Wisconsin High School Fastpitch Bulletins 2005-2006
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The Fastpitch Bulletin #12 - March 8, 2006

Just off the outside corner! Or maybe dust off the outside corner!

Hello everyone - It's great to hear from all the people who e-mail back and tell me they enjoy the nightly diatribes and to those of you who do, thanks for the kind words. They are what keep me going.

Today I have posted more team and conference previews because more people have answered the bell. Mauston of the SCC now has a preview. Baraboo of the Badger North, The Six Rivers East has a full conference preview as does the newly formed Midwest Classic Conference Classic Division. Also the Eastern Wisconsin has some information on the website now.

Don't get caught looking at a third strike and having to drag your expensive bat back to the dugout by not getting around to sending in a preview on your team and your conference. It really does behoove everyone to send something in. Most of us agree that your kids deserve it.

Here is a paragraph from the first Bulletin I wrote for this school year back in the fall. Take a look at it again or perhaps for the first time.

The WIAA's Marcy Thurwachter informed me early last summer that outside of baseball, softball coaches had the lowest percentage of returned official's evaluations in the entire WIAA program. That's not a very good thing to hang our hats on. Those evaluations are becoming a tool that will have great impact on the tournament series. Collectively, we need to do a better job of taking care of the responsibilities of being a head softball coach. I believe some of the other responsibilities include, calling in game scores to the media, e-mailing scores to The Fastpitch Chronicle, making sure you meet the deadlines for coaches association items such as all district and all state nominations, academic all state nominations, dues in on time and much, much more.

Since that time we have learned that the WIAA will be assigning umpires for all regional games as well as the sectionals and state tournament. Just three short years ago individual schools were hiring the officials for regional games and there were lots of complaints about that. Now, the WIAA is doing it. That means that coaches need to make sure they have cards from officials or that officials are signing your scorebooks with their name printed or written legibly and their official number is included. At the end of the season we need to collectively do a better job of getting the official evaluations into the WIAA office. Perhaps a penalty might even be in order.

I'm trying to include the name of every coach with the previews on the website and want to also list how many years that coach has been the head coach. E-mail that information to me and I will update it on the page. Also be sure to check The Fastpitch Chronicle Coach's Honor Roll page and get your name or a friend's name added where it is appropriate.

Thanks to Greg Lampe for mailing all the plaques that were not handed out at the dinner during the Sunday portion of the Coaching Clinic in Stevens Point. It was greatly appreciated.

Get your dues paid if they are not. From what I understood at the clinic our membership numbers are up and the clinic attendance set a new record as well. I didn't make it into the dinner hall to hear if those numbers were officially announced or not so maybe somebody on the WFSCA executive board can update me officially and I can pass those numbers along.

To all of you going to warmer weather to get in some early season practice, scrimmages or games - here's hoping our weather turns warm and we can all get outside early.

I'll be at the WIAA girls state tournament tomorrow and Friday so there probably won't be a bulletin for a couple of days. If you have a topic in mind that you'd like me or somebody else to address in the Bulletins just e-mail me those thoughts. That's why I typed about officials evaluations tonight - a reader suggested I do that.

If you are entered in the Poynette Jamboree on May 5-6 send me an e-mail that indicates that you are. I don't want to miss anyone in the scheduling process and sending me an e-mail will only help me double and triple check the list I have and the one my Athletic Director has. It looks like we will most likely be playing four games under the lights on Friday night - Luxemburg-Casco vs Prescott is a given already. Madison East will also be under the lights on Friday night. Darren and Ross from Sportsdiamond are planning on being there with a trailer load of great bargains and the brats are always fantastic.

Have a great day and as always,

Keep it Rising!

Bob Tomlinson
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The Fastpitch Bulletin #13 for March 9, 2006

It’s Going, Going, Going --- I'ts Gone! You can kiss that baby goodbye!

Hello Everyone – I got home from the girls’ basketball tourney earlier than I thought I might so I thought I’d give you something to read and think about tonight in the world of fastpitch softball.

I had a suggestion from a reader for a topic for a Bulletin so I am going to cover that topic tonight because it’s a good one.

Helmets and face masks is the topic. NOCSAE seals and the whole gamut. According to the coach that asked me to write about helmets and face masks, an umpire told her last year that the helmet and mask must be made by the same manufacturer. For instance, a Schutt batting helmet must have a Schutt face mask etc.

That’s not true and is another case of misinformation being thrown around and then confusing the entire thing. The face mask, according to John Peterson at the rules interpretation meetings must have the NOCSAE seal or stamp on it so make sure that is the case. I looked at some new ones in the past few days and noted that a couple didn’t have one of those on the mask.

Here’s the e-mail I received today.

I’m not sure if the topic has come up with you, but it might be worth passing along so here goes. My equipment supplier was under the impression that the face masks for the batting helmets had to be by the same manufacturer as the helmet. He came to that conclusion last year after another coach was told by an official his helmet/face masks weren’t legal because the masks and helmets were made by different companies. I asked my AD, who emailed Marcy at WIAA, who in turn replied that the masks do NOT have to match the helmet’s manufacturer. This can make a huge difference and just wanted to make sure everyone is on the same page. I’d especially hate to see officials misinterpret the situation and tell a team they couldn’t play because the face masks don’t match the helmets.

