Baseball

I tell kids that all the time. Why wouldn't I want them to play another sport? To me year round baseball is a personal choice a kid has to make on their own - not because I want them to. If that is something they want to do then either I will work with them within the rules set down by the state association or they can work with a private coach on their own.

They are young once and most will not play college ball so why limit the very small window they have to play another sport they enjoy? It doesn't make any sense to force or pressure kids to make this choice. They want to play football or basketball then more power to them. I will be in the stands watching and supporting them.

Now for the counter argument that they may get hurt. That is true that they may get hurt in another sport - so be it. We will move on and adjust to their absence. I'm not saying I drop them but we are going to prepare another kid in their place. If the hurt kid can comeback and produce more than the replacement then the job is his. If he cannot outproduce the replacement then the replacement keeps the job. That is a lesson in how the world works.

As for the changing stats I have never and never will do that. It is what it is and I'm not changing it. In fact I have never heard of other coaches changing stats.

I have heard of a coach changing stats for some alterior motives. It's not a good thing.

coach2709,
I think Baseball50 meant a coach telling a player to play another sport INSTEAD of baseball, not in addition. As if to say the player shouldn't be playing baseball. At least that is what I think he menat. If it is, I've also heard my former coach do that, but only to a player with a terrible attitude on the baseball diamond.

Ok I can see what you're saying JPontiac - thanks for pointing that out.

I've done that as well. If a kid tries out and I'm going to cut them I ask if they have interest in any other sports and encourage them to give it a try. I also tell them what they would need to work on to improve their chances in baseball but most won't try back out again.

I did have a kid tryout two years in a row who was a little "bigger". He couldn't move very well and couldn't make the running and other things. I cut him both years and each year tried to get him to play football because of his size. He came out for football and became a pretty good lineman. Sometimes you got to paint a clear picture of what is best for them and then they can decide what they want to do.

Just for clarification - I was also the offensive line coach. I saw this kid and knew he could help us in football but not baseball. So I got him out finally. I see nothing wrong with that.

Changing stats? Yep, heard of it... and seen it. It happens.
Banquet bashing? Yep, our jr high bk-ball coach tried that one this year. He stepped on quite a few toes and a week later the principal informed him he would not be coaching any more. (the one that got him fired was he gave a kid the 'Billy Joel Award" for being very slow... you know running with a piano on your back... that kids mom ended his coaching career.

Son has a friend who was told in a nice positive way that he was made for football, not baseball. The coach is a well loved and respected man - and the friend was not insulted, but took the advice and succeeded in football. Of course it was done on the side, one on one.

Saying something like that at a banquet sounds rude and insulting to the boys and their parents. If he didn't want them on the team, cut 'em.

Changing stats? How hard is it to turn an E to H or vice versa? It's an opinion, and it's the coach's opinion that counts. just saying....

My son's HS baseball coach would tell all players and parents at the beginning of the season at the Players/parents meeting that some players are meant to do other things in life. If a player gets cut during tryouts, that he should keep his head up and pursue other activities to find what he might be good at.

He said it in a very positive way that was non-threatening or discouraging. It truly meant it and it came across that way every year.

Terrible advice. Good thing Nick Weglarz (Cleveland MiLB) didn't get that advice when cut from a local midget team.

YoungGunDad,

I have to agree with BHD on this. That is the type of advice that can ruin baseball.

First of all, baseball fans are more important that baseball players when it comes to the popularity of the game. Actually telling kids to go do something else is counter productive IMO.

I know you were referring to high school, but even in high school there are late bloomers. Kids who were cut as freshman who came back to be among the best by the time they were seniors.

I've told this story many times. My youngest son was the very worst player (IMO) on his team as a 14 year old. I think he only made the team on account of his older brother being very successful. Anyway, at age 22 the younger son was pitching in a Major League game in front of 50,000 fans. Luckily, nobody told him to go do something else when he was younger.

I understand there comes a time when cuts are necessary. I know that is at the high school level for some. My biggest complaint is cutting young kids before that.

I keep the stats for the high school team. I've seen things changed after the fact to help players for all-conference.

As for "play another sport" we need it defined if the coach is telling kids to quit baseball or play a second sport.

Changing stats? How hard is it to turn an E to H or vice versa? It's an opinion, and it's the coach's opinion that counts. just saying....

Of course the coach is going to have a diffrent opinon on some plays than the SK would have, espically if the SK is the dad of a player who wants to make thier kid look better, or another player worse.
Have seen it happen where the SK marked a line drive down the line a error, he thought the OF should have made a normal play by catching the ball. Coach went back and changed it from E to a H.

I watched a basebaall video once of Major Leaguers and ex Major leaguers talking about hitting.

Ted Williams had a great line.

He said (paraphrasing); Once kids get a little older and the pitchers start to learn how to really pitch and throw real curveballs some kids just can't keep up. That is when Dad needs to put his arm around his son and say "Son, what do you say you and I go play some Golf."

Classic Teddy Ballgame!

Modern day version... "Lacrosse is for the kids that can't hit a curveball".



I say all of this very light hearted.

Changing stats not uncommon at the HS level.

That is why HS stats are meaningless to College Coaches and Pro Scouts

Sadly, HS stats are used by the coaches to pick All Star, All Conference and of course the infamous All this and that teams.

One coach will pull out a printout and say, "My kid hit .565, but yours only hit .462 so mine is better".

All of this is BS. You need some independance to pick these teams but that simply doesn't exist in HS Baseball. I'd doctor my stats as well if a really good kid who deserved to be there was going to lose out to some spread sheet kept by the other coach...

Hmm - High school stats are "modified" to suit the scorekeepers bias at some of the high schools in our area. I am not sure why a coach would want to micromanage it though. There are so many ways to manipulate them that don't involve changing anything.

The strange thing is that they really don't matter much to recruiters who need to put their eyes on the player. Yet battles develop that are senseless and ego driven. I have an opinion like everyone else, but I always tried to stay as far away as possible from the stat battles. At the next level it's a total relief to have a college or league scorekeeper who is not a player's parent.

Your coach sounds less than diplomatic. That was an opinion best shared in private even if it was intended as a joke. A coach is a teacher and has to anticipate the impact on players and parents of such a remark. The "Billy Joel" award?