Shouldn't this be an illegal pitch?

I can't disagree with you that it would be a pain in the ass, but they SHOULD be enforcing it. Now, if it's just a little slide step or something, it's no big deal, but if the pitcher is actually gaining an advantage, yes.

 

Deadspin is on the case! Only took four seasons to discover Capps! Next up: Does Gaylord Perry Doctor the Ball?

P.S. Jordan Walden has been doing this even longer. You go, Deadspin!

 

Some huge towering fireballer (too bad Randy Johnson is retired) should cook up a pitch where he takes a huge leaping step off the mound before delivering, thus releasing the ball like a cricket pitch about 45 feet from home plate (and also in full motion toward the plate).

A 95-mph heater delivered from 45-0 is the equivalent of a 130-mph pitch delivered from 60-6.

That would be the end of it.

 

The guy would walk about 22 batters per 9 IP and he would injure himself 10 or 15 times a year, but OK.

 

Ehh, all he'd have to do would be to throw one or two of those pitches in a game (preferably behind the head of the batter), and that would be the end of that.

And cricket bowlers and MLB outfielders and many football quarterbacks all seem to be able to deliver fairly accurate throws after a running/leaping start, and they don't hurl themselves onto the DL every time either.

 

Yeah. Someone should go for it. I'm sure it would be delivered with the pinpoint (+/- 2 inches) accuracy that major league pitches are delivered with, and that the full-throttle force that a pitcher uses to bring his legs through his delivery would not pose any health risk whatsoever when he lands.

This will be the greatest revolution in pitching mechanics since the arrival of Sidd Finch.

 

Unfortunately, as a relief pitcher Capps himself is unlikely ever to come to bat; if he did it would be awesome for the pitcher to take 3-4 running steps off the mound and deliver the pitch from about 30 feet from home plate (and then buzz it right under his chin).

The umpires' apparent excuse of, 'well, that's just the way he pitches,' ain't good enough. What if somebody wants to bat standing on home plate, you gonna let that go too?

 

If the held ball is moving forward with the foot going forward, then we have a decided advantage. Looking at Kershaw and Lince, I do not see it going forward in space as the pitcher is holding it.

With the kid in the original post, it seems to move forward about a foot.

Illegal pitch.

 

Maybe we have different definitions of "going forward in space"?. But if it means what I think it means, Lincecum's foot is definitely going forward and off the rubber while he still has the ball in his hand....not sure what you're either saying or looking at.

 

The thing that seems off to me about both Capps and Walden is that they both essentially hop off the rubber and land their plant foot back on the mound a foot, foot and a half closer to the batter before actually delivering the ball. In the Kershaw and Lincecum clips, it looks like their feet are off the rubber before the ball is released, but they really don't land back on the ground until after the pitch.

 

Interesting. Thanks for sharing that one.