Appreciate everything Cabbage has said and Root I'm glad you have got something out of my posts and hope that one doesn't offset that. That being said here's where I'm coming from - everyone who posts on here speaks from the experiences they go through. That molds and shapes what we think and believe - even how we post on here. When it comes to the people on here - we don't know anybody and just have a glimpse as to who they are based on how they post. So its hard to get how someone feels or what they truly mean sometimes when you mix it with tone and meaning being difficult to understand from the written word.
So was I being critical? Yes I was but I was also trying to be helpful because I was calling out what I thought was wrong. As for the first one I think Cabbage has nailed it because it happened 3 times his freshman year and he justified it. Yeah I get getting caught up in the game and the emotion from that. Sadly I let a sophomore go 130 pitches trying to get the win early in my career. That was the last time that ever happened once I had a chance to think about how wrong it was. I guess you could say I lost games after that because once I felt they reached the magic number I pulled them. It is what it is and I'll do that again when I become a head coach again. If it happens and you learn from it that's the best of a bad situation. I don't know Lion and he's made some good posts after that. That's great but at the end of the day it's on him if he allows his son to be used this way - not us regardless of what we post.
As for the second one and the signal that's the one that ticked me off more than anything. That's just deceitful, underhanded and sends the wrong message. There are many ways to handle this situation than becoming a liar and that's what it is. When he was going to go to the AD / football coach I would hope that guy would handle it correctly in doing what's best for his kid and health - not to protect his team. While at the end of the day it's the same result it can destroy that schools dynamic among it the coaches at that school. When you serve many roles like an AD and head coach for a sport it can get sticky. That's one of the reasons (along with some health issues) why I gave up coaching while I truly learn how to be a good AD. But I'm still seen as a football coach looking out for football by some of our sports. The one thing I tell parents when they come to me and complain I ask them if they have spoken to the coach first and the majority of them haven't.
To effect change in behavior you have to start with that person. If Lion wanted the coach to change behavior in how he handles his son's pitch count then he should do that by discussing it with him instead of going around his back. By doing this then possibly it could help all the pitchers because it will open the coaches eyes - or maybe not. But if you don't try and go with the secret signal you go from helping solve a problem to creating a bigger problem.
Was I trying to be a jerk - no I wasn't but I tend to approach problems and issues head on. I'm also someone who doesn't like confrontation but it's also the best way to handle issues so I go at them. I can't stand it when people go behind anybody's back to try and get something. Just wrong.