Intentional Walk Rule

[Al Doran]

From: "Tony Smith (CPL)" <Tony.Smith(at)press.co.nz>
To: "'Fastball at pmihrm.com'" <Fastball(at)pmihrm.com>
Subject: Intentional Walk Rule
Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2006 18:31:15 +1300



Gidday  Al

Greetings from Christchurch, New Zealand and Happy New Year to all list
members.

I'd just like to spark some debate about the intentional walk rule which
Softball New Zealand has adopted under the behest of the ISF.

I know it's been around a while now, but I'm no fan of allowing the hitter
an automatic free pass to first base once the defensive team indicates the
intentional walk.

I've been told the rationale is to "speed up the game''.  But I don't buy
that for one moment.  You speed up the game by encouraging more hustle
between innings, not by introducing arbitrary rules like this one.

To me, it detracts from the integrity of the game.  I much prefer seeing
pitchers forced to deliver four pitches to the batter.

Why?  Many times over the years I've seen pitchers throw the ball into the
backstop to allow the tying or winning run to score from third base.

Occasionally, I've seen them stray too close to the plate to allow a savvy
hitter to lean over and punch the ball away for a game-winning RBI.

How often did pitchers actually practise the intentional walk?  It's not an
easy thing for a pitcher accustomed to throwing on the corners to  hurl four
balls to a catcher standing up at the extreme edge of his area instead of
crouching down behind the plate.

Is this rule used at all major tournaments in North America?

I notice Major League Baseball has yet to introduce a similar rule to "speed
up the game''.

Why is the ISF and constituent national associations trying to "speed up the
game'' anyway. It's not as if fastpitch is watched by tens of thousands of
fans.


If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

While I'm on my hobby-horse here,  we had a situation in the New Zealand
national under-19 men's tournament here in Christchurch last week where
Penese Iosefo, a junior Black Sox pitcher and captain of the host Canterbury
team, was intentionally walked FIFTEEN times!
Including once in the final.  Didn't stop him pitching his team to the
tournament title for only the third time in its history and picking up the
tournament MVP award.

But it left a sour taste in the mouths of hometown fans.

His coaches tried to remedy the situation by moving Penese up to lead-off
from the clean-up spot.  It worked in one game where he led off the inning
four times.  He was walked twice (pitched around, not intentionally) and
picked up two hits from two ABs.

Cheers
Tony Smith
Christchurch, NZ

From: "Tony Smith (CPL)" <Tony.Smith(at)press.co.nz>



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