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The local hs coach doctored the stats post season so that several players who are likely college prospects would make the all county team.  This meant that several players who originally had the stats did not make the all county team.  No skin in the game - all set for college, just disappointed in the outcome and disgusted by the practice.

 

Is it worthwhile to discuss with the coach or the AD?  Or best to let it go?

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I'm mostly of the 'let it go' mindset.  However if true, it suggests some level of unethical behavior and maybe I'd drop the AD a note.  But then again, maybe not?

 

I do think this goes on a lot.  Just remember opposing kids ERA's or AVG's being posted in the paper and realizing that it must have meant the only 5 earned runs a pitcher gave up all year musta been against us...which seemed ridiculous. 

I agree with the overall drop it attitude but there's more to this than just what colleges are looking for.  I agree stats don't mean anything to college coaches but this is cheating kids out of local and possible state recognition they have earned.  This is wrong.  Now if all the coaches doctor stats then it is what it is but if this guy is the only one it's wrong.  The other coaches in that area will eventually call him out on it and it will stop.  We have a softball player in our area who is in the paper hitting .700 although her team is terrible.  When we had the meeting for all conference the other schools had a discussion as to how accurate it was.  

One of my son's high school teammates won the league ERA after the head coach changed one of my correct calls. The change wiped out four earned runs. It's not an error when a fielder is slow to a ball and slow to get it out of his glove even if it should have been the third out. The parent went nuts on me when he saw the box score in the paper. He went to the coach. The book was changed. Congratulations ERA title winner!

 

A local high school kid made SI for hitting .700. My son had a travel teammate in the league. When my son asked about the kid his teammate said, "How does the entire team hit over .400 yet they have a losing record?"

 

Leave it alone. It's not worth the aggravation.

Last edited by RJM

Been there for years

last year son received someone else 0-5 days, never fixed

This year son has enough recognition we asked once for corrections and it was not fixed, missing RBI and hits.

One surprise is he leads in a category but coach won't post it.

Other kids hit into 4 fielder's choices and have 2 dropped pops in a week and their average jumps up, goes on many places.

Will share that one pro scout told us he knows more legit 350 hitters who signed and were successful than fake .500 hitters.

He and his team avoid the schools with most fake stats, shame as honest good players are hurt by not getting seen.

We keep our own stats also and scouts know we keep it straight.

 

PS- have similar ERA title story

 

Good Luck to you & your son

It really doesn't matter how college coaches view statistics. There is a big difference between bad judgement or poor scoring and purposely cooking the books.

 

Not sure I understand why hits by one player would be changed to another player.  Even if a coach changed things, why would he take something away from another player?  Why not just give the player an extra hit or two without taking it away from someone else?  That wouldn't be honest either, but the other way pisses me off a lot more.  No kid deserves that type of treatment.  Kids and their parents do care about stats, that is enough reason by itself to be honest about it.  Bottom line, fairness should be important!

 

All that said, still not sure it is worth all the potential problems to bring it up.  You could be 100% right and still be viewed the villian.  For me, I think it would have to be enough that I know that the coach lacks integrity.  Though if I knew someone else that was effected by all of this, I would try to get them to complain.

What's your involvement in this? U say it's local coach, is it your sons coach?

 

Sounds like it was Soph, or Jr. Age, is that so? College coaches won't care about stats.

if it doesn't effect u/your son, just stay out of it. Karma will prevail in the end. The boys know how they played/their stats.  my son would not want to be on an all county team if he didn't earn it. If other kids r ok w it, it's says a lot about their character. 

Do nothing

Originally Posted by left bench:

The local hs coach doctored the stats post season so that several players who are likely college prospects would make the all county team.  This meant that several players who originally had the stats did not make the all county team.  No skin in the game - all set for college, just disappointed in the outcome and disgusted by the practice.

 

Is it worthwhile to discuss with the coach or the AD?  Or best to let it go?

I wouldn't worry about it.  There is too much "judgment" in stats at that level.  No way you can win the argument. 

My sons HS coach did the same thing.  He inflated a kids stats so he could make all league.  To me this is an integrity issue.  If a coach is willing to fudge stats for what gain?  What else is he willing to bend the rules on.

 

My kids HS coach bent the rules on grades, discipline and tobacco use by the players and coaches.  Guess what he got caught and fired.  

 

Coaches are there to teach our kids life lessons and what lesson is this coach teaching his kids.  I agree stats don't mean jack but integrity does.  Not sure I'd bring it up to the coach but I'd use it as a lesson for my kid.

Originally Posted by PA2016Backstopdad:
I don't get how this is not a big deal. If the kid earned something and it was taken due to some unethical behavior, you bet your &$$ it's a big deal. No if, ands or butts about it. You can't qualify it justify it by saying" but college coaches.........". Bottom line.

