Who should call the game?

[Converse Kid]

Who should call the pitches at the 16U level? The Coach, pitcher, or catcher?

 

[Pacerdad57]

i think that at this level it is time for the catcher to know her pitchers and step up and call the game, with input form both the pitcher and coaches prior to game start.
it's the pitchers responsibility to let the catcher know what is and isn't working, and the coach to know how he wants to approach the batting order. if you have a catcher that understands the game and can call it, it takes some load off of the coach. of course it is always the coaches prerogative to change any set up at any time. i just think it's good for the catcher to be able to do this and grow as a player.
of course this whole idea is predicated on the fact that you have a catcher that is capable of doing this. if not, definitely still the coaches responsibility, but they (catchers) gotta learn this at some point....

 

[fpitchdad]

Well of course, the pitchers dad...

 

[daboss]

I am more than willing to allow a catcher to call a game once I know she has working knowledge of how, when, and why. Many kids are simply not ready at 16u. Many are never ready yet still play ball at the highest level. My personal feeling is why put the undo stress of calling a game on their shoulders? Regardless who calls the game there will be others that disagree with certain pitch selections. Those that oppose normally get vocal regardless if they are right or wrong. Why have your catcher worry about being accepted?

Call the game yourself coach. That way if a mistake is made you can't use the infamous saying "You should have known better." Nobody should be expected to know the game that well at the age of 16. Let an experienced coach call it while schooling and giving them opportunities in pool games a few innings at a time when appropriate.

 

[coachjwb]

Whoever can do it best. Ideally, a catcher should want to learn how to do it, and sit next to a coach who does it and they should talk about why the pitches are being called. But I have also seen many catchers who either never really took the interest in doing it, or some who did that had no rhyme or reason for waht they called.

 

[Hilliarddad3]

Whoever can do it best. Ideally, a catcher should want to learn how to do it, and sit next to a coach who does it and they should talk about why the pitches are being called. But I have also seen many catchers who either never really took the interest in doing it, or some who did that had no rhyme or reason for waht they called.

That's exactly how our DDs coaches did it with them...one of the coaches would talk to the battery between innings discussing certain batters and prior locations of where charted pitches actually were in location, sometimes it looked somewhere else from the bench. I don't ever recall a coach ever saying WTH was that???? To the girls....

 

[Captain_Thunder]

I watched a game this fall where the Head Coaches DD was pitching. Catcher (a good one) giving signs. Saw the Pitcher continue to shake her off most of the time. IMO they should have had a system where the Pitcher was just letting the Catcher know what was coming, because she was obviously throwing what she wanted. I can see if a certain pitch isn't working that game, but if coach isn't calling - who else on the field knows what is working best, but the Pitcher???
Also, I see many say "they gotta learn it at some point".....Why? If they are a Stud D-1 signee - won't the school have a coach calling the pitches at that level majority of the time?

 

[wow]

At the 16U level and depending on the kids.... The girls should be brought up to understand the dynamics of the game and when to throw what pitches. I disagree with daboss on this because making the mistakes have to be learned by the catcher/pitcher. If you needed something down and away and thought that was the right pitch and its not, you just learned something that cant be thought. No quality coach will blame a call on a kid.. We all make bad calls that did not go the way we wanted. Its the game. I believe that's how you become better is by learning from the pitch that got away. Most 16U kids, playing at the higher end of the talent spectrum, are more than capable. There is a game within in the game between the pitcher and catcher. That dynamic has to be allowed to develop. What better way then by doing?

 

[Westler33]

I agree that a girl at that age is able to call a game if she has the awareness of the team and situations that she is up against and if you start at a young age telling them why you called that pitch or location then they will understand the game and situations. I mean girls are smart and learn fast so teach them at a young age and by 16u they should be able to call games.

 

[ApogeeDemon]

This question gets asked every month?!

 

[fpitchdad]

This question gets asked every month?!

Comes close to the facemask debate....

 

[wvanalmsick]

If you are a coach who volunteers their time, what have you got to loose by letting the girl's (Catcher and Pitcher) call the game???

 

[ApogeeDemon]

I think the center fielder should call the game. (Using a bull horn)

 

[Admin]

This question gets asked every month?!

I think allot of question come up from time to time. But since we don't have a wiki page.. I think its nice to see all points of views on allot of old topics.

 

[Laser05]

My young team will have catchers calling most pitching. As I am teaching them to catch we are also working on them watching how girls set up in the box and how to call inside/ out. When to use the change and we work on setting up just off the plate when ahead in the count. It has helped the girls build confidence because they know I trust their ability and knowledge. I will send in calls during the game but many times I will let them call the pitches.

 

[larrybowman]

I'm a little partial being a catchers dad, but I honestly believe the catcher should call the game. I also think at 16u they should start doing it full time. At the younger ages it's good (IMO) to let the catchers call a couple innings per game to let them get there feet wet.

 

[Fairman]

The only thing that I'm sure of is that the pitcher should NOT call the game.

They have enough to do and thinking about pitch selection, location, how many outs, who's up next, who's on base, what the score might be, how many outs, what inning, what this girl did last time, etc........ are not things you want going through the pitcher's head as she gets ready to throw.

The center-fielder with a bull horn is a better choice.....maybe the catcher or maybe the coach.

 

[teampacyclone]

Have had several pitchers/catchers in our organization move on to next level, and we let them handle the game. As a coach if something comes up we want I'll let them know. My advice to all, if showcasing players, quit spoon feeding them everything, let them make decisions on bases on their own, let them decide to stretch that single into a double, a double into a triple, give them a green light if they see something on bases. Let your pitchers/catchers call their own games. The less coaching I have to do on game day, it means I've done my job which is to equip them with this information at practices. When the batter in the batters box, its not time to give a hitting lesson, when she's in a game, its not time to teach them how to get a lead, remind them yes, teach not the time.

 

[CoachTEA]

Well of course, the pitchers dad...

LOL! I *love* it. Whatever speed a pitcher's dad says his DD throws, I automatically subtract 5 MPH and I haven't been proved wrong too many times.

 

[CoachTEA]

Have had several pitchers/catchers in our organization move on to next level, and we let them handle the game. As a coach if something comes up we want I'll let them know. My advice to all, if showcasing players, quit spoon feeding them everything, let them make decisions on bases on their own, let them decide to stretch that single into a double, a double into a triple, give them a green light if they see something on bases. Let your pitchers/catchers call their own games. The less coaching I have to do on game day, it means I've done my job which is to equip them with this information at practices. When the batter in the batters box, its not time to give a hitting lesson, when she's in a game, its not time to teach them how to get a lead, remind them yes, teach not the time.

Guilty (at times) and very well said!!! Having played Team PA Cyclones at Laser's 14u last year, you folks do a great job with your ladies!