Hi, this is Fred Wallace with ” Off the Wire ” brought to you by your local Auto Logic, the Logical Choice.
The recent Softball Canada Under 16 Championship Tournament in Owen Sound was a fantastic affair.
I say that not because the local entry, the Shallow Lake McComb Sawmill Sting, ran the table on Sunday with 4 dramatic victories to take the title.
The Shallow Lake victory was essentially icing on a great sporting cake that offered so much.
So, let’s talk about the drawback, maybe the lone negative in the entire affair; the ” illegal pitch. “
For 20 years Softball Canada has attempted to get pitchers to conform to international pitching regulations.
I don’t blame Softball Canada- their mandate is to produce Canadian pitchers who can hurl under international guidelines for World Championships including the Olympics.
I don’t blame the umpires for enforcing the regulation.
But I will say it’s bothersome to watch a game perpetually interrupted by umpires going to the circle to instruct, correct or admonish the hurler.
In the case of the Bantam Championship in Owen Sound, keep in mind the pitchers are young, barely teenagers, and easily rattled when the voice of authority calls them for utilizing an illegal pitching motion.
I’d say the outcome of at least 3 games were significantly altered when a pitcher failed to rise or regroup after a circle visit from an umpire.
I understand Softball Canada’s desire to have pitchers throw to international regulations. But I highly doubt Softball Canada wants their marquee National Championship games negatively impacted in the manner they were, once again, during the U16 in Owen Sound.
I’m Fred Wallace