I was playing in league last night and we played a team that likes to shoot middle with shaved sticks. In the first 3 inning they had gone middle 1-2times. In the fourth the first 3 batters did it so while Im standing at 3rd I look at there dugout and tell them to apologize to there pitcher. While Im walking back to our dugout the ump meets me 1\2 way and tells me I have 1 chance to get him back so when I come up to hit I drill the pitcher in the leg and after that the upm tells both teams "no more hitting middle or your gone from the game". So my question is have you ever told another player this or do you just let it go?
USSSA Blasting Middle
- Thread starter farmerG
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RDD15
Addicted to Softballfans
I don't think that it is the umpire's place to threaten an ejection for hitting middle. I don't see a rule in place allowing this.
That said, even if it were the ump's place, when he allowed you one shot to get even, he made an extremely NGTG move. Apparently he was concerned for the safety of the pitchers, and that is why he made the warning. But apparently his concern was not great enough to keep himself from basically telling you that you should hit their pitcher.
Awful conduct by an ump.
That said, even if it were the ump's place, when he allowed you one shot to get even, he made an extremely NGTG move. Apparently he was concerned for the safety of the pitchers, and that is why he made the warning. But apparently his concern was not great enough to keep himself from basically telling you that you should hit their pitcher.
Awful conduct by an ump.
johnsonrod
Starting Player
RDD15
Addicted to Softballfans
What? If that is some sort of Notre Dame thing since i am in South Bend, you got the wrong guy. Go Big Blue. Devoted Michigan fan.
johnsonrod
Starting Player
easy there bud, while i do hate ND, in umpire terms USC=unsportsmanlike conduct.
for what its worth, hows rich rodriguez doing? any plan B for when he leaves in a few years when the NCAA comes in with all sorts of violations?
RDD15
Addicted to Softballfans
Michigan will be keeping a close eye on the coach after the minor violations this past year. No more violations. If they dont start performing better, they will have another search. No in-house plan B really. Harbaugh and Miles would be part of the search probably.
As far as unsportsmanlike.....I guess an umpire could cite that, but I do not personally believe that it should apply in this case. If the league or tournament director doesn't want to allow hitting middle, he needs to put the pitchers behind a screen or some other crap. If my team had a guy EJ'ed for going middle, I would protest (or at least try to protest) the game for sure.
As far as unsportsmanlike.....I guess an umpire could cite that, but I do not personally believe that it should apply in this case. If the league or tournament director doesn't want to allow hitting middle, he needs to put the pitchers behind a screen or some other crap. If my team had a guy EJ'ed for going middle, I would protest (or at least try to protest) the game for sure.
johnsonrod
Starting Player
obviously ejecting someone would involve something pretty blatant and bad, not just your run of the mill ball hit up the middle
buckster
Addicted to Softballfans
There isn't any written rule stating that players can't "shoot middle". It's a good way to get your own pitcher hurt, and since I have pitched on/off for 12 years pitch AND umpired for 9 - I feel real strongly about it. I feel strongly that the pitcher is given a glove for fielding purposes and that they manufacture masks, shinpads, protective cups, and other protection for these types of situations. Wear a mask and a cup when pitching - your glove should take care of 99% of the rest. An umpire has no control over how players hit or where they choose to hit. Any umpire that warns against "hitting middle" can't be taken seriously, at least at a tournament/championship level.
As for U-M, Rodriguez has two more years. If he doesn't make it to a bowl this year - he's gone. If U-M doesn't contend for a Big Ten title in 2011, he's done. Even with all the fundamental problems the program had under the "Bo" family, they still were consistent Top 20 teams or better.
Rodriguez was brought in to change the mentality of being "good enough" to being a national power. With that came some changes in how the program operated and there has been some resistance to change. Michigan got slapped for "too much practice" because some soft kids bitched about it to the media. I guarantee every team in the Top 10 broke that rule to some degree last year alone.
Unfortunately for Rodriguez, he may be the bridge between the "old" Michigan and the "new" Michigan. I'd bet my year's salary on either Miles or Harbaugh coming to Ann Arbor if Rodriguez is ousted. The cry will come for U-M to "bring back the tradition", even though that died with Lloyd Carr's retirement. Harbaugh and Miles are nothing like their old coach. But they can recruit the s**t out of some kids and keep a quality program going.
