The problem with this trail is that it is going down two different paths. One is LL and the other is Tournament Ball.
The LL guys are saying catchers can't catch and pitchers can't pitch. That is true in most LLs. it is not true in most tournament. The kid won't get put back there if they can't catch and the player won't see the mound if they can't pitch.
I agree with Callaway. If the batter wants to waggle a bat and the situation is not detrimental. My son will let him waggle himself down to first base with a nice whep (question spellcheck) on his body somewhere. They need to learn how to hit and not play mind games.
And yes Callaway, I have had my pitcher hit the coach. We had a guy that called our pitcher a not so nice word when we were up by a few runs. After requesting the ump to do something and he wouldn't. We picked at third and the third baseman missed it and plunked the coach. Made a point.
LL, travel ball, tourney, whatever the situation, these are kids and they're learning from our example no matter what the level of play.
I know you didn't really instruct a kid to throw at a coach. And I know you didn't tell a young third baseman to intentionally let a ball get by so it would hit a coach. That would be ridiculous so I'll give you the benifit of the doubt. The example given does get your point across. I guess.
I know you didn't really instruct a kid to throw at a coach. And I know you didn't tell a young third baseman to intentionally let a ball get by so it would hit a coach. That would be ridiculous so I'll give you the benifit of the doubt. The example given does get your point across. I guess.
The problem I see , is that the pitcher is DELIBERATELY trying to injure the batter. Any other sport and you would probably get a few game suspension or kicked out of the league. What would happen if the kid broke a rib and punctured a lung? Leave the beanball to varsity and college kids.
A local team in the area(12u) played this way and all the opposing teams parents hated the coach, and he would use the phrase "we play to win". Now his team has disbanded and his legacy is just the "arseh--e".
Just tell your pitchers to ignore the batter and focus on the catcher.
A local team in the area(12u) played this way and all the opposing teams parents hated the coach, and he would use the phrase "we play to win". Now his team has disbanded and his legacy is just the "arseh--e".
Just tell your pitchers to ignore the batter and focus on the catcher.
quote:Originally posted by sportsdad&fan:
Just tell your pitchers to ignore the batter and focus on the catcher.
Ahhh, is THAT all it takes?
In all seriousness, there are some pitchers I can tell to "just stay focused on the catcher" and others who will not be able to, no matter what I say.
This is what I've used successfully in the past (at the LL level). Have your batter fake bunt (this should tell you how well coached the other team is...i.e. does SS cover 2nd or 3rd, does 2b cover 1st etc.) On the same pitch, have the run break hard for 2nd and stop half-way (if he goes all out he will draw the throw from the catcher to 2nd...if he is too slow or delays, he's caught. He must sell the steal so the catcher will come up throwing). Now, if the team is not well coached, perhaps the SS is not covering 2nd or is picking his nose or whatever, in which case the runner heads to 2nd (or 3rd!). If the SS is covering 2nd, the runner reads the throw and catch...if it's missed, head to 2nd if its caught head back to first. If correctly, the worse thing that happens is you have one strike/ball on batter and runner still on first. But at least you made the other team throw the ball around and make several plays. Also, pay attention to how the defense reacts to the bunt (i.e. does 3rd charge, where does 2b cover, ect.) If your batter squares to bunt and 3rd or 1st doesn't charge, lay one down!
Another, I liked to use in that situation is the "Bunt-and-run". Same concept as hit and run but with "weaker" type hitters (***This assumes EVERYBODY on your team can bunt. If not, shame on the coach). Anyway, have the batter lay one down and send the runner from 1st. If the 3rd charges and SS is covering 2nd, have runner keep on going to 3rd.
Sorry for the long post, but I loved small ball and get excited thinking back on the plays we used. Hopes this helps.
Another, I liked to use in that situation is the "Bunt-and-run". Same concept as hit and run but with "weaker" type hitters (***This assumes EVERYBODY on your team can bunt. If not, shame on the coach). Anyway, have the batter lay one down and send the runner from 1st. If the 3rd charges and SS is covering 2nd, have runner keep on going to 3rd.
Sorry for the long post, but I loved small ball and get excited thinking back on the plays we used. Hopes this helps.
I don't mind small ball either, but this particular opponent is NOT doing it to read our defense, as he only does it w/ his weak hitters usually AND he has several hitters in a row do it on several pitches in a row - and I'm sure he sees our defense moving to cover bases each time too.
My bad, should have clarified. The hitting the coach incident was a high school and the players thought of it.