And I surely agree with the writer in that I’d hate to see a team not get to play for the same reason.

I’ve added more previews tonight thanks to the fact that more people took the time to send them in. There is a Woodland Conference preview. There is a preview on Rosholt of the Central Wisconsin Large, there is one on Randolph of the Trailways North Conference.

I saw a bunch of softball coaches at the girls’ tournament and at Badger Sporting Goods during the lunch time. I decided to spring for everyone’s lunch at Badger. I just thought it was my turn to buy.

A special thanks goes out to Badger Sporting Goods for another great steak and Brat Fry during the state tournaments. It was good to see my good friend Bobby Roach again.

Hey – Have a great day and

Keep it Rising!

Bob

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The Fastpitch Bulletin #14 - March 10, 2006

I'm out here in right field just watchin' the dandelions grow!

Hello Again Everyone - For me, the high school basketball season came to an end today. I'd been to the girls' state tournament yesterday and then again this morning. After the second game of the morning session I decided it was time to log out of basketball and log into fastpitch softball in a more passionate manner than I had up until today.

I left the Alliant Energy Center Coliseum and headed for my car only to find out that I'd left my headlights on earlier in the morning. The battery was dead. I borrowed a set of jumper cables and a fella's car to use to jump-start the truck and then headed for lunch again at Badger Sporting Goods. There were some people there I wanted to buy lunch for including Steve Schmikla of McFarland, Phil Kamrath of Pardeeville, Bob Sulser of Beloit Turner, Dan Reierson of Rio and a host of others. All in all the bill wasn't too bad! Next year it's their turn to buy.

While there I picked up the softball equipment I had requisitioned. That sort of got me pumped a bit more so I delivered the new catcher's gear to our varsity catcher and told her to sleep with it on all weekend. I told her that if I receive a report that she failed to follow through on that order I was taking the stuff back or giving it to the JV catcher instead. I think she'll look pretty spiffy tonight in that TAG black and orange catcher's gear. She might have trouble rolling over with that hockey style helmet on but you're not supposed to take those off for anything during your defensive half inning so she will be well protected in bed this weekend. She said, "Mr. T, this is like Christmas in March!" "Yes it is," I answered.

I have added more preseason team and conference profiles to The Fastpitch Chronicle website tonight. Look in the Central Wisconsin Large area for Weyauwega Fremont and Bonduel. Both of those programs forwarded great previews. Also check out The Beloit Turner preview in the Rock Valley area of that page of my website. There is a short preview from the Northern Lakes, and one from the Middle Border Conference.

Look closely at the team previews that have the coach's name and how many years they have been coaching. That's what I want to keep updated. When you send in the preview include that information. Another thing I like is when you included your assistant coaches as well. Those great helpers deserve some notoriety as well.

On April 1st, McFarland will be hosting our annual early season scrimmage at their great facility. Two great diamonds, batting cages, concession stand that features Poynette Franks and more - like great conversation, great and friendly umpires and more. We need one more team to go head to head with three of us - McFarland, Middleton and Poynette. If interested get back in touch with me immediately. We'll take the first one that chooses to bang heads with the three of us on that Saturday. I'll then put you in touch with Brad Minter at McFarland (AD).

It's time to really start getting into topics that make a difference in the game. Tonight's is Rule 6 - the pitching rule. I always get reports from the readers of these Bulletins that umpires here and there don't seem to understand Rule 6. There's really no excuse for that happening but the one thing that I get all the time is that an umpire here or there fails to remember that a pitcher does not have to ever have two feet in contact with the pitcher's plate in NFHS competition. The pitcher shall step on the pitcher's plate with at least one foot and have her hands separated when she does so.

The reason this was our first topic area is because a reader asked me to bring this up. Here is their quote --- "One topic that comes up for me at least once a year is that an ignorant coach, or one looking for a distraction, will convince an umpire who may not do a lot of softball games, that our pitcher is taking an illegal position prior to her delivery. It may come more from the fact that our pitchers are pretty good and other coaches are looking for a distraction. I'm just waiting for the time a coach actually convinces an umpire that he is right! I have one pitcher who starts with her non-pivot foot behind, not touching the pitcher's plate. It seems like every year, this rule pops up somewhere. It generally occurs with an umpire who is not quite sure of the rule. Even though the rule is clearly stated and even the diagrams in the book clearly point out legal and illegal positioning of the feet, it happens at least once a year. I don't know. It always bugs me, maybe especially up north here where we play, umpires are not consistent with the rules. I don't feel I should have to explain rules to an umpire. I have enough trouble trying to coach my team! Just a thought. If you feel it's not worthy of comment, please disregard. -- EG - Northwestern Wisconsin Area

Those of us who have been around fastpitch for years will remember when a pitcher actually had to "present" the ball to the batter. That meant that you had to show the batter the ball before you started your motion/delivery. That rule left the game more than 27 years ago but I still, on occasion, hear some girls' grandfather yell at the umpire, "Hey ump, she's not presenting the ball!" I always chuckle when I hear that - it brings back great memories.

