Standing Up for a Player

I think there is a whole lot of "had to be there" to this one.  Maybe the coach DID have catcher's back yelling to him that he had nothing to apologize for.  Maybe coach didn't hear what catcher said to runner, just saw he was engaging in argument and didn't approve.  Lots more maybe's but... had to be there.

Good aggressive tags at the plate often result in heightened emotions and the feeling of wrong-doing.  Sometimes warranted, often not.

What age?

Catcher's coach should have saved whatever teaching lesson he wanted to impart for the dugout. There's nothing to be gained from embarrassing a player, no matter how old they are. 

In a HS game in this instance I think most coaches are going to side with trying to defuse the situation.  We don't think of them as such but they are still boys playing a game.  If as you said the coach couldn't know what the catcher was saying to the other player from as far away as the dugout.

My guess is he was trying to just have his player stop saying anything.  In that situation my son is likely not exchanging warm greetings so I could see my son's coach yelling at him to zip it.

I wish there were more --not fewer-- coaches that would do this.  Kids respond nicely to tough love.

Don't see a problem here, although its tough to really know without being there.

I'd agree the coach's commments sound like they were indirectly meant for the peanut gallery and runner. I am sure his comments probebly resulted in the parents and runner redirecting their attention towards the coach.  The coach effectivly let the runner and parents know the right play was made, but at the same time didn't engage in a direct  and ugly conversation with the player or parents.

Maybe the coach was intervening before his catcher said or did the wrong thing and gets tossed.

This was my thinking.  I agree, a lot of you had to be there in these situations.  But the kid isn't the type of kid who would say anything.  Just quietly goes about his business.  Which is why it was a shock he said anything and stood up for himself. I just thought with all the parents and opposing coaches screaming about poor little Johnny who was out it would have been nice for the coach to support his player a little bit.