The Fastpitch Chronicle

The first WFSCA statewide rankings are posted on the wissports site now. It's always interesting to look at rankings. As I looked at the rankings I shook my head and then wondered, "Just how many coaches actually submitted a ballot to compile these things?"

For 16 years I coordinated the Fastpitch Chronicle rankings. Those were always pretty close to where teams actually stacked up through a season. There was a large number of rankers who voted across Divisional lines. There were current coaches, former coaches, umpires, former umpires who still watched game, newspaper reporters on the rankings committees over the years.

The WFSCA rankings are a tighter section of rankers. Any head coach can rank if they choose too but they can only rank in their own WIAA Division of play. I'm not saying that's a bad thing. However, a school who plays in a conference with larger schools than themselves doesn't get votes from the schools in their conference who are a division or two above them. That skews the balloting a bit. 

The Fastpitch Chronicle will not be ranking teams this year. It's always a bit sad to say so long to something such as that.  It includes the end of relationships I built with the rankers etc. 

I will in this diatribe however point out some teams I think got missed by the coaches in those divisions. Ranking just 10 teams is a tough deal too so we need to keep that in mind.

In Division 1 it's a good list although DeForest needs to get some consideration. I think we need to watch a few more Southeastern Wisconsin teams in Division 1 as well. 

In Division 2 Portage has played well early, losing just 2-1 to DeForest and nipping Waunakee who beat highly ranked Janesville Craig this week. I never look past New London when ranking in that division. 

In Division 3, where I actually did rank teams, people need to keep a watch on Weyauwega-Fremont, Northwestern, perhaps Prescott, Platteville, Columbus, Campbellsport is not a sleeper, 

In Division 4 I see Spencer as a top 10 as I saw them face to face with very effective sophomore pitcher and some good hitters, Chequamegon, Cuba City is young but has a coach who knows this game better than most of us, Mineral Point, Parkview needs to be followed in this division, 

In Division 4 Bruce is a sleeper to watch but Gilman forces us to keep our eyes open, I've seen their skill level first hand this season so keep a close watch on those Pirates, Hurley in Division 5 should be scary for anyone above Highway 64 and then south after that as we are talking about a Hall of Fame caliber coach there, 

I am sure other teams will emerge in a week or so that coaches can set their ranking eyes upon. 

Last Saturday in Poynette in a game between Menasha and Spencer I witnessed a play I had never see the likes of before. Menasha had a runner at third with less than to outs and less than two strikes. It was a tight game with Spencer leading by one run if my memory serves me well. Menasha chose to squeeze and it had to have been an all out suicide for this play to happen this fast. The pitcher pitched it, the runner broke for home, the batter squared around and stuck her bat out at a pitch that was outside and in the left hand batters box by about 15 inches. I was sitting in our media center right above the play with a microphone in my hand. The batter just tipped the ball on the bunt attempt and the ball went about four or five inches above the bat. The catcher had been set up outside and snared the ball instantly then tagged the runner just before her foot hit the plate. The ball, however got jarred loose and the runner was there, lying on the plate. The umpires were a bit bewildered too and no real call was made as there were less than two strikes on the hitter at the time of the pitch. They were conferring and I announced that I figured the three-person crew was trying to ascertain whether it was a foul ball or a foul tip. If it was a foul ball the runner would have had to tag up and if a foul top would have to be ruled safe. I kept quiet and they ruled that it was a foul tip and a strike on the batter but they sent the runner back to third. 

This is an example of why I always tell coaches that you ought to read your rule book more often and know the rules and their application better than the people wearing powder blue shirts and heather gray pants. The game progressed and the inning ended. I quickly left the media center, went down the steps to behind home plate and asked the ump crew what that play was all about. the home plate umpire is a very experienced fella and said they had rules it a foul tip, which I agree on. I said that they should have then counted the run and the home plate umpire said, "You are right that run should have counted. 

Now, according to what happened in Wisconsin a couple of years ago, the Menasha coach probably could have urged the umpire crew to invoke Rule 10, Section 1, Article 4

I'm not going to cite that particular rule in this diatribe but instead will force you to get your own rules book out and read it for yourself for it's the the line in that article that was used to change the outcome of a tournament game in Madison. It's the second sentence in Rule 10, Section 1 Article 4.

And speaking of Rule 10, Section 1, Article 4 I will also contend that the second sentence can only be used prior to the next pitch and not after several batters or innings. But, that just my opinion and some people who understand the rules better than I and their application tell me differently. 

Bottom line, know the rules and make sure they oficials get it right before another pitch is thrown. We owe it to the players we teach to know the rules to the game we are teaching them.

Have a great day!

Bob