Memories like the bruhaha my men's team got into in 1970 in a tournament in Oxford, Wisconsin. In those days of top notch men's fastpitch softball there was not a 16' circle drawn around the pitcher's plate. Nope, not at all. In those days it was the pitcher's responsibility to "look back" any and all baserunners who were on base at the time of the pitch. So, the pitcher pitched it and all runners broke off their bags. If a pitcher did not "look back" all runners the runner didn't have to return to the bag before the next pitch. In essence they were allowed to lead off. Heck, if you had a 10-12 foot lead on the next pitch, you could easily steal second or third base. When that would happen a long, heated bruhaha would ensue. The pitcher would claim that they did look the runners back and the umpires would say that they didn't. The runner and the coaches would chime in with their two cents worth. It was electrifying. Then, an umpire friend of mine from Minnesota and his buddies figured out that a chalked circle around the pitcher's plate would eliminate all the guys getting thrown out of games who argued with them over whether or not they looked all the runners back. It worked and viola - we still have a chalked 16' diameter circle around the pitcher's plate.

It all goes back to what I constantly tell my students and my athletes - "You can't appreciate where you are today at unless you understand how you got there."

For instance - young softball coaches should never assume that what we have today is the way things have always been. The game has changed and evolved since the WIAA figured out that it was a good game and one that would increase participation numbers. In the earliest years, those of us who coached dealt with issues such as a 12-game regular season limit on the schedule. A rule that restricted how many innings a pitcher could pitch in a week. A pitching rule that required two feet on the pitcher's plate. Pitchers who couldn't throw a ball through a piece of Saran Wrap stretched tightly on a wooden frame but still had to get people out. State tournament games that were high scoring affairs because of the innings restriction. Grass infields at the site of the state tournament. Fences that were 300' from home plate. A concession stand at the state tournament site where it would actually take three to five innings of standing in line to get a Coke. Dugouts that were beyond the infield dirt. Tiny little boxes along the sidelines that coaches were allowed to stand in when your team was in the field at the state tournament. Bench areas where you had to bring your own tarp to cover the area in case of rain or energy sapping sunlight. Blue tarps, brown tarps, green tarps and no tarps. Four games at a time and on a facility where everyone had to be out of the place by about 5 PM so the local men's slow pitch players could get on the field for their beer league games. Coaches had to members of the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association if you wanted to belong to a professional organization.

Nope, don't assume anything and be sure to appreciate what you have - There are still many of the Pioneers of this sport in this state in our coaching ranks. Each year we lose a few more but there are still enough "fossils" hanging in there because they love the game, the kids and know and understand how we got to where we are at. Look on my Coaches Honor Roll Page and you can find the list of The Pioneers. The next time you see one - tell him, or her thanks!

High School Fastpitch Softball in Wisconsin! You've come a long, long way Baby!

On another note - if you are looking for a place to store your stats so your players, parents and fans can get at them readily check out statsandgo.com on the internet. They will be able to help you out.

It's important you know, you gotta know how to catch, you gotta know how to throw - that's why I'm out here in right field just watching the dandelions grow.

Have a great weekend folks and -------
come Monday -------
Play Ball!

Keep it Rising!
Bob Tomlinson

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The Fastpitch Bulletin #15, March 15, 2006

Holy Cow!

The past two nights found me cussing at this computer but in reality I think it was America Online I should have been saying bad things about. I couldn't get online to type anything and I wanted to get a Bulletin out.

Saturday - 11 AM in Poynette at the High School. First-Ever Fastpitch Chronicle pitching clinic for coaches. This clinic is not a sit on your tails and listen clinic. Nope. It's one where you will have to bring a glove, some sneakers, a notebook, a pen or pencil and a sense of humor. It will involve you actually going through our process and actually learning the process.

Want to be able to throw better live batting practice to your players or are you satisfied with those soft toss drill using whiffle balls or even real balls before your games at home and on the road? Want to be able to throw live hitting practice in game-type practice sessions?

This clinic is probably for you!

Want to learn how to make a ball go down sharply, up quickly, move from left to right or right to left or how about a change up.

If the answer is yes - this clinic is definitely for you.

Bring a catcher or better yet, bring another coach so you can pitch to each other and catch each other.

I'll have a video camera set up and a TV. You'll be able to watch yourself.

I'll have some great helpers there to assist you. We have a pretty big stable of pitchers who come to Poynette every Wednesday night for Free Pitching Clinics. Some of them will be there to help you out.

E-mail back to me if you plan on attending - I'll need to have an idea of how many will be there.

Plan on a couple of hours.

I might even toss in some tips on hitting and bunting for you.

There will be a fee as I have to pay to use the facility.

