I have been negligent in the enforcement of these rules, but I am now in a position where I must enforce them.
Section B- Pitching Limits
Item AIII B-1.0
Pitching Limits - 65 Innings Pitched AND 8 Games Started. BOTH limits apply, so you have violated the rule if you have gone over EITHER limit. It does not matter whether you have exceeded one limit and not the other.
Item AIII B-2.0
Penalties for Violations:
A.) 1st and 2nd offense for crossing the limits will result in a loss of any pitching points over the limits.
B.) Third offense results in a loss of points over limits PLUS an additional 100 points for the week.
C.) Fourth offense and beyond will result in a loss of ALL pitching scoring for the scoring period.
As a league, we seem to have a problem in that there have been multiple violations during the past 13 weeks of the season. Earlier in the year I said I felt that we could go on an honor system because we no longer had a pitching monitor. That, apparently, was a huge mistake on my part since we have multiple violations by a few teams.
This would require me to go back through the schedule and deduct points in order to comply with the rules. However, since I have been negligent in monitoring the IP during the first 13 weeks, it seems fruitless to go back through the schedule and deduct the overages to “comply” with the rules. I realize ignorance of the rules is no defense, but I also believe that drastic remedies only serve to frustrate and provoke anger. With that, we also know that these transgressions cannot go by without any consequence. So, in the interest of “justice”, two things will happen:
1: Future violations will be enforced according to the numbered offense. If there is a previous violation, or violations, then that team will suffer the consequences based on its previous transgressions. For most of the league, a future violation would start at #1, others at #2, and some at #3.
2: In the event points come into play as a tiebreaker, all transgressions would be taken into account, and no one would get a pass in the event such a tiebreaker comes into play.
I grant all of you this is an extenuating circumstance, but this seems the best way to handle it without causing anyone any unnecessary grief. As always, there will be those who might feel it “unfair” and that I have chosen a path which tries to shame others in the league—but rest assured, that is not my intent. I am simply trying to do what is in this the best interest of the league and correct an untenable situation.
Here is a list of the pitching violations so far this season:
Period 5 -
66.2 IP
Period 6 -
66 IP
Period 6 -
70.1 IP
Period 7 -
65.2 IP
Period 7 -
66 IP
Period 8 -
65.2 IP
Period 8 -
66.2 IP
Period 8 -
65.2 IP
Period 9 -
67.1 IP
Period 10 -
70.1 IP
