Quick pitch

[Umpy]

Yesterday I was doing plate for a Little League Majors game. It was the start of the inning, the batter had just stepped into the box and was looking down adjusting his feet, I was walking up the plate putting my mask on and the pitcher threw a pitch and somehow the batter saw it and swung for a miss. I called it "No Pitch!" because I was still a good 5 seconds from putting the ball into play (hadn't even finished putting my mask on when the ball left his hand) and the batter clearly wasn't ready yet, the pitcher was outraged, but his coach immediately backed me up on the fact that the ball was not in play and he can't throw a pitch yet.

However, the kid continued to throw his pitches whenever he saw that the batter wasn't looking. I was under the impression that this was a "Quick Pitch" and should always be called a Ball and the pitcher given a warning because its dangerous to throw pitches when the batter isn't looking. I've been umpiring for barely 2 months now, so when my partner on bases, who has several years on me, said it didn't apply in Little League I took him at his word, but I thought I'd ask here. The coach who earlier backed me up to his pitcher also believed that this was not a quick pitch.

[mstaylor]

You are the second person in two days with the same question. A quick pitch is illegal and it does apply to all levels of LL including 60ft. In 60ft. it is an illegal pitch and a ball. The oddity is unlike a balk in 90ft where certain things have to happen for it not to be a balk, in 60ft the coach has an option. With no runners it is a ball in either.

[Umpy]

And it IS a quick pitch if the pitch is thrown when the batter isn't looking towards the pitcher?

[carolinablue]

And it IS a quick pitch if the pitch is thrown when the batter isn't looking towards the pitcher?

It has to be thrown with intent to catch the batter off gaurd. However in youth baseball you often get the pitchers who just get the ball and start thier delivery immediately. I don't think thier intent is to catch the batter off gaurd, they are still learning, and are excited and just pitching very quickly. That being said , it is very dangerous and we need to try to not let it happen by telling the pitcher to slow down or calling an illegal pitch if necessary. If the batter is just standing in the box in his normal stance and is looking away, we may need to have a talk with him also.

[JaxRolo]

And it IS a quick pitch if the pitch is thrown when the batter isn't looking towards the pitcher?

It has to be thrown with intent to catch the batter off gaurd. However in youth baseball you often get the pitchers who just get the ball and start thier delivery immediately. I don't think thier intent is to catch the batter off gaurd, they are still learning, and are excited and just pitching very quickly. That being said , it is very dangerous and we need to try to not let it happen by telling the pitcher to slow down or calling an illegal pitch if necessary. If the batter is just standing in the box in his normal stance and is looking away, we may need to have a talk with him also.

I agree but it is not always the pitcher. Sometimes the batter will get in the box and adjust themselves, Spit, Tap the plate with the bat, say a prayer, Tap the dirt of his shoes, etc, etc.

So we not only have to tell the Pitcher to slow down but also the batter to hurry up!

[mstaylor]

I agree, I always allow the batter a little extra as he comes up but after that he doesn't need twenty minutes of twitching and settling. On the other hand the pitcher can't pitch as soon as the batter's foot hits the dirt. To further complicate things, I don't like to use the hand up sign unless things are getting out of hand. I will walk out and have a conversation with the pitcher first.

[BretMan]

I don't like to overuse the "do not pitch" signal either. But since the OP said that the pitcher continued doing this throughout the game, things were getting out of hand! This simple mechanic goes a long way toward getting it back under control.

[mstaylor]

Everyone has their own game management solutions but I may hold my hand up once, then I walk out and tell he has to slow down and let the batter set. If he continues I will step out and loudly announce to him he has to let the batter in the box. That does one of two things, the manager gets into it and tell him to slow him down or I scare the kid into doing it.

[Umpy]

This is obviously not a little league video, but I was under the impression from this thread that this would be considered a quick pitch. Shouldn't the batter be considered off guard when he's still positioning his bat?

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=18938433&topic_id=9780550&c_id=mlb&tcid=vpp_copy_18938433&v=3

[carolinablue]

This is obviously not a little league video, but I was under the impression from this thread that this would be considered a quick pitch. Shouldn't the batter be considered off guard when he's still positioning his bat?

http://mlb.mlb.com/v...py_18938433&v=3

The pitcher had obviously started his motion and the batter was looking right at him but continued to take " practice swings". He had more than enough time to get ready to hit IMO. I think he was expecting him to come to a complete stop but there was no runners on base.

[mstaylor]

I agree, he had plenty of set time, he just forgot he doesn't have to set with no runners.

[NFUA_44]

As Michael points out get the pitcher settled down with a combination of things, between the dreaded hand and a quick chat with the pitcher.

Outside of that, make sure you have a batter that isn't playing around either. I have found, especially with the younger groups, that if you keep them close to the box, they will generally get in and get settled quicker than if you let them wander. Once I've told the F1 to pay attention, if the batter dawdles around I'll give him the a verbal nudge. Most of the time this helps move things along, gets F1 to slow down a bit, and keeps the batters near the plate.

[carolinablue]

This is obviously not a little league video, but I was under the impression from this thread that this would be considered a quick pitch. Shouldn't the batter be considered off guard when he's still positioning his bat?

http://mlb.mlb.com/v...py_18938433&v=3

If this were FED. rules.... Illegal pitch anyone?

[sdix00]

This is obviously not a little league video, but I was under the impression from this thread that this would be considered a quick pitch. Shouldn't the batter be considered off guard when he's still positioning his bat?

http://mlb.mlb.com/v...py_18938433&v=3

If this were FED. rules.... Illegal pitch anyone?

Time.

That's an illegal pitch. (Failure to come to a complete and discernible stop)

Ball to the batter.

6-1-3

PU could have called it either way under OBR:

Rule 8.01(b ) Comment: With no runners on base, the pitcher is not required to come to a

complete stop when using the Set Position. If, however, in the umpire’s judgment, a pitcher delivers

the ball in a deliberate effort to catch the batter off guard, this delivery shall be deemed a quick pitch,

for which the penalty is a ball. See Rule 8.05(e) Comment.