OK - enough on that! Three days into the season and I'm tired of indoor practices -- but at least we've had school and could practice. Tomorrow is in question down here though.

Get those WFSCA dues paid up. Get those team previews sent in to The Fastpitch Chronicle so I can get them posted on the website.

Watch your inbox for future Bulletins.

Keep it Rising!
Bob

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The Fastpitch Bulletin #16 - March 16, 2006

It's a "seeing-eye" single!

Hello again fastpitch fans - Coaches in the Wisconsin State Journal coverage area should have received an e-mail with two attachments from Rob Hernandez, Preps Chief at the WSJ today. Make sure you fill out the form and return it to Rob and his staff. He and my good friend Dennis Semrau of the Capital times tell me year in and year out that spring coaches are notorious for not sending in those surveys or questionaires but that they are also quick to criticize the type of coverage a given school or conference gets. It's a two-way track folks - we need to do our part.

It comes back to publicity again. That responsibility lies with the head coach. If you don't have time to promote your program or the game, simply assign that task to an assistant or somebody closely tied to the program.

The pitching clinic for coaches scheduled for this Saturday in Poynette will be held no matter how many people show up. It starts at 11 am at the high school.

We got snow again in this area today but not as much as they were predicting. That's a good thing! Some teams are scheduled to open their season the last week of March. I hope the weather warms up enough for you to do that. I'll be taking in a scrimmage (if they have it) a week from Saturday as I have a couple of Wednesday night Free Pitching clinic kids that will be showing their stuff and I want to watch them.

Rankers should note that you need to get your first ones in by the end of next week. The first rankings will be sent to the statewide media and posted on The Fastpitch Chronicle website a week from Sunday night.

Keep it Rising!
Bob

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The Fastpitch Bulletin #17 for March 21, 2006

Back, Back, Back, Back, Back, it could be, it could be, it is - A Home Run!

Hello Again fastpitch softball folks,

I have a few announcements to make.

1) This Fastpitch Chronicle website is not directly affiliated or connected to the Wisconsin Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association in any way other than the fact that I am a member of the association. I like to think I have a pretty good working relationship with the people who run the organization. Of course I have a link to wfsca.org and they have one to my site. The Fastpitch Chronicle statewide rankings are done by people whose help in ranking I enlist. I then total their votes and send out the rankings and publish them on my website.

2) With that in mind everyone needs to understand that things like my Coaches Honor Roll page are simply my pages. I think it's important to list coaches and their accomplishments. To that end the Honor Roll Page is available. I add information to it when I receive it from the readers. The Coaches association does not forward coaching awards to me. That's your job if you want your name on the page.

3) Bob LeCaptain's name has been boosted up to the 400 win level as he reached that milestone last season and I missed that. He joins Phil Adam, Darrell Laschen, Russ Schaub and Steve Schmikla in the 400 win category. He has also won three conference titles at Green Bay West since leaving Denmark and that gives him 18 conference titles in all. I have updated all that information on the coaches honor roll page. Congratulations Bob!

4) I have also updated several other bits of information on that page so take a close look and if you have reached one of the mileposts listed on the page or if you know a coach who has, just e-mail em and I'll update the same day.

Are you looking for drills to do indoors or even outdoors? Here are a couple great sources for drills you can use.

Roger Schliewe of Horicon and World Series Training center has added a huge list of defensive and offensive drills to his website at worldseriestc.com. I just checked that out today. He handed out those drills at his great presentation at the WFSCA coaching clinic in 2005. If you missed that great presentation and didn't get the drills, just go to his website, print them off and send him an e-mail letting him know that your appreciate his help to your program and the game in this state.

Another source is Jugs. They have lots of drills posted on their website.

I e-mailed to them today (for the second year in a row) to tell them about the flaw in the manufacturing process for their Lite Flite softballs. Hit them just a few days and many of them prove to have injection flaws whereby little and even huge hollow pockets are inside the balls. They break apart after just a few days of getting hit and then they are worthless. Every dealer I have gotten them from replaces them but it's a pain to make the trip back to the dealer to get replacements (if they even have them in stock). I told Jugs to just keep making the baseball sized balls but make them in the bright optic green color because the yellow baseball sized ones get dirty and are tough to see. We've only had one baseball sized Lite Flite ball fall apart in the years since they came out. The other thing that happens to the Lite Flite softballs is the smooth outer layer gets peeled off by the Lite Flite machines very quickly and then they fly differently. I personally prefer using Lite Flite balls indoors over hard pitching machine balls. I don't need a batting cage or cages and I can use all 8-9 pitching machines I have at my disposal if I choose to. That's a lot of swings and a lot of individual instruction available.

