WCWS, I'm less certain. I suppose a kid should be allowed to continue at the state high school champiopnship game under these circumstances. I expect that most professional, college and high school teams would never find themselves in this circumtsance. Their rosters are larger. But I am clear that this shouldn't be allowed to happen at USSSA 10U games, even the national championship.
Our society has certain norms of behavior which are applicable under legal applications. For instance, if a child is allowed to eat such a horrendous diet that they attain a level of obesity which is abhorent to most of us, that child can be removed from the custody of his or her parents. Similarly, severe manutrition is considered parental child abuse. There are norms of behaviors in terms of punitive acts which may be applied. Exceed those and you'll have to answer to a judge.
Within the sports world, there are similar norms of behavior which, if exceeded, could result in criminal prosecution. These are generally reflective of societal norms. If a parent refused to get a child medical attention for an injury like this, I suspect they could be brought up on child abuse charges absent certain over-riding and extreme conditions. This case does not qualify for the types of conditions. This case is clearly abusive. It must result in some sort of action by USSSA and other sanctioning bodies because, al0ong with being an embarrassment to the coach, the team, and the org, it has to be an embarrassment to USSSA because it cewrtainly is an embarrassment to the softball community at large.
USSSA and all the other bodies must give some sort of authority to tournament directors, UICs, and/or the umps themselves to say, "no, that kid cannot play under these circumstances."Labels: rules, youth tournament teams
Permanent Link: Just For Fun
 
At Long Last ... 43
by Dave
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
At long last, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) has voted to implement a 43 feet pitching distance for high school varsity games. This rule is effective for the 2010-11 school year but states can switch the distance this upcoming year, if they choose to. Here is the press release.
Over the years, I have come out in favor of this change on a couple of different levels. For one thing, if the college girls pitch at this distance, so should girls at 14U and above, including high school. The boys game has always been that way. Why should girls, who mature earlier relative to their older counterparts, as compared to boys, be any different?
Another reason I have been in favor of the change is high school softball games within and between the best 10-25% of teams is almost always a very low scoring affair. To the extent the pitching distance change results in more balance between offense and defense, I think it has to be good for the game. The reaction of coaches in the two states which tested 43 feet suggests the desired results have been achieved.
Along these lines, if you compare reaction time for batters between baseball and softball, the reality is girls must react far more quickly than boys. A very fast 12U or 14U pitcher gives batters no more time to see and react to a pitch than a relatively fast high school varsity baseball pitcher. I'd do the math for you but it bores me to do that again. The announcers at the WCWS did, I'm sure, understate the case quite a bit. They suggested that pitchers throwing at 67 during the WCWS were comparable to 90+ mph baseball fastballs. If you account for the distance from which the ball is released in both games and accurately calculate the time from hand to plate, I think you come out with a more drastic result. As I said, I won't calculate it for you, but I suggest the actual time is more like a 100 mph baseball fastball.
One of the reasons stated for making the change over the years is to give pitchers more time in which to react to balls hit back at them. The amount of time provided is pretty much negligible, hundreths of a second. It is also countered by the fact that batters will hit the ball more solidly given their longer time in which to react. I think this reason for moving to 43 feet is perhaps the weakest one.
In terms of the impact on girls themselves, there are any number of girls, beginning at sophomore year of high school, who are stuck in this cycle of having to perfect their pitches at 43 feet for fall showcases and higher level winter competitive ball, then move back to 40 feet to prepare for the spring high school season, then move back to 43 feet in time for summer ball. Very often pitchers have a matter of two weeks, sometimes even less, to make the transition. This is, I believe, too much to ask of the best competitors in our game. And the girls who are already pitching at 43 feet in high school have the advantage.
Perhaps the largest percentage of folks who have written reactions to my opinions on the subject have been against the change. Their reasons are varied. But I think mostly they have expressed concern for their pitcher-daughters.
They complain that if the purpose is to protect the pitcher, this change will not accomplish that. I agree. The difference in reaction time is minimal. But without scientific studies, I also suppose that none of us really knows if the change will matter or not.
They also worry about slower pitchers who will give batters way too much time to see and hit the ball. That's probably true too but it is almost as true at 40 as it is at 43. Speed is a relative concept. Speed gets adjusted to. If you took someone who hits well against 50 mph speed, and put them up against 50, they would struggle. Keep them in the 60 for an extended period of time and I suspect they'll learn to do well. High school pitching is a fairly broad spectrum but at the better levels, I think it tends to be around 55-60 with some faster than 60 and most at or above 55. Girls seem to do reasonably well against 60 mph pitching if they face it routinely. But play them against a very slow pitcher one day, a fast one the next, then a slow one the next, and they will struggle against each - not just against the fast pitcher.
To go a bit further, it seems like most softball hitters have greater difficulty adjusting to slower stuff than they do faster. That's not always true but many times I have seen teams use a very slow pitcher for 3 or more innings to slow down a strong offensive team. The best teams almost never seem to struggle against a fast pitcher unless she also has great command and movement too.
I realize this can get rather circular. It also offers the opportunity to contradict oneself. Do I think hitters will do better against pitching from 43 feet? Yes. Do I think pitchers will be protected? Probably not, but maybe I'm wrong. Ultimately, I think I have to make my decision to be in favor or against a change to 43 feet based upon whether I think it is better for the game or not. I think it will produce more offense in a game which needs more offense. I think it will give the pitchers a hair more time in which to react and at the same time diminish the benefit of that as hitters get better looks. I think pitchers should practice at one distance rather than shift back and forth. I think it is time the almost fully developed girls at all ages pitch at the same distance the same way the boys have done for decades on end.
Do you have an opinion? If so, send it to me and I may decide to include it in this piece.Labels: high school, rules
Permanent Link: At Long Last ... 43
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