It’s Like the Curse of the Front Cover of Sports Illustrated
Hello Fastpitch buffs,
Just one day after moving into the top ranked spot in the Fastpitch Chronicle rankings Superior dropped a 4-1 decision at the hands of Proctor, the 6th ranked team in the Gopher state.
We’ve added more teams to the rankings list as Honorable Mention teams this week. Those are teams on the cusp of moving into the numbered spots and dropping others down into the HM list or lower.
In the southern part of the state the weather forecast is not very favorable for getting some fastpitch action this week. A shortened season with a week of rainouts would be tough to get much of a slate of games in.
Here is a situation that happened during a key game I was coaching back in the early days of the 21st century. The game was close and we were in the field with a couple of runners on base. After our pitcher had started her delivery the third base coach (head coach) yelled “Time!” My pitcher stopped her delivery and was called for an illegal pitch. She assumed the umpire at third base (this is a clue of just how important this game was) had called “Time.” She was called for an illegal pitch. I told the umpires that calling time when he did was covered in Rule 3 of the Rules Book but I lost. The illegal pitch calls stood and the runners were advanced to the next base. That situation is covered in Rule 3, Section 6, Article 9 and it is clearly written.
Here is another issue that is covered in Rule 3. It is in Section 6 and is Article 10 - Objects, other than stopwatches and scorekeeping materials/devices, in the coach’s box are prohibited. Yet even at the state tournament the past few years I have watched coaches carrying clipboards that have their signal calling numbers on them. They look down at their clipboard then yell out a sequence of colors or numbers or a combination of colors or numbers or a supposed key word and numbers. I’m not convinced that the clipboard with huge colors written on it and huge numbers written on it so the coach can see them without his/her reading glasses fits the definition of scoring material/devices but yet, they are not told to leave the clipboard in the out of play area such as a bench area or dugout.
COVID issues have wreaked havoc on many programs in the state thus far this season. New Berlin West and Kaukauna which were both ranked first in their respective divisions have been hit hard by the virus and it’s contact tracing issues. Both remain at or near the top of the rankings because we kept that in mind while compiling the rankings and the records of the teams. Kaukauna had one practice from the time they quarantined before they played their next game. They did prove their mettle this past weekend in Cedarburg. Other teams throughout the state are playing without two, three, four or more starters due to contact tracing. It will be a shame if some good teams wind up in that situation once the WIAA tournament series gets started. COVID caused chaos once the WIAA basketball tournament series started. Two teams in the same sectional semi-finals were forced to forfeit those semi-finals sectional games, sending two teams to the finals without having to don a uniform.
That’s it for tonight.
Have a great day tomorrow and
Keep it Rising!
Bob
Tag(s): Bulletins