Take a look at the 2006 team and conference preview page on The Fastpitch Chronicle website at http://www.fastpitchchronicle.com/2006previews.html and see if your team or any teams from your conference have previews. Some coaches from many of the the conferences have taken the time to put together some great reading. Other conferences have absolutely nothing. I continue to chuckle at the fact that there are actually coaches out there who think they can hide from others and sneak up on people when it comes tournament time. The game of "Hide and Seek" in Wisconsin high school fastpitch ended with the berth of the information highway and quite honestly with The Fastpitch Chronicle website. Our network of coaches throughout and across Wiscionsin keeps us all informed. Even if we don't have a single preview about the Bay Conference on the website, we know about all of you and we'll continue to know more and more. So, join the information generation and do your players a huge service and start sending scores and articles in for others to read. You can't hide your team from the state. If someone wants to watch your team play, they can go to http://www.highschoolsports.net and look up your school and your schedule as many of the state athletic directors are members of the information highway. They post your schedules there. If we can't find it at that site they'll just look for your school district website and find your softball schedule there. If you think you can still hide they'll simply do it the old fashioned way and call the secretary at your school and ask that person for your schedule.

Our network of reporting coaches and rankers has grown since last year and we have every part of the state covered. The games will be starting very soon (some are probably playing in Florida already). I have scheduled a visit to Sun Prairie for this Saturday to watch a couple of our Wednesday night Free Pitching Clinic kids throw. I hope the weather is warm enough for that event to go off. There are games scheduled around the state for next week. We'll have some people out and around watching and listening.

Have a great day - Let's play Two!
Bob Tomlinson

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The Fastpitch Bulletin #18 for March 22, 2006
It's a hump-back liner that falls in for a single!

Hello again fastpitch world.

It irks me when I have some important news to share in these bulletins and I forget to include it. That happened last night and I was reminded of it tonight when I checked my American Online e-mail. A message from Marcy Thurwachter at the WIAA office was waiting to be read. I will include her message with tonight's bulletin but --- I want to let you know that I recently read in a Wisconsin sports magazine (I think it is Inside Wisconsin Sports) that Marcy recently received a prestigious award from North Central College in Naperville, Illinois for her work and involvement in girls' athletics. I'm sorry to say that the magazine is on my desk at school so I will tell you the name of the award tomorrow night. At any rate -- Congratulations Marcy!

Before I start rambling about some obscure area of fastpitch softball, here is what Marcy sent me today. I think you better read it all too.

CLARIFICATION ON OBSTRUCTION
Rule Book Correction: 8-4-3b; delete the phrase "...or not about to receive a thrown ball."
Definition of Obstruction: Rule 2-36; "Obstruction is the act of the defensive team member that....impedes the progress of a runner or batter-runner who is legally running bases, unless the fielder is in POSSESSION of the ball..."

*Defensive player cannot block a runner's access to a base or base path without being in possession of the ball.

*The runner must be hindered or impeded. This does not require physical contact.
*Fielder blocking the base without the ball BUT runner has not yet been impeded (not slowed down or had path altered)----no obstruction.

QUESTION 1 Can a pitcher wear a gold turtleneck under her uniform while pitching? This question was with regards to the optic yellow ball. The other girls on the team will also be wearing gold turtlenecks.

ANSWER Legal. Rule 3-2-7; "Exposed undergarments, if worn, are considered part of the official uniform. All exposed undergarments shall be in either school colors or colors of black, white or gray." Rule 3-2-7b; "A pitcher's exposed upper-body undergarments may be white or gray if she is the only team member wearing an upper-body undergarment or if other team members are wearing the same color."

QUESTION 2 What happens if the batting helmet facemask does not have the NOCSAE seal?
ANSWER Allow the game to be played provided, in the umpire's judgement, the facemask is otherwise acceptable. Contact the WIAA office the next morning to report the school. A small number of schools have been wearing the facemask for the past few years. These masks will not have the NOCSAE seal. Those schools have been advised to contact the manufacturer for a letter indicating the masks do meet current NOCSAE standards. This letter, along with WIAA approval, would take the place of the NOCSAE seal.

QUESTION 3 If a player goes in to coach is she required to wear the batting helmet with the facemask?

ANSWER Yes, Rule 1-6.

QUESTION 4 Any non-adult warming up a pitcher at any location within the confines of the field shall wear an approved catcher's helmet and mask combination. Does this pertain to the bullpens if they are located outside the confines of the field?
ANSWER Yes. If in the event that bullpens are located outside the actual field the catcher's helmet and mask would still be required.

QUESTION 5 Does a defensive player's face/head protection need NOCSAE approval?
ANSWER Rule 1-8-4. No, not at this time.

QUESTION 6 What is the base award for obstruction?
ANSWER Rule 8-4-3b penalty a "....the base which would have been reached, in the umpire's judgement, had there not been obstruction."

QUESTION 7 I was wondering if it was legal to use the Pyroflite microwaveable bat warmer?
ANSWER Illegal. Rule 1-5-5.

QUESTION 8 Does the facemask piece for batting helmets have to be from the same manufacturer?
ANSWER The NFHS has determined that the facemask and batting helmets do not need
to be from the same manufacturer. But both pieces of equipment must have the
NOCSAE seal.