As for U-M, Rodriguez has two more years. If he doesn't make it to a bowl this year - he's gone. If U-M doesn't contend for a Big Ten title in 2011, he's done. Even with all the fundamental problems the program had under the "Bo" family, they still were consistent Top 20 teams or better.
Rodriguez was brought in to change the mentality of being "good enough" to being a national power. With that came some changes in how the program operated and there has been some resistance to change. Michigan got slapped for "too much practice" because some soft kids bitched about it to the media. I guarantee every team in the Top 10 broke that rule to some degree last year alone.
Unfortunately for Rodriguez, he may be the bridge between the "old" Michigan and the "new" Michigan. I'd bet my year's salary on either Miles or Harbaugh coming to Ann Arbor if Rodriguez is ousted. The cry will come for U-M to "bring back the tradition", even though that died with Lloyd Carr's retirement. Harbaugh and Miles are nothing like their old coach. But they can recruit the s**t out of some kids and keep a quality program going.
Sully
Wanna buy jerseys/rings?
On a side note, this might be it for Rodriguez. When he made the offer to that kid and the administration denied him admission, they basically kneecapped him. Now he has lost a lot of credibility for recruiting. "If he offers me a scholarship, will I really get it or will Mommy and Daddy tell me no after Coach offers it to me?" To me it just shows the administration isn't behind him. I think he gets two years unless he doesn't make a bowl or loses to OSU again. Hell, OSU fired Earl Cooper for losing to Michigan too much and he was winning 75% of his games. RR has a losing record and has made it awful easy for visiting teams to come into the Big House and leave with a "W". That hardly ever used to happen.
I know a lot of UM fans didn't like Lloyd Carr or I guess got a little tired of him towards the end of his tenure would be a better way to say it, but he had winning records, went to bowl games, and I don't EVER remember a I-AA school coming into Ann Arbor and leaving with a win. RR should work on his resume NOW.
I know a lot of UM fans didn't like Lloyd Carr or I guess got a little tired of him towards the end of his tenure would be a better way to say it, but he had winning records, went to bowl games, and I don't EVER remember a I-AA school coming into Ann Arbor and leaving with a win. RR should work on his resume NOW.
Sully
Wanna buy jerseys/rings?
Oh yeah and don't hit middle intentionally and the umpire shouldn't have given you the ok to hit that pitcher. If he let it go then warned both teams that's one thing, but it just seems unethical to tell you to hit the other team. What happens if after he tells you that, you hit the pitcher in the face and he ends up in the hospital or even dying? It just seems like one of those not very smart moves at all from someone responsible for the safety of all players on the field.
About 90% of my hits are middle shots.. Generally line drives over the pitcher. I do this intentionally if they are playing a straight up 4 outfielder setup. Occasionally one will be hit at the pitcher unintentionally, but I am pretty sure he has a glove on, and a lot of the time a mask too. I get crap all the time but it is honestly a great place to hit the ball most of the time for singles and gap shots.. so why do people make such an issue about it? They always assume you are trying to hurt somebody because they are too dumb to realize that the pitcher is the only guy there and why wouldn't you want to put the ball where nobody is? I say if you have a problem with people hitting the middle, Play a 5 man infield and nobody will hit middle. When you have an infielder on 2nd and centerfielder in the middle, you will definately have less people "going middle". It's just common sense. If they are hitting middle into a 5 man, then you might have a better argument that it is intentional.
RDD15
Addicted to Softballfans
Of course, an OSU, Michigan State, or Notre Dame fan would see it that way. Michigan has high academic standards. The student-athlete had until the end of his senior year to get his grades in order. He did not make the grade. Do you not see the coincidence between the end of the school year and when admissions denied Dorsey? If the administration were not behind Rodriguez, it would be more of an indictment against the people stabbing him in the back than it would be against Rodriguez. They gave the kid a shot to make the grade, and he didn't. This is no different than several players that played under Carr. Michigan denies athletes admittance all the time.
Lloyd recruited guys in every class from '02 to '06 that did not get into school, some years it was multiple guys. This is also not the first guy that Rodriguez has had not get in. Guys that are cleared by the NCAA clearinghouse, but Michigan doesn't admit. It happens.
Actually, I think Rod could be gone after this year if he has a losing record. Not sure he needs an OSU win this year or next to keep his job, but he is on thin ice.
Might wanna look into your history book a little better. It wasn't Rodriguez that lost to Appy State. It was in fact Lloyd Carr, with a team that had Henne, Hart, Long, Manningham, etc.
