Softball: Flintridge Sacred Heart to play Alemany, again

Keep focusing on your blog. I love how we can all express our feelings. This is an extremely nice blog here :)

Its crazy that I been to 2 malls and even in sport stores they don't have a miami heat shirt or red & blak striped shirt !!!!!!

Between me and my husband we've owned more MP3 players over the years than I can count, including Sansas, iRivers,

I hope FSHA takes a tape measure when they play Alemany on Thursday.

You are right, the tologs could care less about the distance, they just want to play and play well. Thank you for the explanation of the 43 v. 40 feet in high school ball. I have been wondering. I thought it odd that travel ball players spend all year playing at 43 and then have to switch back to 40 for high school. I agree that it weak to blame the pitcher or the coach. I think it is even worse to imply there was some evil intent on the part of the FSHA players. This needs to be put to bed and let the girls play.

I'm sure a disappointment to the Tolog faithful.

I really have no personal interest in weighing in on whose fault it was, and it's not my concern: "over the top" or not, but it is a certain fact that 43' vs. 40' makes a very big difference. It's really an internal FSH issue on whether they want to determine who's responsibility it was to make sure such a mistake didn't happen (although I think pretty weak to blame the pitcher, the coach, or the City of Glendale).

But what I will say, when the official distance went from 40' to 43' a couple of years ago in 18U and college softball, stats changed
significantly. Strikeouts for example dropped 25% to 30%. That stat change has also been consistent in the States where the high schools have made that change in pitching distance.

The debate has been going on in CA with CIF for a few years to move the distance for CA high school play to 43'. The primary reason other States have made the change is for safety reasons for pitchers. 18U and college softball made the change primarily for competitive reasons and to create more offense in the game. It hasn't been a significant safety issue in CA (maybe because CA pitchers are relatively more developed and they know how to protect themselves on the rubber). Also, within CA there is a huge variance in skill level in CA high school pitchers (much more than in other States) because of the popularity of travel ball. In CA it's pretty easy to distinguish between a high school only pitcher and a high school pitcher who also pitches in travel ball. My guess is that in CA maybe 1 in about 5 high school pitchers are also travel ball pitchers. A move to 43' in CA would be a huge advantage for that 1 in 5 high school/travel ball pitchers and would further allow those high school/travel ball pitchers to even more dominate in high school play and even further reduce parity in high school play.

All that being said, the funny thing is I bet the Tolog players (especially Jess Ferri) don't care one bit with how the distance may have affected them personally.

I know it is FSHA's job to manage their field but
Mike Solar, ex St. Francis baseball coach now Alemany girls AD, would pull something like this. Cause there is no way in hell he would have thought twice about replaying this game if Alemany won. He probably knew about this the whole season and waited until it was too late to make the proper adjustments before opening his mouth.

Yes FHSA plays all its games at the Glendale Sports Complex and has for years, including annual games against Alemany and other Mission League teams. This is the first time that there has been an issue with the pitching circle or rubber. FSHA is not the only team using Sports Complex. Perhaps it was adjusted for another game and not properly reset for the next game, who knows. One does have to wonder at Alemany's position, they were willing to take a win but protested a loss.time will tell.

Doesn't FSHA play all their games at Glendale? Nobody knew the difference between distances? Don't other area schools play there? Although the FSHA AD might be clueless what's with Alemany? Is that the only way that school can win a game in any sport?

WOW has crossed the line.

I think WOW has crossed the line.

I think WOW has crossed the line.

Can you imagine what Jessica Ferri's pitching stats would have been if for the past 3 1/2 seasons her home field pitching plate was at the high school distance rather than the college distance!

FSHA AD must be doing something right. Look at their Cross Country, Volleyball, Swimming and Soccer Teams success, now softball. That doesn't happen by itself.

I contend it's more the coaches responsibility to make sure the field is set to the proper dimensions, especially when you don't have a home field. I promise you those pitchers know the difference between 43 feet and 40 feet. If they know it, their coaches should know it. Bet that from now on the FSHA coach will carry a portable pitching rubber around with him (or her).

I believe the comment was taken out of context. The field is maintained by the City of Glendale not FSHA. On game day there was no way to move the pitching rubber to the appropriate distance. CIF was consulted and directed that the teams play. I fail to see what options either side had except to play. The Alemany coach indicated that if the team lost they would file a protest, but if they won things would be fine. Clearly none of you are in possession of the facts.

How did the lady at FSHA get the job to begin with? Sounds like she's clueless.

The FSH pitcher turned 18 last Dec. and I believe the Alemany pitcher is 18, but definitely not 19. I agree “what difference does it make”-I hope that isn’t the same old fool in this blog trying with their standard behind-the-back jabs to discredit others.

Both are very accomplished 18Gold pitchers and 43 feet is their normal distance, but that makes no difference - the rule is clearly 40 feet in high school. I don’t see where the FSH AD said, “measurements don't matter much”. I love how some people (anonymous people at that) paraphrase to further some point-of-view. That is not what the AD said at all.

However, I must admit, her one quote that was printed here in the blog is very odd. Also, if that was the basis of the FSH argument ("They beat them fair and square; no advantage or disadvantage. It's unfortunate."), it’s very plain to see why the protest ruled against FSH. I’d be very shocked if that was her only explanation of a situation, which is totally her responsibility to make sure doesn’t happen. Very sloppy, to say the least and you kind of wish a statement like, “as AD I’m responsible and personally embarrassed, it is a big part of my job that issues like this don't happen and I’m sorry”. But maybe that is what she has said to her bosses, and the FSH parents and kids - I hope so.

Unfortunately, it’s lousy for the FSH kids that such a special experience gets stolen away from them because of an administrator’s irresponsibility.

Sacred Heart's AD Contreras's quote is strange.

The mound was 3 feet farther away from the plate than it should have been and she doesn't see anything wrong with that.

I guess in her world, measurements don't matter much. It's OK to play in a gym with baskets 11 feet tall, have soccer goals a foot too wide, swimming pools a yard short, and 97 yard football fields.

How old were each of the batters? I hear one of them may be a freshman.

How old were the two pitchers in that game? I hear one of them is 19 or soon to be 19?