What is Bush League?

It's not cheating if you can figure out what the other team's doing and can relay the signs to possibbly gain an advantage. As for the hidden ball trick, if you're on the wrong end of it, don't let it happen again. If a team can pull it off, then so be it. That's why it's a thinking man's game. Gotta be on your toes all the time.

Bush League is in the eye of the beholder--if your opponent outsmarts you then it is usually bush league, especially at the lower levels

I see bush league stuff as the things that happen in pre high school ball where adult coaches attempt to outsmart young players with trick plays. Or spending time on trick plays when the kids would be better served learning how to play the game properly.

By high school if a kid gets fooled by a trick play, shame on him. By high school if a play is considered bush there's retaliation. Therefore, you don't see it often.

In a 7th grade rec league championship game, the other coach hollered "I got it, I got it" when our third basemen came near his dugout on a pop foul.

I think that anytime an adult interjects into the decisions of a youngsters game, that's bush league. I would think it bush league if a coach taught his team to use the hidden ball trick, not for the player to do it.

As the late Justice Potter Stewart intoned: "I know it when I see it."

Where did the term come from?

bush league

A slang term used to describe play that is of minor league or unprofessional quality. The "bushes" or the "sticks" are small towns where minor league teams may operate.

Bush League is a matter of opinion when it comes to many things. Personally I think it pertains to how a player or team acts more than anything.

Some things would be considered "Bush" league in one instance and be considered intelligent baseball in a different situation.

Faking a catch or play is done all the time. It is done with a specific purpose, usually to fool the baserunner from doing the right thing.

A shortstop acting as a flyball is a groundball when a baserunner is stealing a base so the baserunner might not react and be doubled off is an example. Also acting like the ball is in the air when it's on the ground to keep a player from advancing properly. This stuff is done all the time. If baserunners can "fake" steal why can't fielders "fake" making a play?

If anyone except ARod would have done what he did (call for a play) no one would think twice about it. Same goes for trying to slap the ball out of someone's glove. Yet, no one considers it "bush" league when a runner blindsides a catcher at full speed and plants him in the first row.

IMO - The true "Bush" League stuff would include things like fake tags when there is no advantage by doing so.

The hidden ball trick has been done in the Major Leagues. It also helped win the College World Series. Not sure I would call it bush league. Here is an interesting video... Ozzie Guillen Hidden Ball Trick

Coach Menges explained it one day.

He said bush league referred to a coach or player trying to get an advantate in a way that was obviously beneath them, their level, or accepted baseball practice.

He would include intentional cheating (see: A-Rod),managers or coaches knowingly lying to umpires (see: Gardenhire), and Little League type plays and maneuvers.

Coach Menges' players left the program with respect for the Game.

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It also helped win the College World Series

Which is why we called it the "Miami play" when I coached Jr. League. We made a Broadway production out of it, faking the pick-off throw to 1B, who faked booting the fake throw, sending the runner to 2B only to be greeted by the short stop who took the 20 foot toss from the pitcher. It worked 90%. Most of the time the runner had to have the play explained to him after he walked back to the dugout.

To me, the term bush league stands for dirty plays and dirty players. I suppose there is a fine line sometimes between hard-nosed plays and cheap-shot or bush league plays. I considered Pedro Martinez to be a bush league player. Get a hit off him and you were almost guaranteed to get hit in the middle of the back with a 95 mph fastball the next time up. If a fight ensued because of his antics, Pedro was always the first one to be hiding in the dugout - unless of course 90 year old Don Zimmer was the opponent and then Pedro had the courage to stand up for himself.

A play that was controversial and could be argued both ways was Pete Rose bowling over Ray Fosse in the All-Star game. I never heard anyone call it bush league but it was debatable whether that tactic was necessary in an exhibition game. Of course, Rose only knew one speed so he didn't suffer any serious repercussions from the incident.

I really never considered trick plays or deceptive plays to be bush league. A-Rod's play although perhaps embarassing to A-Rod in the way he slapped at the ball never seemd like a bush league play to me.

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Originally posted by ClevelandDad:

I really never considered trick plays or deceptive plays to be bush league. A-Rod's play although perhaps embarassing to A-Rod in the way he slapped at the ball never seemd like a bush league play to me.

I would agree with your perception of trick plays or deceptive plays. Both enjoy a long tradition in baseball. We part ways though at intentional cheating. I believe it has no place in baseball.

I may be biased by my job description: to ensure neither team gains an advantage not intended by the rules.

Bush League also a term for a coach that runs up scores against lesser opponents because he can.

IE. runners on 1st and third, runner on first takes off before the pitch with an 9 run lead.


Bush League Coach play.

What is Bush League? In a word.....chanting.

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Or carols. Carol Chanting.




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Bush League also a term for a coach that runs up scores against lesser opponents because he can.

IE. runners on 1st and third, runner on first takes off before the pitch with an 9 run lead.


Bush League Coach play.

What inning is it? I don't have a problem with it if he's trying to end the game..

At the professional baseball domain, bush league is considered amatuerish, and reduction of values

Bush League to me is doing anything ungentlemanlike to try and distract the pitcher or batter from playing his best. There is a team in our league that is obnoxious in this way. They will make bird calls at the pitcher and shake the fence just as a ball comes into the strike zone. Their chanting from the dugout is never positive, always against their opponents and excessive. At our last game against them, a parent on their side came over to sit on our side. They were that embarrassed.

They are getting a reputation for being a "classless" program. Unfortunately, they've had some pretty good ballplayers get passed by to play at the college level and you can't help but think that somebody was watching.

