Coaches need to chill

[Uber_jones]

Man things have changed on this site...funny stuff.

 

[SMc4SMc]

State your opinion. It's all about having a respectful forum of give and take. ... share your opinion. Thx.

 

[Coach_Dave]

No nerve touched here. I would be interested to know what information you use when deciding how to 'call your game'. Calling pitches is more about responding to situations and information than it is about having a 'game plan'. So, if Nancy drops her hands and crowds the plate, are you going to bust her down and away, because that was the 'game plan' you put together in the parking lot?

 

[Uber_jones]

No nerve touched here. I would be interested to know what information you use when deciding how to 'call your game'. Calling pitches is more about responding to situations and information than it is about having a 'game plan'. So, if Nancy drops her hands and crowds the plate, are you going to bust her down and away, because that was the 'game plan' you put together in the parking lot?

If we've played the team, we've charted the team, so we can use that info. If we haven't, the game is called to the pitchers strength. Things are different depending on the age level....older kids vertical movement seems to be king, 10/12's the pitchers don't have the speed and the hitters mechanics aren't there yet so horizontal movement seems to be king. I guess in my 1st post, if I've got a kid with nasty CU and it's been very effective, I'm not going to let some 3rd base coach talk me out of calling it again. Of course a great pitcher makes the pitch caller look brilliant and a weak pitcher will make the pitch caller look bad. So by no means was I trying to assert I was a pitch call guru. Just looking at other peoples take on it.

 

[tjsmize3]

... if Nancy drops her hands and crowds the plate, are you going to bust her down and away, because that was the 'game plan' you put together in the parking lot?

I made the comment earlier about sticking to the plan, but agree with coach Dave on his comment above. The game plan in the parking lot is something like... "we're going to make these guys hit our pitch and not theirs." In the middle of the game "our pitch" is certainly going to depend on how the hitter lines up at the plate, how far up or back she is in the box, what she's doing with her hands/feet/shoulders, etc... not to mention what she did against us in earlier games or in this one. However, if I feel like it is time to throw the change and the other coach tells his hitter to be looking for it, I'm rarely going to change the call or my approach to that particular hitter. In reference to Uber's comment about a coach possibly trying to bait the other coach to "not throw the change" I think he's right about that. I also think when some 3rd base coaches are yelling "watch the change," they are doing it to make the pitcher feel less confident about throwing that pitch to a tipped-off hitter.

 

[Coach_Dave]

From a Hitter's perspective....Coach just told me to watch for the change, so he thinks that the only way I can hit a change is if I know it's coming. But, now that he said 'watch for the change' out loud...to everyone, there's less of a chance that Pitcher will throw it. But, since Coach told me a change was coming I darn well better look change knowing full well I will not be able to catch up to the fastball that is probably on its way. Tell me again how this screws the Pitcher up?

Tom, I agree that is why some coaches do it, but from the hitter's perspective, it doesn't make a lot of sense.

 

[johnnies]

I love this thread... In my earlier years I did exactly the things that peeved the original poster... I admit it. The later years.. I changed my approached.... My signals to the batter became more and more non-verbal.. I would use a team derived sign language... What did I tell them? Simple.. If I picked a pitching sign to the catcher... I relayed that information to my batter... It is very simple... I would point 2 fingers to my eyes and them replay the signal for the pitch we use for our pitcher... For example... 2 fingers to the eyes and then 2 fingers to the batter... "change up coming"... The other teams use to go nuts trying to figure out how that happened... Hey... All I have to say is thanks..

 

[Uber_jones]

Johnnies... Your back! Great to have you here again lol

 

[johnnies]

Thank you Mr. Uber... I have been back... Mostly sitting in the background... I have to say something once in a while... How are you doing?

 

[Thesoftballgodfather23]

Next time youre at a game, listen to the third base coach. For some reason, many fastpitch coaches feel it necessary to coach batters after every pitch. Do this, do that, watch your stride, watch your load, bla bla bla. After every pitch! If a coach has to coach from third, he/she didn't do it enough in practice. Let them play. Games are for the girls, practices are for the coaches. All these coaches do is make the batter think so much about what she is doing wrong, she cant function. Then she strikes out, the coach says, "Its ok, get em next time." Then the next time, the coach does it all over again. Can a girl ever go up and bat just once without a coach coaching her?!

I would agree that it is a major distraction. Coaches should let the kids take their approach at the plate. If the girls aren't prepared prior to the games that is a coaching or hitting instructor issue. When it's game time it's too late for all of those adjustments. Let the girls play ball and enjoy the game a little, there is enough stress that comes with the game and making these travel teams. they don't need stress every time they are at the plate.

 

[larrybowman]

This has always been one of the top contenders for getting my knickers in a bind. ApogeeD, you covered it quite well. You don't have to say something after every pitch!

And, when the pitch bounces in the dirt six feet in front of home plate, don't say "Good Eye", Mr. Obvious...

Huge THUMBS UP on that on Louuuuu !!!!!!