What do you consider running up the score?

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We played a game yesterday against a pretty good team and it was 0-0 in the 4th. By the end of the 5th it was 4-2 but still really close. We got them out 1, 2, 3 in the 6th then loaded the bases. Our runner on 3rd stole home and scored to make it 5-2. The coach from the other team freaked out and started yelling through the fence at me that we were classless for stealing home when the game was already over. What the heck?? Since when is the game over when the score is 4-2?? Being ahead by 2 runs against a team that has taken you to the wire the whole game is far from running up the score to me. They were undefeated so I'm sure that had something to do with him being so mad, but to call us classless because we were playing the game is crazy. It ended up 8-2 which I don't even consider a blow out. When the score is 4-2 do you stop running??? Isn't that the goal, to score a comfortable lead?

 

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No Way run away

 

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Usually, a 10-run lead. It changes if we know we are playing a good team. Unfortunately, we don't get as many 10 run leads as we want against very good teams. At 4-2, I'd be trying to score any way I could.

 

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This is FUNNY!. We played in "Friendlies" this last weekend and won all three games buy double digits(I THINK). Nobody was crying about the scores, but simply trying to get each player as much exposure/reps as possible. Obviously, the coach you ran into was HAVING A MOMENT... Who knows, maybe life stressers were getting to him and it had nothing to do with Softball or what was going on at the time.... (WE CAN ONLY HOPE..^_^!)

 

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They were undefeated so I'm sure that had something to do with him being so mad,

I think that's key right there. I know who you're talking about and you're probably on with that statement. Some of the better teams haven't figured out how to handle a loss yet, so hopefully they can take something useful from it and "grow" going forward. I know that I always learn more about my team from a loss than a win, and by pointing out certain things that the team (not individually) failed to do, they know what to correct next time out.

I have a girl who's rec team went 15-0 last year. Both her and her parents had a hard time when we got our butts handed to us in an early tournament. But... if you're never losing, you're not playing anyone. You can't build character without ever being challenged.

Doesn't sound like running up the score to me. If that coach is honest with him/herself, they may come to see it your way in hindsight, so I wouldn't let it bother you. We've all had games/days/situations where we were just wrong. How we deal going forward is what's important. Results are a good thing, but learn to enjoy the process.

Congrats to your team!! We did not play them well when we did. Our only loss so far.

...on second thought....maybe he just didn't like losing to a girl.

 

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The coach that complained was nuts. Does he really think that his own team is incapable of scoring three runs in a single inning?

To call that running up the score is one of the stupidest things I've ever heard on a softball field.

 

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Doesn't sound like you ran it up to me. It is a sticky situation though. Our team has been on both sides of it and really neither side is easy because you don't want to be a bad sport by kicking someone when they are down and you also don't want to be kicked when your down. Ultimately you have to have your girls play 100% all the time, the question is what you are having them do at 100%.

 

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The other coach was just mad you beat them! He should have thought that maybe you were stealing home to get out of the inning! When our team feels that we have a GOOD handle on the team we are playing, we start working on things we need to perfect. ie bunting, base running and run downs. I've even went to blue and told him we were going to leave the base early so we could get out of and inning to ensure I got another pitcher in for some work. If the other coach is paying attention, they will see what we are trying to do and hopefully work on trying to defend it. This works then for both teams and the girls learn from it!

 

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I always play for the mercy rule.

 

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The coach that complained was nuts. Does he really think that his own team is incapable of scoring three runs in a single inning?

To call that running up the score is one of the stupidest things I've ever heard on a softball field.

DITTO that!

 

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Did you see the score for the Shaker Hts./Warrensville Hts. game? That was running up the score. When you score 20 in the first there is no reason to score 15 more in the third or even the 6 they scored in the second. That was CLASSLESS!!!!

In HS ball there is no telling what can happen, so a 10-12 run lead is more than acceptable in my opinion.

 

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We had a game yesterday and we were down 4-1. we came back in the bottom of the inning to take the lead 5-4 and won it by that score.

I wouldn't consdier what you did running up the score. To me, they need to toughen up the dense. Also sounds like the coach you faced doesn't have enough confidence in his offense. You always play hard until the last out....or last minute in a timed game

 

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Anything is fair game to me when the run spread is about 8-10 runs or less, depending somewhat of course on how far along the game is. Once the lead is around that though, one of the first things I would not do is send players home or try to take/steal extra bases. Sometime not long after that I am emptying the bench, and sometime long after that when I am thinking about runners stepping off bases early or anything like that.

Doug, with all due respect, I have to stop short though of making any accusations about teams running up scores unless I actually saw the game. I didn't see the final score of that game or how many hits there were, but often in that case its a matter of an opposing pitcher not being able to throw the ball across the plate, and if a coach empties his bench but doesn't think about the leaving base early thing, I'm not sure what else they can do, because I am never going to tell girls to go to bat and swing and miss on purpose. That is making a mockery of the game, and if I am the opposing coach, that only rubs salt in the wound.

 

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The mercy rule is there FOR A REASON.

A suggestion: The next time a coach starts complaining before the mercy rule comes into play, calmly walk over to him and ask him to request the plate umpire sign the book then and there, and end the game right now, since he doesn't have any faith in his own team. Just pay the umpires, excuse them, and use the rest of the allotted time for a worthwhile scrimmage. Done deal - with no embarassment.

 

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names to the faces would add so much more to this thread . call em out. MD

 

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names to the faces would add so much more to this thread . call em out. MD

Should I get you a bigger spoon? LOL!

 

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Doug, with all due respect, I have to stop short though of making any accusations about teams running up scores unless I actually saw the game. I didn't see the final score of that game or how many hits there were, but often in that case its a matter of an opposing pitcher not being able to throw the ball across the plate, and if a coach empties his bench but doesn't think about the leaving base early thing, I'm not sure what else they can do, because I am never going to tell girls to go to bat and swing and miss on purpose. That is making a mockery of the game, and if I am the opposing coach, that only rubs salt in the wound.

Jeff, I agree with you for the most part on this. I am just interpreting the box score to form my opinion. Shaker was the visiting team and scored as follows:

20 in top of first, 6 in top of second and 15 in top of third on 17 hits with Warrensville helping with 5 errors. Warrensville did not score until the bottom of the third (4 runs on no hits & no errors). So Shaker put up 41 runs before Warrensville scored their first run.

I guess Warrensville took away that this is okay and did pretty much the same to Collinwood in a doubleheader the next day (29-10, 31-3).

 

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How do I get tickets for Shaker vs. Collinwood??

 

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Yikes ... hope Shaker doesn't play Collinwood! With at least 41 runs on 17 hits and 5 errors, that means there had to be at least 20-25 walks in those first 3 innings too ... not pretty.

 

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The whole idea of running up the score is very subjective. Running up a score to one is building a comfortable lead to another. What's comfortable? Eight runs in the first inning? How about six runs in the seventh inning? Mercy rule by the third? Double digits in the fourth? Also, too many other variables that each coach might be dealing with. Number one pitcher needs work because she is coming off of injury. Back up pitcher isn't available. Substitute players are better than the opponent's varsity starters. Then there is the always difficult...How do I end this thing without embarrassing the other team.

We were beating an opponent by 15 in the third inning of a game and I had already subbed in my back ups and switched to my 3rd (emergency) pitcher. After the opposing pitcher walked 6 straight batters, my next hitter slugged the first strike she saw into the gap and I held her up at second while the runners scored. An opposing fan yelled out "I hope you're having fun coach". Next pitch was wild and I held the runner from advancing. Same fan yells out "Must make you feel real good, huh coach?" Moral of the story........blow outs aren't usually fun for anyone.