Not surprisingly, since their chanting has gotten worse, so has their team.

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Originally posted by Bulldog 19:

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Bush League also a term for a coach that runs up scores against lesser opponents because he can.

IE. runners on 1st and third, runner on first takes off before the pitch with an 9 run lead.


Bush League Coach play.

What inning is it? I don't have a problem with it if he's trying to end the game..

bottom of the 5th. they where done, had nobody left it would have happened anyway.

Winning graciously, must be a lost art.

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Is this bush league? Catcher pretends to throw ball to second baseman who pretends to miss it and team is screaming to our player who is on second base to run run run(our player not hearing if our team or not) our player leaves base/catcher pops up throws ball to second base/kid is out. This is 13U ball. Is that bush league or just creative coaching?

Well it could be a lot of things.. one is bad baserunning. If players can see the ball thrown by the pitcher, can they not see the ball when a fielder throws it to another fielder? If so, then I would think it would be obvious when a player fakes the throw...

IMO that is bush league. Thirteen is still pretty young and this manuever and the screaming to run is obviously orchestrated and taught by the coach.

Adult trying to outsmart 13 yos = bush

I agree with PG's definition. If it were anyone but A-Rod, no one would have made a stink about either of those plays. If it were a Tim Tebow-ish player, everyone would have lauded him for being so "competitive".

Yes, taught by adult for their kids to scream run run run. They only fooled our team once though with that "move"!

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Originally posted by redbird5:
I agree with PG's definition. If it were anyone but A-Rod, no one would have made a stink about either of those plays. If it were a Tim Tebow-ish player, everyone would have lauded him for being so "competitive".

Do you really believe that an outright and outlandish violation of the rules (cheating) would be acceptable by any player but A-Rod?

Sad.

Trying to purposely injure a player to gain a competitive advantage. Such as that coach that paid one of his own players 25 dollars to bean one of his own lower skilled players, or clemens throwing a ball at piazza's head, or a runner trying to spike an infielder....

This is not baseball, but it is about as bush league as you can get. Shame on the Monrovia High coaches. Classless.

They should take a lesson in class from her:

"She said she was confused and overwhelmed by the quick turnaround from soaring victory to crushing defeat. But she wasn't pointing fingers at the Monrovia coach. She was angry at herself."

http://www.latimes.com/news/cu...516,0,7543599.column

I would never try to steal a victory by trying to get someone disqualified for being this nitpicky of a rule but let's not forget the South Pasadena team is at fault here. She should have known the rules and not had it on, her coaches should have noticed it and told her to take it off and her team mates should have noticed and told her to take it off.

I'm sorry if this is coming across as negative but they had a chance to keep themselves from being penalized. I don't necessarily agree with this rule although I do know why it's there. It's easier to just say no jewelry and define it as anything on the body because that goes along with zero tolerance.

I tell my guys all the time don't put yourself into a position where a sporting official can screw you through a bad call or nitpicky rule.

I sympathize with her and think she is very mature in how she's handling it. The Monrovia coach should be ashamed for winning by doing that. But South Pasadena could have avoided the whole thing by taking the bracelet off. Each player is responsible for their dress and it's the coaches job to be responsible for how their players dress.

I was brought up that bush league type stuff showed a lack of respect for the game, the opponent and an admission that you couldn't win the game straight up without bush league play. To be told you did something bush was a huge slap in the face.

Gotta disagree with PG about Arod's yelling and slapping at the ball. That has been bush league since forever for any player. If you condone those type of actions then you pretty much allow pitchers to seriously headhunt when that guy comes to bat next time.

Same thing as blindsiding a catcher waiting for a very late throw when the runner had plenty of time and room to slide but instead chose to nail the catcher; saw Fielder do this two seasons ago. Total cheap shot. Really more of a dirty play than bush due to injury factor. If a catcher tags someone hard in the face or drops his shinguards on a runner that has scored everybody gets up in arms saying it was bush/dirty play. Rose/Fosse not bush as it was a real close play but Rose did have room and time to have slid and score. Absolute shame about Fosse getting injured in basically an exhibition game; had a very bright future ahead of him.

Even today I see HS coaches do what we used to call bush such as running between the pitcher/catcher during warmups as he heads out to 3rd base coach's box. When I played any coach that stupid would get buzzed by the catcher the next inning or at least have a catcher in his face telling him to run his fat butt around the field. Some of the stuff/antics I see HS coaches do makes me laugh and cry at the same time. JMO

I thought A rod was bush when he yelled at the 3rd baseman for toronto l yr. The rookie dropped the infield pop up. You don't even see that in LL.

had a 3rd base coach do the same to my kid a few years back, man did everyone let him have it, even his own parents. Kid made the out and casually flipped it back to the ump, not a word or look back...I'm glad I didn't get involved.

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Originally posted by CPLZ:
In a 7th grade rec league championship game, the other coach hollered "I got it, I got it" when our third basemen came near his dugout on a pop foul.

I think that anytime an adult interjects into the decisions of a youngsters game, that's bush league. I would think it bush league if a coach taught his team to use the hidden ball trick, not for the player to do it.

Good point...just like a base coach who yells a ball is out of play, hoping the fielder will give up...saw that in Junior Legion (14-15).

just thought about the old "whatsamatter" play in football. Similar trickery to the hidden ball, but no one ever complained about it. Funny how different sports have different perceptions. Ilegal viloence and dirty play being the biggest issues in football.