I agree with your sentiment, but what can be done?  I assume the OP did not actually keep the team score book and compare this to the coaches stats.  So as obvious as tampering may appear, it's an accusation unsupported by facts.  Keep in mind also that it doesn't take that many additional hits in the course of a season to make a big difference in batting average - 5 additional hits (which could easily be dismissed as a difference of scoring judgment/opinion) in 100 at-bats increases BA by .050.  Is it right to call out a coach on this foundation?  I don't think so.

 

If I'm wrong about my initial assumption and the OP did, in fact, keep the books and has hard data to back the position, then I would say you have to confront the coach.

Hs stats are a definitely a mess.  But I don't think it's always "nefarious"  or always the coach's doing.

 

Sometimes its just sloppiness. Sometimes it's wanting to help a player out.  For example, on my son's HS  team, players on the bench keep the book.  Coach does seem to enter stats in to Maxpreps after each game. But he doesn't seem to have double checked them or anything.

 

A  kid who was clearly safe on an error, was credited with a hit in the book -- I'm told to help the kid out in the middle of slump.  That was sort of nefarious, but not on the part of the coach -- who should have double checked I admit.  

 

There's also sloppiness.  A kid had three PA's during a game,  but is listed in the stats as having scored 9 runs.   (Apparently the kid was bragging about how many times he scored during the season -- until somebody pointed out to him that it's actually pretty hard to score 9 times in three PA's.  Never was corrected, though.)   

Watched a kid play a couple games recently that I hadn't seen before. Saw that he had committed to a local D2. Batted .400+ in his Sr. year, named all conference. Batting 9th on his legion team. Small, shaky defense, weak hitter. I asked some guys who had seen him play what they knew of him.

His team finished last in the conference and he benefitted by never facing the opposing teams' top pitcher. Was told that if he had been on one of the better teams that always faced the opposing number 1, he wouldn't have batted .250. Another countered that he wouldn't have even started on one of the better teams. After seeing him play, I agreed.

 

In his case, the stats were accurate, as their stat guy is a stickler. However, they do not reflect anything about his ability. But they definitely helped him receive post season recognition. The D2 he signed with has an enrollment driven j.v. program and it is obvious that he will be a j.v. unless he greatly improves. 

I’ve been at this for a good while now, and while I have seen provable instances of coaches barbequing the books to make a player look good for local awards, I’ve found it to be pretty rare. I suppose in some cases it might work too, but it’s not like one person goes through the stats and gives awards to the players with the best numbers.

 

FI, when it’s time to choose who gets our league awards, ALL of the league coaches gather up their supporting documents and go into a meeting room. If a coach comes up with some BS number like Joe’s hitting .875, you can bet the other coaches are gonna call BS very quickly. Mostly the stats are used to eliminate a lot of players from contention, and whoever’s left are argued about.

 

We pick 3 outfielders and 3 honorable mentions. Then players and honorable mentions are chosen for IF position and catcher, then 2 starters and 2 relievers plus honorable mentions are chosen. Of course there are the general honors like league MVP and league pitcher of the year. In our league there are 8 teams and we play 2 games against each team, so it’s not as though every coach hasn’t seen every one of the players nominated. There will often be “heated” discussion, but in general the best players are chosen.

 

Originally Posted by RJM:

       

One of my son's high school teammates won the league ERA after the head coach changed one of my correct calls. The change wiped out four earned runs. It's not an error when a fielder is slow to a ball and slow to get it out of his glove even if it should have been the third out. The parent went nuts on me when he saw the box score in the paper. He went to the coach. The book was changed. Congratulations ERA title winner!

 

A local high school kid made SI for hitting .700. My son had a travel teammate in the league. When my son asked about the kid his teammate said, "How does the entire team hit over .400 yet they have a losing record?"

 

Leave it alone. It's not worth the aggravation.


       
Honestly if they were both slow to the ball AND had trouble getting it out of the glove that little bobble or whatever it was inside the glove would be enough for me to call it an error.  I hate how kids make 'errors' that can't be counted as errors.  Full disclosure - speaking as a 20 year pitching coach and dad of a pitcher.
Originally Posted by left bench:

The local hs coach doctored the stats post season so that several players who are likely college prospects would make the all county team.  This meant that several players who originally had the stats did not make the all county team.  No skin in the game - all set for college, just disappointed in the outcome and disgusted by the practice.

 

Is it worthwhile to discuss with the coach or the AD?  Or best to let it go?

How do you know this happened?  Often, a coach goes over the books at the end of the season and makes corrections he notices.  Other coaches also vote on All county, all area, ... teams.  They most often meet at some location.  At least that is what happens in our area and I served for many years on all area and all state committees.  Coaches who have a reputation for doctoring stats are noted and, to be honest, rarely do their players get consideration due to the doctoring.  I've seen coaches stand up in meetings and call other coaches out.  I've done it as well with my scorekeeper bring copies of games between us and another team where it was apparent that doctoring happened because the math didn't add up.  In my all area duties, we "protected the field" and made sure that we had printouts from throughout the year of conference stats.  So, if changes were made, we had those other stats to fall back on and had questions for that coach. 

