Pitching and Pitchers Discussion Pitch tipping in softball.

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It is not "Bush" for players or coaches to steal signals. I do consider it "bush" for a coach to yell out which pitch is coming. At what point in their softball career are you going to let the girl figure out for herself what pitch to expect? Are you going to hold her hand all the way thru high school or are you going to do the right thing and coach her (that would involve a little more work)?

Speigleme, to go "Busch" during a game would be a very good feeling on a hot summer day but it might draw some angry looks from the parents

 

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Heck, most of the time my baserunners do not need to tip a pitch. For example: (true examples)

We know when a change is coming when the coach yells to the catcher "make sure you get down and block it". Ok, thanks coach.

There was a team where the SS would read the catcher signs and then motion to the outfielders were to position themselves - usually toward the left. She only did this when there was a change up called.

There was a pitcher that would stare at the ball in her glove and wiggle her hand to get a grip for a curve. When she threw a fastball, she did not do that.

We play a team where the pitcher obviously need a new perscription for her contacts. I assume the sign for a fastball was "one finger" but when the sign was for something other than a fastball, she would tip her head forward and squint at the catcher. She did not do that for a fastball.

One game a coach yelled "stick with your fastball until you find your rythmn". Thanks coach.

Other tips...

Watch the catcher. They usually tip when they are going to try a pick off or expect the runner to steal. If they set up with the left foot in front and the right one back - they are positioning their body for a throw.

I am sure others will have some to add. And, btw, the example above are from 14-18U teams I have played in the past.

 

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Excellent post Johnnies. That to me is coaching. Picking up the weaknesses in the defense; nobody would ever consider paying attention to the subtle ways team give away their defense to be bush league. Some coaches are just over the top in their aggressiveness to try to get ahead and that's where you get into trouble.

 

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I don't think stealing signs is bush, thats what should happen, its aggresive ball play. I do dissagree w/ telling the batter what pitch is coming. Let them learn how to see what's coming by watching the spin of the seams.

The catcher should hide the signs better if they're being stolen, and change them when they have been stolen. Only if they recognize it, though. some catchers have alot of trouble w/ that.

 

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i have met wonderful people in travel ball and some that would trip your dd running to first if they could get away with it stealing pitch signs if the girls are figuring it out then what can you do ask them not to use all there abilities yeah right i caught a very good catcher doing it last year at ten u stealing my sign so the next inning we had a little fun i think she threw the ball to second 3 times with no runner stealing before she gave up on it was pretty funny i was not mad at her more in admiration that a 10 u was that heads up

 

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Stealing third base coach signals is fine. Mike mentioned above one of the things that isn't fine, which is a batter trying to steal a peek back at the catcher. When that nonsense occurs, the catcher will give one warning to the batter, "peek-a-boo," and if it happens again, the batter will enjoy one to the thigh or midsection.

The other thing that I hate that never occurs in baseball, but seems to be a regular thing in softball, is a runner on second frantically pointing left or right to try to let the hitter know where the catcher is setting up. Not only is it bush league, it is silly. Any decent team is going to see it right away and then purposely cross up the batter. Of course in baseball, just like the situation above, it is asking for payback.

 

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One of the most difficult things in sports, IMHO, is to hit a good to excellent pitcher in fastpitch, therefore I have always enjoyed seeing the runner on second signaling a batter, and the girls on the bench yelling out the catchers position, if the pitchers team or players on the bench were to attempt to break a batters concentration by waving their arms or intentionally screaming at her in the box, it would certainly be construed by some as unsportsmanlike behavior.

If you are allowing your players on second to interfere with the batters concentration and setting them up to look for one particular pitch you are simply making it easier for the pitcher and catcher.

I am certain any number of you will claim that your daughter or the batters you coach or teach can use this information, but quite honestly over the years I have seen a small percentage of batters that can make the necessary adjustments on the fly to take advantage of this information, lets face it, with the number of batters I see every summer that are pulling their front shoulder hips and hands directly to 3rd base on every swing how many are going to change their mechanics in the 1-2 seconds they have til the pitch arrives in the contact zone.

In the mens game "picking" pitches was developed to an art form, but, the batter never paid any attention to the people on the bench as they called out the pitches, it was simply meant to get to the pitcher, here is a great experiment, set your pitching machine up at the front edge of the circle, turn it up to 58-60 from that 35' distance(for 16-18 lower for younger), then see how many batters hit the ball out of the infield on the second pitch, obviously they know exactly where the ball is going and how fast, if knowing the location and speed of the pitch is such an advantage, why can't more of your girls hit the ball solidly on that pitch, that is what we are talking about isn't it?

Over the years I have had pitchers and catchers balk at setting up and throwing to spots when other teams are attempting to pick pitches and catcher location, my answer is simple, it DOESN'T matter, if we throw our game and hit our locations they cannot hit it anyway, and especially when they are confused and have their concentration being broken, FYI dad's your daughter can hear your voice a block away and when she hears it, she loses her focus immediately, so keep yelling from the stands while she is receiving a pitch.

 

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With playing many years and now coaching for quite a few; if you watch a baseball game on TV the catcher has different signs when a runner is on 2nd base. The middle infielders signal the pitch to the outfielders or the coach's call for a particular defensive shift. Call it stealing signs if you want, but it's been going on for a long time. We as coach's have to expect these things when a runner is on second base! Softball is no different than baseball in this situation. Coach's need to make the adjustment and have the catcher and pitcher on the same page and expect any base runner to assist their teammate to hit the ball and score a run.
The thing not being discussed that I see in the younger age groups is the coach sitting on a bucket and giving the catcher the signs, the dad in the bleachers calling a kids pitches. Now everybody steals that even the girls on the bench!