QUESTION 9 Are stocking hats legal to wear under batting helmets during cold weather?
ANSWER Umpires should use their own judgement. If the stocking cap alters the fit of the helmet do not allow the athlete to wear the cap.

QUESTION 10 Are chin straps on batting helmets allowed? Are there specifications?
ANSWER The rules do not prohibit chin straps on helmets. The NFHS currently does not
regulate chin straps.

QUESTION 11 As the softball game progresses and the lines for the batter's box are worn away should the umpire use a bat to re-draw the box or do you continue the game without the complete lines?

ANSWER Game is completed without the lines.

QUESTION 12 Can a batter who receives ball four have the right to round first base or does she have to stop at first?

ANSWER Rule 8-7-1, 8-7-2, and 8-7-3a; "A batter-runner who rounds first base toward second base may stop, but then must immediately, without stopping, return to first or attempt to advance to second base."

QUESTION 13 Two outs, runner at third, batter hits fly ball and before it is caught coach assists runner at third. Ball is caught for third out. Does the fly ball make the third out and thus the first batter in the next inning is the batter who follows the player who hit the fly ball or does assisting the runner cause the batter who hit the fly ball to bat first the next inning?

ANSWER In the situation you described the coach assisted the runner before the ball was caught. That would be the third out and the batter would lead off the team's next turn at bat. If the ball had been caught prior to the coach assisting the player the batter would have recorded the out and would not be eligible to bat again.

QUESTION 14 At a recent rules meeting it was suggested that engraving a bat would make it illegal. Would this apply to an indentification mark on the end of the knob?
ANSWER No. This would not jeopardize the bat. The reference was made to engraving on the barrell of the bat that was added by someone other than the manufacturer.

QUESTION 15 Are players, including pitchers, allowed to wear jackets during cold weather?
ANSWER Yes, although Rule 3-2-2 requires that a number be visible on the back of the
players' uniform, in Wisconsin we do allow jackets, sweatshirts, etc. to be worn.
Umpires should request players to show their uniform number when substituting
for another player.

QUESTION 16 What happens if the head coach does not show up for the game? Rule 3-5-1
requires that a head coach attend the pre-game conference.
ANSWER Umpires should wait until the actual game time for the head coach to arrive. If
this does not occur and there is a actual member of the coaching staff present
(not just a parent) that coach now assumes the duties of the head coach. If
the umpires feel that the coach was trying to circumvent the rule, contact the
WIAA office the next day.

QUESTION 17 Any non-adult must wear the approved catcher's helmet and mask combination
and throat protection when warming up a pitcher. Must they also wear the body
protector and shin guards?
ANSWER No. Rule 1-7-3; "...approved cathcer's helmet/mask combination and throat
protector."

QUESTION 18 Does the non-glare requirement for defensive players only apply to the pitcher?
ANSWER No. Rule 2-8-4; "...protection worn by defenders shall have a non-glare outer surface." This refers to ALL defensive players.

-------------------------------------------

That's it from Marcy and its' some pretty good reading.

Hey John Peterson and Marcy - here is some stuff to think about

I was thinking about bat warmers the other day and wondering about a few things such as

1) is it legal to put a bat in front of a heater such as a Coleman heater that burns bottled propane? Does it have to be an enclosed bat warmer? Does a coat or jacket fall under bat warmers or do they have to be plugged in or have another source of heat? I know I'm not the only one wondering. Sure as heck I'll be coaching again this spring, somewhere on a day when it's colder than it was today, and I'll have those Coleman heaters in our bench area. I'd never thought about putting bats in front of them to "light em up" until they put this bat warmer rule in, but I and others have been wondering.

2) Since catcher's helmets must have NOCSAE stamps, I'm assuming a batter could wear a catcher's mask to bat and runners can also use a catcher's mask to run bases. Our school colors include black and I'm just trying to get more of a Darth Vader look to our program. I'm also figuring that a non-adult coach at first or third base could wear a catcher's helmet and for that matter every one of my fielders can wear a catcher's helmet or a typical batter's helmet with attached mask.

3) I'm thinking my pitcher, who can throw the high hard one as well as anyone and better than many is going to look, and be very intimidating out there in the circle with a black hockey style catcher's helmet and mask on. I'm thinking about black catcher's chest protectors on all my infielder's too. We'd look pretty tough all dressed up in that stuff and we ought to be fearless fielders in all that safety gear. Long, black EZ sliders on our legs, black Under Armor long sleeved shirts with mock turtle necks and we're on our way to that dark side look.

This is my 27th year coaching girls' high school softball and I've seen a lot of rule changes in that time. New rules such as helmets with face masks, helmets with chin straps (that will be the next one), helmets with masks on base coaches, helmets on all kids warming up pitchers in or out of play, helmets on any kid that runs out of the dugout out area to retrieve a bat and get it out of play, players that take their helmets off while in the field of play, players who touch the wrong colored base at first base, double first bases, bats that were perfectly fine one year but not the next just because they don't have a stamp on them, wooden bats that suddenly became illegal and are now legal again (after some common sense came into play and a few people questioned it), substitutes that can go into the game, come out of the game and still go back into the game.

