Sportsmanship - running up the score or showing mercy?

[Admin]

Coaches we've all been there before and we've been on both ends of it.

It's not really fun for your girls, being up by 15 runs with less then 3 innings played. And I'm sure its emotionally discouraging to your opponent.

I try to write a poem today.

Classless Clown
By Ricky Moorehead
From TheSoftballZone.com

Unfortunately we all have witness the classless clown on the diamond's, he/she may not be wearing a rubber nose. But its very plain to see they are a clown indeed.

With Ego's bigger than the Empire State, it makes no sense to me. Because all I see is just a clown on diamond #3

Putting on one more show for all the world to see this may be his/her biggest performance their teams is now up by 33.

I open up my program to see when this act may end. But unfortunately for the girls and me this show will never end!

The girls no longer like clowns you see and even I agree.

Because the dug out is no place for Frowns and tears and I hope you all agree?

 

[Louuuuu]

You coach the girls to play up to their potential.
Then real it in because of the run differential???

 

[Louuuuu]

I wasn't really giving my opinion this time.
'Just showing that I, too, can rhyme...

 

[mike_dyer]

If it's on one team to "win with class" is it also on the other team to "lose with class"? Is it expected that the team that is losing a game is going to stop trying to win too?

 

[Westler33]

It is hard to do this with the run dif. because it might mean having a tough run through the bracket and maybe seeing that team that just has your number or maybe seeing them in the championship game instead of in the first or second round.

 

[coachjwb]

This has been discussed a thousand times on here ... one of our most important jobs as a coach of youth players is to teach them how to play with sportsmanship and class. Running up the score teaches the opposite. If you're talking about pro sports, that's a whole different animal.

 

[Westler33]

I agree with you coach but at the same time the more games they play the faster they will learn and if you have to score a few more runs in pool play to get the one seed and not the 5 seed to get a better run in bracket play so you are not out in the first or second round it just makes it hard. I don't agree with running up the score on any level just saying with the run dif. it makes it a little harder that's all.

 

[Blue Ice]

What is a person to do..
When other team can't hit or field?
What is more embarrassing?
Losing, while other teams plays
Or for them to show mercy?
And leave base early...
I'd rather lose by thirty

 

[mike_dyer]

I've been on both sides of it. Anyone ever back off and have it come back to bite them? That almost happened to me one time.

Maybe it's that my kid is getting older and in turn is playing against older kids, but the way I see it is if the other team wants you to stop they can always bag their things up and walk off of the field.

 

[coachjwb]

Leaving base early is only something to do when you can't end an inning ... e.g., there are 2 outs, the last 8 batters have walked, and you're up by 15 runs. But you can quit stealing, quit taking extra bases, sub everyone you can, change pitchers, etc.

I've probably coached 100 games over the years where we were blowing out someone and took the foot off the gas and did these things. Never had a team come back and beat us though I guess it's always possible ...

 

[mike_dyer]

Move some kids out of position and have them make a few errors after they started hitting because you've pulled #1 and put in #4. Momentum is one hell of a thing.

But see, this is where "losing with class" should kick in, right? We stopped playing to win, they should have too.

Why is it that it only goes one way?

 

[FastBat]

Leaving base early is only something to do when you can't end an inning ... e.g., there are 2 outs, the last 8 batters have walked, and you're up by 15 runs. But you can quit stealing, quit taking extra bases, sub everyone you can, change pitchers, etc.

I've probably coached 100 games over the years where we were blowing out someone and took the foot off the gas and did these things. Never had a team come back and beat us though I guess it's always possible ...

Good approach, more subtle. I like this better than leaving early, I'd rather lose by 100 runs, it always feels like the other team is rubbing it in a little leaving early. Besides, it's just one game, what the difference of the score? Most games only last 75 minutes. If you take your foot off the gas, by not stealing, etc., you may put the wind back in the other teams sails. It's more classy.