My son is a 14 year old who knows enough baseball to know that if they square to bunt early you throw inside. The players on my son's team know as much or more baseball than most adults including most coaches. If a player waggles a bat, you make him pull it back. But we are playing 14U tournament ball. And our pitchers will hit a batter on purpose, if it is called for. I'm sorry but it is part of the game.
The waggle bat issue in LL is according to the pitcher. If they were good enough to be able to put the ball where they wanted they would know what to do and probably in our area be playing tournament ball and not staying in LL.
I will end this subject from my point. It is not the other coaches responsibility to handle it, it is yours to teach your pitcher to handle the situation however you deem necessary. The only catch with hitting a batter is there has to be a reason and it must be clear why you did it or they will just assume it was a bad pitch.
My son is a 14 year old who knows enough baseball to know that if they square to bunt early you throw inside. The players on my son's team know as much or more baseball than most adults including most coaches. If a player waggles a bat, you make him pull it back. But we are playing 14U tournament ball. And our pitchers will hit a batter on purpose, if it is called for. I'm sorry but it is part of the game.
The waggle bat issue in LL is according to the pitcher. If they were good enough to be able to put the ball where they wanted they would know what to do and probably in our area be playing tournament ball and not staying in LL.
I will end this subject from my point. It is not the other coaches responsibility to handle it, it is yours to teach your pitcher to handle the situation however you deem necessary. The only catch with hitting a batter is there has to be a reason and it must be clear why you did it or they will just assume it was a bad pitch.
How about the "on deck" batter that leads off an inning and tries to stand as close to the plate as possible during the pitchers warmup throws to time him? Ever seen a wild pitch then? I have. 
Look, I have never told a pitcher to intentionally hit a batter, coach or anyone else. But I have pitchers with older brothers and they probably watch more baseball on TV than they play video games. They know what to do and when to do it ...and they do.
Many of these boys have been playing up most of their travel ball careers and they bring that level of play to Dixie rec. ball. The new "dad" coaches in the league with little coaching experience learn more from those boys than they teach them.
For whatever reason, Dixie rec. ball is very big in the south and maybe comparing it to LL is unfair.
Look, I have never told a pitcher to intentionally hit a batter, coach or anyone else. But I have pitchers with older brothers and they probably watch more baseball on TV than they play video games. They know what to do and when to do it ...and they do.
Many of these boys have been playing up most of their travel ball careers and they bring that level of play to Dixie rec. ball. The new "dad" coaches in the league with little coaching experience learn more from those boys than they teach them.
For whatever reason, Dixie rec. ball is very big in the south and maybe comparing it to LL is unfair.
A few thoughts on the whole line-up issue:
[Originally posted by Callaway:
I set the lineup no different than the big boys. Teams that stagger line-ups score fewer runs.]
A few years ago Bill Mueller won the AL batting title batting 9th on a big boys team that scored more runs than any other team in baseball.
In LL, the number of pitchers who don’t issue any walks is very very low. A weaker hitter in the 6 spot has as good a chance of walking as anyone if he has been taught the strike zone. Now a better hitter in the 7 spot has a chance to advance the runner.
My son had a coach who would alternate his line-up (or not) depending on the opponent. Staggering his line-up worked very well with a team throwing an average pitcher against you. Walks and HBP will kill a pitcher with this line-up. Add to that the fact that your weaker hitters have a better chance of getting hits themselves against an average pitcher (as opposed to a very good pitcher) and this line-up can do some damage.
Against a strong control pitcher the coach would be more apt to bunch the best hitters up top and string hits together. This coach was very successful using both methods.
[Originally posted by Callaway:
I set the lineup no different than the big boys. Teams that stagger line-ups score fewer runs.]
A few years ago Bill Mueller won the AL batting title batting 9th on a big boys team that scored more runs than any other team in baseball.
In LL, the number of pitchers who don’t issue any walks is very very low. A weaker hitter in the 6 spot has as good a chance of walking as anyone if he has been taught the strike zone. Now a better hitter in the 7 spot has a chance to advance the runner.
My son had a coach who would alternate his line-up (or not) depending on the opponent. Staggering his line-up worked very well with a team throwing an average pitcher against you. Walks and HBP will kill a pitcher with this line-up. Add to that the fact that your weaker hitters have a better chance of getting hits themselves against an average pitcher (as opposed to a very good pitcher) and this line-up can do some damage.
Against a strong control pitcher the coach would be more apt to bunch the best hitters up top and string hits together. This coach was very successful using both methods.