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Online now: 2 members: TABLE SETTER 11, TeamTraxels; 53 anonymousDiscussion: Arrogance can hurt a pitcher
| Posted | Discussion |
| May 26, 2016 Dancer 115 posts | Arrogance can hurt a pitcher I was playing senior league ball the other night. In our league, the pitcher can use a screen, but if one pitcher uses the screen, the other pitcher has to use the screen too (the second part I don't agree with, it should be pitcher's choice). I usually don't hit up the middle, but I hit a nice line drive about 8 feet above the pitchers head (it was a pretty hit). So next time at bat, the pitcher moves the screen in the middle of the mound and pitches in front of it. He is trying to take the middle away from me. Last season I hit a guy so hard in the leg, the ball rolled out to the outfield. In fact, the ball already hit the pitcher before I could even finish off my swing. When this pitcher adjusted the screen to the middle of the mound and then stood in front of it, I started thinking "if I hit you, I am not even going to feel sorry for you, because your arrogance makes you stupid, you have a screen there to protect you". Lucky for him (and me too), I can hit the ball to the left or right side, so I choose to go left and hit another line drive through the left side. It just bothers me if you have a chance to play safe, then why not do it? |
| May 26, 2016 Fred S Men's 85 297 posts | That is not Arrogance that is stupidity. |
| May 26, 2016 Sparky.1 Men's 75 284 posts | He might as well draw a big red target on his chest and say "hit me if you can"! "the Rattlesnake" (just for Dave) [grins] |
| May 26, 2016 titanhd Men's 60 638 posts | Dancer you "usually don't hit the middle" but, you just stated two times that you did-how pretty a hit that it was and explaining how hard you hit the pitcher "last season" and now the pitcher is "trying to take the middle from me". |
| May 27, 2016 Paco13 424 posts | It sounds to me like somebody is bragging about how hard he hits the middle. Now that pitcher is as dumb as it gets. This most happened in California...LOL. PR NINJA OUT!!! JESUS LOVES YOU!!! |
| May 27, 2016 coop3636 514 posts | What is the difference of not using a screen and playing in front of it? Is it stupid to NOT use the screen if that is an option? I don't like the screen, it hurts my defense when we play in tournaments because you get used to just "hiding" behind it. A pitcher who covers up the middle can have a big difference in a game. Just my 2 cents Brett PS. I have been pitching for close to 30 years and still love the action in the middle. |
| May 27, 2016 Dancer 115 posts | Titanhd. Easy to explain, if I foul the ball off and start thinking I am late on my swing and then get two strikes against me, then I go into my up the middle stance because I have to protect the plate and keep the ball fair. Usually, don't hit up the middle often because the first pitch I swing at is usually in play. When I hit the guy last year, I had two strikes against me and was in the position to protect the plate. Coop I understand what you are saying because your are a tournament player and you are right, if you get use to the net, it would make your defense weaken. But this guy could not step a couple of steps back after he released the ball and thus he was pin in there. I pitch, but will take about three steps back after the release to give me that .2 of a second to react. |
| May 27, 2016 k man Men's 65 326 posts | Our senior league has the option to use the screen. Wording allows 1 team to use it and other team has the option to use it or not. When 1 team uses it, they just remove it and replace it accordingly. We also have wording in league rules where pitcher MUST pitch from behind the screen. He pitches from the side basically half covered by the screen. And there are also a variety of rules that go along with batted balls/thrown balls hitting the screen. |
| May 27, 2016 BH21 29 posts | Dancer, protecting the plate with 2 strikes? Are you expecting a fastball at 95?? It is slow pitch softball, you should be able to hit it anywhere you want. You are using a senior bat and slow fielders and have to hit up the middle - comical |
| June 3, 2016 galasater Men's 55 4 posts | If a pitcher is using the screen, he is required by rule stand behind it, after he releases the ball. |
| June 4, 2016 curveball Men's 65 705 posts | galasater, that's not true in the Las Vegas Senior League. Screen mandatory, but not mandatory to stand behind it! Screen must be slid to the glove side far enough to permit pitching around the screen while maintaining contact with the pitching box; no pitching around from glove side of screen. No pitching over the screen. Screen is kinda used more as another fielder. "IF" a league uses a screen for safety, the pitcher should be required by rule to be behind the dang thing after releasing the ball. Otherwise, put the screens back in the utility sheds... |
| June 4, 2016 Omar Khayyam 1357 posts | curveball, I disagree with the mandatory requirement for the pitcher to move behind the screen after every pitch. In our league, screens have been mandatory for more than 10 years after a scary incident when a pitcher was almost killed. Some pitchers were removing the screen from the field in their half of the inning, but this was soon outlawed and the screen required to be in front of the pitcher. However, in actual use, some pitchers only go behind the screen for a power hitter, or a hitter known to hit middle. We have mixed age players, so most 70 plus age pitchers will move behind the screen against most 50 age hitters. But some pitchers back up after release, others move into position to field a ball hit middle, some already pitch well behind the screen from the 60 foot maximum, etc. It is still there for safety, but safety isn't mandated. I do think that pitching in front of the screen is a mockery of its purpose. Also agree that the screen can function to shrink the infield options and in a sense acts as another "infielder", especially in our league where a ball hitting the screen is counted as a "no pitch" rather than a strike. I also think a pitcher routinely moving away from the screen to field any hit ball after a pitch is foolish, because it adds in the danger of a line-drive ricochet off the screen. |
| June 5, 2016 curveball Men's 65 705 posts | Simple question then Omar, if you don't HAVE TO go behind the screen with each pitch, please explain the purpose for said screen! |
| June 5, 2016 Fred S Men's 85 297 posts | curveball: We have that stupid rule in our league also. Up to this year you had to get behind the when the ball was hit. The reason they give for having the screen there is to cover them in case of law suit. We provided the screen but pitcher chose not to use it. |
| June 5, 2016 curveball Men's 65 705 posts | Hard to figure isn't Fred? |
| June 6, 2016 BruceinGa Men's 70 3233 posts | We also aren't required to stay behind the screen. One learns when you need the protection of the screen and when not. Our only requirements are that one leg of the screen must touch the rubber or be that distance from the rubber and at least the edge of the screen must be within the two edges of the rubber. |
| June 6, 2016 curveball Men's 65 705 posts | Bruce, IF there is going to be a screen, I agree with your placement. My gripe is IF the reason for a screen is the safety of the pitcher, how can you not require him to be behind the screen? Either use the screens as intended, protecting the pitcher, or get them off the field! Associations hiding behind placing a screen on the field to dodge liability without mandatorily requiring use of the screen would be on the loosing end of any pitcher hit by batted ball injury. |
