This whole situation keeps getting more bizarre. Earlier this week I got a copy of what was supposed to be the new rule. It contained the 120 pitch limitation as stated in the original article. However, on page 2 it CLEARLY states that the rest rules are "recommended" and "suggested." (Their words, not mine). I sent ALB a series of messages via Twitter pointing this out. (You can see our conversation on their Twitter feed). They continue to claim that the rest rules are mandatory. I thought they would tell me that the rule that I received was not current, but they didn't do that. I asked them to post the rule, if it exists, but they have thus far refused. They claim that they are still working on the wording, and that the final rule will appear in next year's rule book.
The second Press Release you are talking about came out yesterday.
http://tinyurl.com/jn9zwnv My guess is this was in response to all of the crap they were catching in the comments section of their initial Press Release.
http://tinyurl.com/zgmca49 The Second Press Release again suggests that the rest rules, including the 1 Pitch = 1 Day rule, are mandatory. Among other things, it tries to rationalize their reasons for the 1 Pitch = 1 Day of Rest rule. Of course, they offer no real explanation for setting the max at 120, vs. the 105 recommended by Pitch Smart. Their only half-hearted explanation is it would be too hard on the coaches to keep up with different limits for different age groups. That doesn't explain why 120 is a better number than 105. Pitch Smart allows 120 pitches for 19 year olds, but recommends 105 for 17-18's and 95 for 15-16's. In the Second Press Release, Legion states that "the majority of our rosters are under 18 players." So, why choose the limit recommended for 19's?
The Second Press Release suggests that the 1 Pitch Rule was based on some sort of "pilot program," and:
" Pitchers who throw "one pitch" don’t truly throw just one pitch with the stress of the entire process of preparing to pitch. We also found that not enforcing rest after every appearance led to a lot of abuse and loopholes that harmed pitchers’ long-term health." There is certainly some truth to those statements. But, IMHO, this portion of the rule is overkill. No group, not USA Baseball, not ASMI, or Dr. Andrews has taken a position quite like this. Yes, it will protect pitchers, but it is going to devastate some programs.
Of course, they express no concern for the fact that Legion pitchers, like HS kids, are frequently brought in to pitch with zero preparation. Nor do they express any real concern for 15-18 year old kids throwing far more pitches than the medical professionals recommend. They don't seem to understand that those last 15 pitches in a 120 pitch outing are FAR more stressful than the pitches thrown earlier in an outing.
So, as of right know, looks like we're stuck with the 1 Pitch = 1 Strike Rule. I would suggest everyone add their comments to the articles they posted. I really think they are fumbling their way through this. I suspect the "rule" I received earlier this week is indeed the most recent draft. I also suspect they don't really know/understand what it says. My guess is they are going to continue to play with this until they have to submit the rule for publication in the 2017 Rule Book.
I don't know if this is new or not, but the "rule" I got earlier this week also indicated that they will be instituting a Pitch Clock. Pitchers will have 12 seconds to throw a pitch, once the batter enters the box.
The document I received earlier this week also suggests that the Penalty for violating the max pitch count of 120 is ejection of the PLAYER AND MANAGER, IF, I repeat IF, a protest is filed with the Head Umpire before the final out. So, if you don't get caught during the game, you get off scot free. Most HS rules provide for Forfeiture of the game. As of right now, the Legion Rule does not.
Unlike every HS rule I have seen thus far, the Legion rule attempts to put the Umpire squarely in the middle. The Second Press Release sates that the umpire will the the "arbitrator" of all disputes. Yeah, that's gonna work.
The 120 limit is apparently a DAILY limit, which suggests you could possibly have a kid throwing in both games of a double-header, so long as he does not exceed a total of 120.