 

[Static_97_North]

Depends on what age you are playing at. At 16u and 18u I dont think you take your foot off the gas. I do think you make doubles into singles and triples into singles or doubles though and change pitchers. Also make sure everyone plays. I have been on both ends of this and it stinks as a coach no matter what end it is. I do not think you take the bat out of your teams hands though, just limit their bases. No extra base hits. Taking the foot off the gas completely does not help either team. Some teams happen to get into the wrong tournaments or get into the tournament to show their team just how good some of the other teams are. If you are a team winning every tournament you play then you need to up your level of tournaments and if you are a team getting the snot beat out of you then you are in to tough of tournaments for that team. This is where the coach needs to understand what level his team is and base the schedule on the teams talent and capabilities. 16u and 18u is about competing, not always about winning even though we all want to. I would rather compete and lose every game if my girls are getting rewarded with college offers than win every game and tournament and the girls get no college offers. Trust me, I want to win them all but the reality side of it is you are not going to. Bottom line is you have to challenge your team and if it results in a butt whooping every now and then to do that then it is what it is. Keep the pedal down and coach the way you expect them to play.

 

[coachjwb]

I don't expect the other team to quit trying to win, but I don't have any control over that. And we aren't quitting either ... just not running up the score on a lesser opponent. If we can also help teach the girls how to treat an opponent with dignity and respect, then so much the better.

 

[ech92]

If you can put 30 runs on a team are you really getting anything out of that game ? Get your 15 run lead by the 3rd inning and end the game . I can't believe the lack of class by some of these coaches ! By the way most tournaments runs given up is the tie breaker before run dif. If you know your 10 times better than your opponent then this is a perfect time to play subs and let girls play secondary positions . Nothing gets a team more fired up then when little Suzy who rarely gets to start gets her chance and makes a few nice plays !

 

[JoeA1010]

Any coach who is worth anything knows when his or her team is way better than the opponent and knows when the dogs can be called off without risk of the other team coming back. I have coached probably 1,500 or more games and have never once had a team come close to coming back after we stopped stealing or squeeze bunting or whatever else. When you are up 10-0 on a team that you know is at least close to the level of your team, yeah, keep going hard and play as normal. But when it is obvious that the talent level is entirely different, there is no need to humiliate the other team by stealing bases, squeeze bunting and just rubbing it in because you can. It is akin to giving the other team the middle finger.

 

[wow]

Good approach, more subtle. I like this better than leaving early, I'd rather lose by 100 runs, it always feels like the other team is rubbing it in a little leaving early. Besides, it's just one game, what the difference of the score? Most games only last 75 minutes. If you take your foot off the gas, by not stealing, etc., you may put the wind back in the other teams sails. It's more classy.

The reason to step off is not because you are "rubbing it in" rather the game is extended unnecessarily and if you are the visitor it may be the only way you can reasonable get of a inning and end the game.

 

[SoCal_Dad]

Arizona stepped off 3 times in the 4th inning yesterday in their 22-1 win over Wright State.

Arizona 4th - Young walked (3-0 BBBB). Perez walked (3-2 BKKBBB); Young advanced to second. Young out at second ss unassisted, runner left early. Dotson singled to center field (1-1 BK); Perez advanced to second. Perez out at second ss unassisted, runner left early. Dotson advanced to second on a wild pitch. Wilson walked (3-1 KBBBB). Dotson out at second ss unassisted, runner left early. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.

 

[wow]

Arizona stepped off 3 times in the 4th inning yesterday in their 22-1 win over Wright State.

Arizona 4th - Young walked (3-0 BBBB). Perez walked (3-2 BKKBBB); Young advanced to second. Young out at second ss unassisted, runner left early. Dotson singled to center field (1-1 BK); Perez advanced to second. Perez out at second ss unassisted, runner left early. Dotson advanced to second on a wild pitch. Wilson walked (3-1 KBBBB). Dotson out at second ss unassisted, runner left early. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.

That's my point 5 months ago...

 

[FastBat]

That seems like it was a very well laid out plan, and the college athletes knew exactly what they were doing and did it well. But, like everything else, there is a right way to do it and a wrong way to go about it.