 

Again, how do you know this happened and why have other coaches not called this coach out?

 

Edited to add:

 

If this coach gets away with this, blame the other area coaches for not "protecting the field."

Last edited by CoachB25

I have went into All Conference meetings many times only to have one of my guys who deserved it not make it because of this type of stuff. I always made sure the stats were legit. Your guy hits .340 with 25 rbi's and you go to All Conference meetings and there are 25 players on other teams with better stats. Not to mention the fact that many of these players were ofer vs your team. I went 14-0 in conference one year and only had 3 players make All Conference. I had a kid who made all state not make all conference because several other players had better stats from other teams. I got so angry one year I refused to vote for anyone and walked out. It happens and its BS.

 

No player should get anything they don't deserve because that means someone is not getting something they do deserve. Heck I had a player(Soph) who led the state in RBI's Dbls and was 3rd in the state in HR's and was voted 2nd team All Conference behind a kid who was a Sr. Oh coach he has two more years this kid is a good kid and a Sr. It's not about what college coaches think. It's not about what anyone thinks. It's about doing the right thing.

 

Stats do matter. If not stop keeping them. I don't know if a parent should approach the coach. But someone should make the coach aware of the fact they know what is going on and they don't appreciate it. I stopped looking at box scores after seeing the opposing teams doctor the book so many times. Our box in our paper would have them with 3 hits and they would have 6 in their paper. It got to the point I had to let that stuff go. I asked one coach how we could go 14-0 beat everyone like a drum and only have 3 of the best players in the conference. "Coach your players got all the press all year long. Can't the other guys get some glory?' That kind of mentality is why so many people have the attitude they have towards some HS coaches.

 

OP You have every right to be ticked off. I am not sure how to handle this type of thing. A coach that would doctor the books like that certainly can't be trusted to do the right thing. Maybe have someone not related to the program send him an email? Send the AD an email? Tough to let that type of stuff go IMO. Good luck with it.

Originally Posted by SluggerDad:

Hs stats are a definitely a mess.  But I don't think it's always "nefarious"  or always the coach's doing.

 

Sometimes its just sloppiness. Sometimes it's wanting to help a player out.  For example, on my son's HS  team, players on the bench keep the book.  Coach does seem to enter stats in to Maxpreps after each game. But he doesn't seem to have double checked them or anything.

 

A  kid who was clearly safe on an error, was credited with a hit in the book -- I'm told to help the kid out in the middle of slump.  That was sort of nefarious, but not on the part of the coach -- who should have double checked I admit.  

 

There's also sloppiness.  A kid had three PA's during a game,  but is listed in the stats as having scored 9 runs.   (Apparently the kid was bragging about how many times he scored during the season -- until somebody pointed out to him that it's actually pretty hard to score 9 times in three PA's.  Never was corrected, though.)   

Actually, a kid could be credited with scoring a bunch of runs if he is a courtesy runner for a pitcher or catcher quite often.  Not saying its the right scoring tactic, but in the days of Game Changer, it happens.

Originally Posted by 2020dad:
Originally Posted by RJM:

       

One of my son's high school teammates won the league ERA after the head coach changed one of my correct calls. The change wiped out four earned runs. It's not an error when a fielder is slow to a ball and slow to get it out of his glove even if it should have been the third out. The parent went nuts on me when he saw the box score in the paper. He went to the coach. The book was changed. Congratulations ERA title winner!

 

A local high school kid made SI for hitting .700. My son had a travel teammate in the league. When my son asked about the kid his teammate said, "How does the entire team hit over .400 yet they have a losing record?"

 

Leave it alone. It's not worth the aggravation.


       
Honestly if they were both slow to the ball AND had trouble getting it out of the glove that little bobble or whatever it was inside the glove would be enough for me to call it an error.  I hate how kids make 'errors' that can't be counted as errors.  Full disclosure - speaking as a 20 year pitching coach and dad of a pitcher.

Sounds like a slow roller, which is often difficult to score.  Would have to see it for myself, but I find I find it hard to include the idea that "the kid is slow", so therefore its an error.  It's not his fault he's slow.  Next time charge his parents for the error.  E10

Originally Posted by GoHeels:

Actually, a kid could be credited with scoring a bunch of runs if he is a courtesy runner for a pitcher or catcher quite often.  Not saying its the right scoring tactic, but in the days of Game Changer, it happens.

 

I’m not sure I understand what you’re getting at. Who do you think should get credit for what a sub does, and what does GameChanger have to do with it?

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