Hello Fastpitch Folks
On Tuesday I had a great conversation with James who lives in Idaho. Prior to yesterday I had never communicated with James and did not know he was into fastpitch softball. As it turns out his daughter is a freshman catcher out there. In the process of trying to figure out a type of catcher’s glove/mitt he found the ezslider.com website where there are gloves, sliding pads and other softball related items for sale. We chatted about fastpitch for a while then via text messaging communicated a bit more last night. I introduced him to this website and all the information that it contains, especially the Fastpitch Bulletins. It always brings a smile to my face when I can connect with someone new through this game.
While talking with James yesterday a couple of game situations came to mind that I thought I’d included in a bulletin soon. Today, sooner came quicker than later so here are a couple of scenarios for you to ponder that have actually happened in games I’ve coached or watched the past few seasons.
The catcher from Team A is using a softball type catcher’s mitt while catching. In the middle of a defensive inning her coach makes a position switch whereby the catcher gets switched out to third base and a substitute enters for the third sacker but at the catching position. The original catcher goes out to third base still wearing that mitt she was using to cat ch but nobody notices until several batters later she fields a ball, throws to first and gets the out. The coach of the team at bat jumps up and addresses the umpire pointing out that the catcher is wearing her catching mitt rather than a glove. The umpire called time and explained to the coach that there is no rule prohibiting the catcher from uising her mitt at any of the other positions.
Was the umpire correct?
Scenario #2 – During a game in a recent season the catcher for her team was wearing a very large first base mitt rather than a catcher’s mitt. It really was a very large, long trapper. The umpire noticed the large, long mitt and instructed the catcher to get a shorter mitt or glove. The coach from the team told the umpire that the rulebook is pretty clear when it comes to size of gloves/mitts. The umpire insisted that the glove/mitt was too long.
Who is correct?
Here is a situation right out of this year’s Case Book. Runner at third base, one out, count at a ball and a strike. The batter hits a foul fly ball to right field where the rightfielder makes the catch. The runner at third had tagged on the play and scores easily. Following the play the offensive coach appeals that the rightfielder’s glove is illegal. Upon inspection of the glove the umpires determine that the glove is indeed larger than the rule specifications.
Ruling: The glove is declared illegal then asks the coach at bat to choose between the result of the play or to bring the batter back to bat, the runner at third back to third and declare that there is one out and the count is now a ball and a strike (thus a do-over). The illegal glove is removed from the game and a warning is issued to the head coach. The next player not properly equipped is restricted to the dugout/bench area for the rest of the game and so is the coach.
Games will get underway this week, weather permitting. I know of one scrimmage for today that has been cancelled.
Have a fastpitch kind of day and .....
Keep it Rising!
Bob
Tag(s): Bulletins