Honest folks, when I first started coaching this sport the rulebook was half the size it is now. It's times like this that I really begin to realize just how much of a fossil I am getting to be. But truly, most the above mentioned rules really just make me shake my head.

I've chosen to stick around long enough to see the one rule change that has been needed since I started coaching softball - allowing high school girls to wear metal cleats. We had four girls slip on our home plate today and take very hard tumbles. Two more slipped on one of the other three bases when we were doing base running drills at practice. Today, none got hurt but I've said it many times, that plastic and rubber cleats on hard rubber bases and home plates is a recipe for serious injury. In my conversations with many of you I have learned that our school is not the only one to have had such injuries. I think we need an injury reporting system whereby people making all the new rules have some data. That's how the baseball players were allowed to once again start wearing metal cleats after having had a few years where they were illegal. Somebody presented concrete evidence that proved that there are more injuries to kids wearing rubber and plastic cleats than there are kids getting cleated by players wearing metal cleats. That's the long and the short of that!

If my memory serves me correctly, the question surrounding metal cleats was one of the survey questions at the clinic in February.

I've had some of you tell me that you think metal cleats would be a bad thing. I'm thinking that you have never had the knee injuries I've seen in our program (27 years) and in other people's programs where I've been watching those games. A drizzly, rainy day = a wet, hard rubber base and a wet home plate. It has the same effect as ice when those hard rubber and plastic cleats hit them. Hyperextended knees = serious injury! Baseball people were able to prove that there were more serious knee injuries to outfielders with rubber and plastic cleats than there were with metal cleats. They had hard data and the rule was changed again a long time ago. I was a high school baseball coach before I took over the leadership role with the softball program. When I started coaching baseball in 1973 the kids could wear metal, then they became illegal, then they became legal again, and still are. The baseball players play on the same kind of home plates, the same kind of hard rubber bases and the same kind of grass the softball players do - say what you want - if we kept accurate data on the types of injuries our kids suffer, I'd be willing to bet that it wouldn't be long before metal became legal.

I'm sure some of you who have been reading these diatribes the past few years have been wondering when I'd type again about metal cleats. Tonight was the night! I know exactly what it will take to get the rule changed in a hurry. I hope it doesn't take that!

We got outside today and it was the kind of day where Ernie Banks would have said, "Let's play two!" I'm looking forward to our next day on the diamond.

Have a great day!
Keep it Rising!

Bob Tomlinson

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The Fastpitch Bulletin #19 for March 23, 2006

It's a can of corn! A piece of cake!
Hello Again Everyone.

Today, I found that article in the Inside Wisconsin Sports magazine, April issue about the WIAA's Marcy Thurwachter getting an award from North Central College in Naperville, IL.

Marcy's award is the first-ever Cleo Tanner Award. She received it on February 1st in honor of National Girls and Women in Sports Day. The award is bestowed upon people in recognition of extraordinary effort and service given to the development and direction of women's athletics and was named after Cleo Tanner, a pioneer in women's athletics during her 40-plus-year career at North Central College in Naperville. Once again - Congratulations Marcy!

Marcy got back to me today concerning my question in last night's bulletin about the Coleman heaters and using them to warm up bats in the dugouts or bench areas. Her interpretation of the rule is that it is against the rules to put the bats in front of the heaters. Putting them inside jackets would not be however.

Here is an interesting message from one of The Fastpitch Chronicle Pioneers. It is the exact same thing I was thinking when I first read the rule on assisting a runner prior to a flyball being caught.

Here is the point from our Pioneer -
Bob,

So, if I have a runner on 3rd base with two outs, my slugger hits a high, lazy fly ball to an outfielder, and I want her to get another swing, all I have to do is pick up my runner and carry her toward home before the fielder catches the ball and, assuming an umpire sees what I have done, my slugger will get another at bat? That's a great deal!

I won't tell you what Pioneer sent the situation to me as it doesn't matter.

Replies in response to my diatribe about metal spikes also ran heavy today. Here's an example from a regular reader.

Good Morning Bob,

Just a big “ Amen” to the “let’s get steel cleats back in the game”. We had a girl last summer in an early morning game at a very prestigious tournament hit the damp home plate with her plastic spikes, slip and both feet went out from under her. She proceeded to come down on her wrist wrong breaking it and ending her softball and her golf season. A classic example of steel spikes would have prevented this accident.

Some people actually figured out that another part of last night's Bulletin was typed somewhat with tongue in cheek. The Darth Vader portion was a satirical view of the rules that have made their way into the game yet at the same time - it seems as though a hockey style catcher's helmet would meet the batting and baserunning helmet rules. You just might see Poynette kids wearing those things. If we step in the batter's box wearing one of our black, hockey style catcher's masks and your pitcher cracks up laughing and can't get past the humor - you might give up an big inning.

If I can figure out a way to get our bats to give off various colors of light when we swing them we'll be even closer to the Jedi Knights. For what bats cost nowadays, you'd think they'd glow in the dark anyway.

