Softball

Florida rolls Oregon. There will be two SEC teams at 2-0 when the day is done.

Hopefully, The Sooners will get a win on Saturday.
 
Just finished watching the finish of the Bama-Kentucky game. UK loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the 7th. Looked like Traina might be on the ropes. She deliberately - - let me repeat that DELIBERATELY managed to work her way out of the inning (with the help of a bang-bang double play, which IMO could very well have been called safe at first). The double play was the climax, but I want to go back to the part of the bottom of the 7th, after the bases were loaded.
Traina took a LOT of time, making a point, it seemed to me, to make the UK batters wait and wait a bit more. Every pitch. And it worked, she managed to get a strikeout and then the DP.

I am not an expert on women's softball, but I kept thinking that had I been the Kentucky batting coach, I would have either (1) complained to the umpire about the length of time that Traina was taking on every pitch or (2) told my batters to step out of the box after so long a time. Two can play that game.
And getting back to the DP, did anyone else think that it was CLOSE???

Comments?
 
Using the step-frame feature on my DVR, it looked like it was a DP at the end, but just barely. The umpire made a good call.
 
Today is do or die. I would sure love to beat the Rajun Cajuns and advance.
 
The fact that our hitters have seen their pitcher in 3 games and have played lights out since the series with them makes me fairly confident. The Alabama pitcher was really on her game and supremely confident. If we can win the games to face them again I think she would be toast.
 
BlackwellSooner said:
Just finished watching the finish of the Bama-Kentucky game. UK loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the 7th. Looked like Traina might be on the ropes. She deliberately - - let me repeat that DELIBERATELY managed to work her way out of the inning.

I am not an expert on women's softball, but I kept thinking that had I been the Kentucky batting coach, I would have either (1) complained to the umpire about the length of time that Traina was taking on every pitch or (2) told my batters to step out of the box after so long a time. Two can play that game.

Comments?
Click to expand...

I know that in men's baseball, if a pitcher is unduly deliberate, the batter can step out of the box. I assume that that is discouraged in women's softball, because I hardly ever see it done (stepping out of the box).
But Traina was making the UK batters wait, and wait and wait. A prolonged wait like that works to the disadvantage of the batter, IMO.

Anyone agree with me on this point, or am I all wet?
 
BlackwellSooner said:
I know that in men's baseball, if a pitcher is unduly deliberate, the batter can step out of the box. I assume that that is discouraged in women's softball, because I hardly ever see it done (stepping out of the box).
But Traina was making the UK batters wait, and wait and wait. A prolonged wait like that works to the disadvantage of the batter, IMO.

Anyone agree with me on this point, or am I all wet?
Click to expand...
I'm not sure that the rule still applies, or that it applies to softball, but I think the umpire has the authority to call a ball if the pitcher delays too long. The Bama coach is skilled at getting around psychological rules, and nobody ever calls him on it. If I were the umpire, I would have called a ball in such a situation and forced action.
 
Baylor leads FSU 5-0 in the fourth. Not really a surprise. I thought they were the weakest team here. The LaLafayette pitcher has a good rise ball, and she did give us fits. We, as a team, don't like the rise ball.
 
I didn't get to watch the Kentucky-Alabama game, but from the accounts I read here, I'd say the Tide are up to their old tricks.

I won't call Alabama the dirtiest team I've ever watched, because they apparently know just how far they can push the envelope without getting penalized. But that team, with its win-at-all-cost approach, was able to steal a title two years ago against OU. The umps should have called that game with OU in the lead when the rains came. No matter how badly anyone wants to continue playing, it's unsafe for young women to play fastpitch softball under those conditions. But the Bama coach knew Ricketts was unable to grip the wet ball, so he instructed his players to make a scene on national TV. The ploy worked (the officials evidently feared they would come off as gutless if they didn't cave), and the rest is history.

Traina, at least at that time, was strictly a power pitcher who was basically unaffected by the wet ball. Ricketts, on the other hand, was the best pitcher in the country not only because she had a great fastball, but also because she had great action on her pitches. She ultimately lost her ability to spin the ball, which tipped the scales in favor of Alabama.

It's doubtful now (not impossible) that the Sooners will get another shot at Bama in this year's WCWS. But even if we don't, I'll be pulling mightily against that team in every game for the rest of the series.
 
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scrybe said:
I didn't get to watch the Kentucky-Alabama game, but from the accounts I read here, I'd say the Tide are up to their old tricks.

I won't call Alabama the dirtiest team I've ever watched, because they apparently know just how far they can push the envelope without getting penalized. But that team, with its win-at-all-cost approach, was able to steal a title two years ago against OU. The umps should have called that game with OU in the lead when the rains came. No matter how badly anyone wants to continue playing, it's unsafe for young women to play fastpitch softball under those conditions. But the Bama coach knew Ricketts was unable to grip the wet ball, so he instructed his players to make a scene on national TV. The ploy worked (the officials evidently feared they would come off as gutless if they didn't cave), and the rest is history.

Traina, at least at that time, was strictly a power pitcher who was basically unaffected by the wet ball. Ricketts, on the other hand, was the best pitcher in the country not only because she had a great fastball, but also because she had great action on her pitches. She ultimately lost her ability to spin the ball, which tipped the scales in favor of Alabama.

It's doubtful now (not impossible) that the Sooners will get another shot at Bama in this year's WCWS. But even if we don't, I'll be pulling mightily against that team in every game for the rest of the series.
Click to expand...

Totally agree! Also agree with Syb's statement of Bama coach. I'm ready for them to lose!
 
There are coaches who live by the knowledge that the officials never will call it---the fouls on Courtney when she was out of bounds, an automatic two-shots and the ball. They never called it---once, and Kim knew they wouldn't. Since college is about examples and learning, I would bar Kim and the Bama coach from ever participating in amateur sports. I think it diminishes the NCAA that they don't have the guts.
 
Thanks, glad to know that I am not alone in my thinking that Traina's delaying tactics were questionable at least, and that Alabama pushes the envelope.

To address the second part of my question, what, in y'all's opinion, would have been the result had the Kentucky batting coach instructed his batters to step out of the box?

Would the umpire have taken it as a push from the Kentucky coaches that he needed to either tell Traina to speed it up/call a ball, or would he have rebounded the other way against UK? The reason I ask is, like I said, I've never really seen this situation addressed in women's softball. Most pitchers work fairly quickly.

Traina was taking twice as long as normal, IMO.
 
Usually, that is ineffective. It is really more up to the Kentucky coach to go to the umpire and insist that they follow the rules. Call them on it, or you will protest.
 
BlackwellSooner said:
Thanks, glad to know that I am not alone in my thinking that Traina's delaying tactics were questionable at least, and that Alabama pushes the envelope.

To address the second part of my question, what, in y'all's opinion, would have been the result had the Kentucky batting coach instructed his batters to step out of the box?

Would the umpire have taken it as a push from the Kentucky coaches that he needed to either tell Traina to speed it up/call a ball, or would he have rebounded the other way against UK? The reason I ask is, like I said, I've never really seen this situation addressed in women's softball. Most pitchers work fairly quickly.

Traina was taking twice as long as normal, IMO.
Click to expand...

Are you sure it's in the rules that a pitcher has a limited number of seconds to deliver a pitch? I have never heard that.
 
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