New Jersey Senior Softball Association: My Site News: SAFEGUARDING THE PITCHER
Monday, January 21SAFEGUARDING THE PITCHER
The bottom line to the controversies regarding bats and balls has been safeguarding the pitcher - we don't want to kill or maim him. I believe the ball restrictions (375/44 core) are appropriate and that the Freak represents the most potent permissible rec league bat and the Ultra II the most potent for tournament play; but I disagree totally that further restrictions to them are necessary. I have been hitting pitchers with batted balls my whole life - in baseball and softball - and that includes play with wooden bats and early aluminum bats. And the issue is that we don't want to hit and hurt the pitchers, right? So perhaps the answer is different than further changes to the bats and balls.
At present, a number of people are supporting the idea of calling balls that strike the pitcher an out. The proposed solution is already after the fact. We want to avoid hitting the pitcher. Penalizing the batter and the offense doesn’t fix the injuries and bruises resulting from the damage to the pitcher. 99.9% of the batters are not trying to hit the pitcher; it is almost always an accident. Most of us are just reacting to a pitch and driving it hard based upon where it was pitched to or we are consciously trying to hit the ball up the middle though not with the intent of hitting the pitcher. Therefore, we never know which hit might strike the pitcher. If we make a rule saying hitting him will be an out, than most of us, consciously or unconsciously, will try to avoid hitting the ball where it MIGHT strike the pitcher.
You can see where this is going. With the new rule in effect, most players, especially in clutch situations when an out is not a favorable option, will avoid hitting the ball up the middle. The shortstops can play closer to third, 2nd closer to first – and the batter will either try to pull the ball or go to the opposite field. Players who live off hitting the ball up the middle will be greatly frustrated. Players in slumps will feel the whole ball field has been closed off. Players who continue to hit the ball up the middle will be regarded by many as reckless or dangerous. Sometimes, FEWER outs will be recorded because the struck pitcher is an out but the ball is dead – you can kiss the 1-6-3 DP goodbye.
I say, let’s not force the whole team to adjust to make the game safer. I have pitched many games and batting practices. By far the safest I have ever been was behind a pitching screen. Batters have no concerns about blasting the ball up the middle and neither do I. I can throw from my choice of distance (50'-55') and can adjust to the left or right as I wish - just have to remember to duck back behind the net after releasing the ball - no problem. Put the screen up and let the pitcher get used to it – if he isn’t already. During the game, if a ball hits the screen it is a foul. If hit on the third strike give the batter an extra swing – after all, most hits up the middle, especially the hard hits – go through; having the screen shouldn’t result in an out. The screen will stop many more than would have struck the pitcher. Having the screen will stop many potential hits and averages will fall a little if only due to hitting the screen twice in a row on a 2 strike count, but that will not be typical.
I’ll gladly drop my average some to safeguard the pitcher. Hitting the pitcher once in a lifetime is once too often; I’d rather have the screen there. But let’s not take the middle out of the game completely as it will if hitting the pitcher is an out. If you hit him catastrophically, the out is irrelevant. If you have to change how you hit to make sure you don’t hit the pitcher every batter and many fielding situations are changed. The screen keeps the pitcher safe, the foul for hitting the screen gives the batter life to try again – and the screen will only get struck a few times per game.
Do I think players will like the screen? I’ll compare it to the bat controversies and the fate of the Freak and Ultra II. Guys like to hit. Period. They might not like having the screen but they will prefer it to changing their strokes or getting called out after hitting a screaming line drive. And they will vastly prefer it to hurting anyone. Bring on the screen, I say; the sooner the better. - Phil Hewett
(If you would like to submit a different opinion, please write it and email it to me; I will provide space for the responses; I think folks would be interested in hearing agreements and/or disagreements. Please send it along with your name and phone number to me; pwhewett@msn.com. I will call to verify that you sent the article and that it did not come from someone else in your name.)