Carter Capps delivery

I thought MLB said they would not call a balk in 2015, but would look at it after the season.

I think his delivery is technically, as the rule book reads, illegal, but then so is almost everyone's. Within the bounds of the rules as they're actually enforced, I think it's stretching what's typically allowed, but I don't think it's easy to draw a hard line distinction that would outlaw his delivery and not also get at least a few other people.

I also don't think there's enough evidence yet that he's really gaining an unfair advantage. He's got one season of 31 innings of dominance doing this at the MLB level, 100 more innings of MLB mediocrity, and 100 innings of MiLB ball that's solid but not spectacular. Let's see what happens when a few more hitters get prepared for dealing with the funky delivery, and see if it's still working at this level. Or maybe just see if more people start trying to imitate him.

Why not add five more hops and claim it's a natural delivery? Release point would be about 45 feet away from the plate.

he might be really good then.

All pitchers lose contact to the ground before front foot plant but IMO he clearly re plants and gets another push out of his leg. 

After my baseball playing days were over, I played a bit of fast-pitch softball.  The men's game was far more prevalent then.  We had a SS who was previously an all-American IF at Fresno State, a 2b was an IF at UCLA and a 1B from Ohio State.  Seems like half the pitchers at the higher levels were from New Zealand.  In that country, that's what boys played growing up instead of baseball.  Most had a huge crow hop with re-plant.  Lot's of pitching-dominant games.  Many of the pitchers we faced previously and/or currently dot the top D1 women's softball program coaching landscape. 

The big crow hop was prevalent in the women's game and they have since tamed it a lot by more strictly enforcing the drag rule and not allowing a re-plant.  I think MLB will just go that route if this becomes the least bit common.

For baseball and the overhand throw, without a replant, it seems to me this would put a great deal of extra stress on the arm ( breaking the kinetic chain, forcing lateness and a mostly-upper-body throw).  Interesting, though.

You could make a rule that you can't replant the whole sole, I.e. If the foot will come down after taking off it has to be on the instep or toe (dragging rather than push off).

Amazes me how the pitchers have all the advantages.  One thing I never understood is why coaches in 13u and even in high school are allowed to call pitches for their pitchers.  What strikes me about this practice is this.  Say the batter a 13u is facing another very good 13u pitcher. But the coach is calling the pitches. Seems to me now this 13u batter is no longer facing a 13u pitcher but rather an adult with an adult mind set.  

My Youngest was a catcher. Not a gifted baseball player athletically, Gave up HS baseball to focus on wrestling, but still played low level travel with friends. He was the only catcher that the coach allowed to call pitches. He was also the only catcher his Freshman year in HS that was allowed. Coach said he called a good game. But needed to hit better and get a stronger arm. 

He looked at his goals and wrestling was more important to him, so he only played baseball in the summers for fun. That was some of the funnest baseball I ever watched. 

2ndMarDiv posted:

Say the batter a 13u is facing another very good 13u pitcher. But the coach is calling the pitches. Seems to me now this 13u batter is no longer facing a 13u pitcher but rather an adult with an adult mind set.  

So should the 3rd base coach be allowed to give the bunt sign to the 13U batter?  

2ndMarDiv posted:

Amazes me how the pitchers have all the advantages.  One thing I never understood is why coaches in 13u and even in high school are allowed to call pitches for their pitchers.  What strikes me about this practice is this.  Say the batter a 13u is facing another very good 13u pitcher. But the coach is calling the pitches. Seems to me now this 13u batter is no longer facing a 13u pitcher but rather an adult with an adult mind set.  

What about the hitter whose coach just told him (and how) the pitcher tips his off speed pitch? A majority of 13u pitchers tip their pitches?