Another change in the rules I forgot to type about last night is -- optic yellow softballs with red seams in high school softball! For a purist like me, that was a tough one to swallow. I still prefer my softballs to be white but - yellow works too! At least they don't leave marks on the gymnasium floors when we have to practice our outdoor sport indoors!

I have been watching The American Inventor on ABC. When I think of all the things we've invented at Poynette in our 27 years of coaching softball, I ask this question - "Where was this show when I or we had those ideas?" EZ Sliders is a great example but I already have the patent and the licensing agreement and have been making money on them for several years so the show won't take that. Tomlinson's Ultimate Fungo is another one we came up with years ago that has made our job much, much easier here. If you've seen us take infield and outfield at the state tournament or at any game where we play then you know what Tomlinson's Ultimate Fungo is. We were using 1/2" wooden dowels and miniature marshmallows for batting practice well before others started using golf ball sized plastic balls for BP. We asked for nerf type pitching machine balls long before Jugs Lite Flites hit the market, our coaches made our own EZ Sliders 10 years before we altered it enough to get the patent and the licensing agreement. Our Fastpitch Chronicle X-Celerators are another example but The American Inventor wouldn't have given us three votes because our market is not large enough. The liner I use to put the chalk on the diamonds in Poynette is another example and there are enough of the readers who know what I am talking about with this one. You've seen me use it at the Jamboree or other games in Poynette. My buddy Howie perfected an indoor pitcher's plate and system long, long before they were being made commercially and selling for over $100. Those are just a few examples. I'm pretty sure most of you also have great ideas that might get you on The American Inventor. Don't tell me about them unless you want someone else to pilfer your technology.

Oh, by the way, it appears as though Poynette High School is looking for one varsity softball game yet and we can schedule some lower level games yet too. Send me an e-mail if you are interested and I'll pass the word on to my athletic director, Dana Breed.

I've started working on the Poynette Jamboree matrix (that's what my AD calls it - new world terminology - remember, I'm pretty old). Anyway, I'll be putting stuff on the Jamboree page of the website very soon to make sure we have it all correct as soon as possible.

Check out the latest team previews. There is one from Appleton North of the Fox Valley Association, one from Madison East of the Big East. There is a great one from the entire Packerland Conference, DeForest of the Badger North and a few other new ones.

Here is a list of the conferences that have no information sent in yet - Central Lakeshore, Central Wisconsin Small, Dairyland, Greater Metro, Lakeland East, Lakeland Central, Lakeland West, Lakeshore, Marinette and Oconto, Midwest Classic Midwest Division,Milwaukee City other than Bay View, Mississippi Valley, North Shore, Northern Lakes other than Crandon, Olympian, Ridge & Valley, some schools in the Rock Valley, Scenic Bluffs, some schools in our own South Central, Southwest Wisconsin, SWAL, Trailways North other than Randolph, Valley Eight, Little Ten,

Several of our rankers have lamented to me about the lack of information and cooperation. Somebody from each of those conferences gets these bulletins and most schools in them get a copy of the bulletins.

I've posted the first game score I received - It's on the week one results page - Milwaukee Lutheran beat Racine Lutheran 9-1 on Tuesday.

As for reporting scores to me for publication on The Fastpitch Chronicle website - take a look at the fictitious game I have posted on Monday, March 20th between Bug Tussle and Hooterville. It explains the best way to type the game reports. Of course I'll take it anyway you can get it to me. I just cut and paste.

Future bulletin topics -- Fastpitch Chronicle Pioneer Club; Fastpitch Chronicle Gold Medal Coaches Group - playing by all the rules - punchin' Judy and humpback liners.

That's about it for tonight - Keep sending in your thoughts and ideas for Bulletin ideas and once we get going send in your crazy plays that occur and scoring questions.

Before I get to bed I need to polish up all our hockey style batting helmets! I wonder where i put the polish?

May the Force be with You!
Keep it Rising!
Bob Tomlinson

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The Fastpitch Bulletin #20 - for March 24, 2006

Put me in Coach - I'm ready today - Look at me, I can play -- Centerfield!

Ah yes, the great song by John Fogerty - Centerfield.

Nobody will be playing centerfield tomorrow in Marshall when the Cardinals, Sun Prairie, Portage and DeForest were supposed to scrimmage. It's called off due to cold weather.

Messages from across the Badger State all lament about the weather. One thing is for sure, I can't control it. I'll just keeping looking forward to warmer stuff coming in.

Our spring break started at the end of the school day today. No less than 11 of our 34 person roster took off with the music department for New York City. Add to that list a lot of other kids that are heading out to warmer climates with their families and our numbers have been decimated until a week from Wednesday the way it looks. I had no idea until a couple of days ago that so many were taking off. I haven't had a spring break trip in 28 years. I should have taken one this year, closed up the entire program for a week and went to warmer places and watched softball. We'll have no more than 8 people at any one practice next week. Our break is not over until the 4th.