Great, thanks for the reinforcment. I think talking with you all have helped me cleared my conscience . He's the deal. I really dislike our manager. He always defends our head coach. (little backround for you, 1 paid manager, 2 paid coaches, none have boys on the team. u-13 team fee was $1,400) even when the coach makes big mistakes. Not saying this is a big mistake but there has been plenty of others. The manager is the type of guy who will always defend the coach and who gets all defensive himself. He never states that was wrong or we made a mistake there but instead he'll start telling you his background, That I have been doing this for 18 years and I won this and won that. I have yet to tell him mine (background) and don't feel the need too since we will only be playing with him this one year. I feel if you have to tell someone how good you are or were, you weren't. Your actions should speak enough. Anyways a couple of times they have asked me to help out at pratices and I see him teaching the boys wrong things, he goes into these long demostartions and gets off subject by saying the last state championship I won we did this. I look around and see some parents smile and think they are getting great advise. I call this "BIG HAT, NO CATTLE" talks a good game but that's about it. I have talked to him off on the side and told him I really don't agree with that and this is why. He has been stating things that make me question his knowledge, for example.... About a week ago we are playing a team and they switch pitchers, they bring in a boy who does not throw as hard as the first and all he is throwing is fastballs. He starts telling all the boys to move up in the box and then walks over to the dug out and tells the coaches to tell the boys to move up in the box. (manager does not sit in the dug out with boys, likes to walk around and talk to all the parents.) He walks over by me and some other parents and I ask him why did you tell the boys to move up in the box? he looks at the other parents And he proceeds to go on and on about a game ten years ago blah....blah... He then asks me what would I have told them. I stated, what you are telling the boys to do teaches them nothing. (his big statement that he likes to say is always around player development, teaching
and getting them ready for high school ball)You are only fixing the problem for now. What you need to tell the boys is this. Boys, you have to think change up, what do you do when you know its a change up, you wait and drive the ball back up the middle or oppisite field. I told him I would advise the boys to think change up every pitch now and wait, take your normal stance in the box and lets drive the ball. This way you are teaching the boys the correct thing to do. He looks at me with a deer in headlights look and then proceeds to say hi to another parent and walks away. I'm so sorry for rambling on and on but I have to rant. So we have played about 40 games already this year. All of which he has attended and everygame he says something stupid or worse gives bad advise. And still some parents don't even know and they buy into what he is saying. Others are seeing the light and are now too not happy with him and some of the coaches calls. Anyways this is what ticked me off yesterday and I said something from my seat and not in a one on one situation. My boy was the boy in the box hitting when I started this thread, his 1st two pitches (fastballs) he saw he fouled back. The manager yells from the stands "keep all your weight back on your back foot and look for something in. Which started to errrk me, For one my boy is not a rotational style hitter, he's been taught the linear hitting style (transferring the weight) from the get go. (son's background, leads team in hitting, OBP, doubles, stolen bases and in 40+ games has only struck out 4 times.) So he's telling him something that he has been taught not to do, and to look for something in. Remember the count is 0-2, no outs, left side of infield in. Boy works count full by laying off outside curve balls (right handed pitcher). Catcher you can see is still setting up outside, Boy hits ball down 1st base line, (you know the story) coach holds boy on 3rd, My boy out at 1st, he turns and starts clapping thinking we just won the game and then realizes runner still on third. As he is running back to the dugout (3rd base side) he holds his hands out to his teammates as if to say why didn't he go? Parents are grumbling, they know runner should have scored and the manager proceeds to turn around and tell the parents the coach did the right thing there by not sending the runner. For me that was enough. I told him. Stop defending the coach everytime he makes a mistake, for once is would be nice to hear from you that we needed that one or something to that effect, and don't give me how you won this and did that, with all your great baseball wisdom and knowledge how is it that in the past 40 games you haven't noticed that David is not a rotanation hitter and telling him him to keep all his weight on his back foot and look for something in with that count is wrong. As I said I was ticked. The manager stood there looking shocked with the face of I'm caught. Before he could answer the next boy got hit by the 1st pitch to load the bases and the next pitch went to the backstop and we won. He left without saying a word to me, and another parent came up to me and said he has no clue and I think he talks just to hear himself talk. Sorry for the rant, and thanks for listening.
#2's dad
