A well regulated Wiffleball Game, being necessary to the perpetuation of a free Club, the right of the Rules Committee to meet and make Rules, shall not be infringed.
This sacred, inviolable proviso has been interpreted to mean the Rules Committee can meet at any time, place, manner of its choosing and that its decisions are by definition right and true for the good of the Game. So there.
Accordingly, the Rules Committee recently met and has provided this report (see below) which we gratefully receive to our benefit. In case you are wondering, the meeting was properly noticed and advertised. It was posted on the community board at the back entrance to the Oakwood Dorothy Lane Market - right behind the plastic bag recycling bin. If you missed that - it is your OWN fault. Period.
Anyhooo.. the following Committee Report is provided:
REPORT OF THE BASEBALL-WIFFLEBALL EQUIVALENCE SUB-SUB-COMMITTEE OF THE COMPETITION SUB-COMMITTEE OF THE OW&AC COMMITTEE ON RULES.
The sub-sub-committee takes seriously its mandate to continuously evaluate options for making our great wiffle Game an asymptotically better approximation of the game of Baseball. We have recently focused on an area in which our Game can better match baseball rules and at the same time restore the critical balance between Pitcher and Batter that can, in proscribed circumstances, go awry.
It has been the case for centuries that to complete a strikeout the catcher must cleanly catch the third strike pitch. If the catcher muffs such catch, or if the pitch bounces, the catcher must either tag the batter out or throw the ball to first base for a "force out" (recorded as 2-3). The batter in such a moment may attempt to reach first base safely by manner of "running."
The sub-sub-committee notes the sad absence of any equivalent for this rule in our Game. Also noted is the strict prohibition on "running." Therefore the following rule shall be enforced starting with the 2018 Championship Season:
"IF a batter should swing and miss for strike three on a wiffle pitch that bounces on the ground before striking the Wall, the following matrix shall determine the outcome of such at bat:
- If there are less than 2 outs and a runner is at first base the batter is OUT, by Strikeout.
- If there is no runner at first base or there are 2 out (regardless of runner case) the following shall apply:
a. A new CATCHER'S CIRCLE with a radius of 54 and three-quarters inches shall be drawn on the asphalt from the point at the base of the Wall directly below the center of the Strike zone. See accompanying diagram for visual aid.
b. If after striking the Wall the pitched ball comes to rest within the Catcher's Circle, the Batter shall be Out by Strikeout.
c. If after striking the Wall the pitched ball exits the Catcher's Circle in fair territory from its own momentum the batter shall be Out by K2-3.
d. If after striking the Wall the pitched ball exits the Catcher's Circle in foul territory from its own momentum the batter shall be Safe at First Base by K-Wild Pitch.
e. If the batter should exit the batters box before any of the above determinations are made, he shall be deemed to have abandoned his opportunity to reach base and shall be Out by Strikeout.
f. If the batter intentionally touches the pitched ball after it strikes the Wall in order to impede, change, direct, influence, redirect, or otherwise affect the natural momentum of the ball he shall be out by Strikeout and at least one outfielder shall immediately yell, "DEPLORABLE!" in a voice of sufficient volume to be heard by the guy across Aberdeen Avenue who insists on mowing his lawn during EVERY GAME. - Runners aboard who are forced shall advance; if a runner should be advanced by force to score, the batter shall be credited with 1 (one) RBI.
- The Commissioner shall with all due haste construct a tool for the accurate and correct drawing of this Catcher's Circle."
Diagram:
Your compulsory acquiescence to this rule is appreciated. The Committee on Rules hopes the rest of your April is as great as our great Game.
END OF REPORT
So there it is! We can't wait to get out there and play our new, better Wiffleball!!
Posts
1." If there are 'fewer' than two outs..." would be minimally more correct.
ReplyDeleteHere's another suggested tweak to the rule's wording. The situation treated by the rule is assumed to pertain to the classic "bounces-in-for-a-strike" pitch. ie, one that hits the ground sufficiently early to then bounce up high enough to a temptingly hittable position. As worded however, the rule would also seem to include pitches that hit the ground mere inches before hitting the wall. Such a pitch, if swung at and missed, would have not yet touched the ground before being swung at. Since this situation seems to be categorically different than the one the rule is aimed at, it is suggested that this part of the rule be reworded so that it excludes that other situation by making it clear that the pitch must hit the ground prior to being swung at.
ReplyDeleteOriginal wording: ""IF a batter should swing and miss for strike three on a wiffle pitch that bounces on the ground before striking the Wall, ..."
Suggested alternative: "IF a batter should swing and miss for strike three on a wiffle pitch that bounces on the ground [before being swung at], ...
Basically this comes down to simply substituting the condition of "before it hits the wall" with the condition of "before being swung at".
A second problem scenario is the reverse of the above in that it would technically not be included in the rule's original wording, but should be. This would be a very high Eephus pitch (from the Hebrew word אפס meaning "nothing") which comes down right in front of the plate, bounces, is swung and missed at, and then due to lots of backspin, hitting a pebble, etc, never touches the wall at all. Such a pitch would assumedly be included in the spirit of the new rule but would technically be excluded by its letter (since never hit the wall as stipulated).
Final note: there will also be situations where the ball hits the ground only slightly in front of the plate and the batter takes a golf swing at it and misses. In these situations it will often be unclear which happened first, the ball hitting the ground, or the bat passing by the ball. The suggested fix for this is simply to state explicitly in the rule that any time these events happen too close in time to be clear, that the rule shall not apply since this situation is not the classic "bounces-in-for-a-strike" situation for which the rule is meant.