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This is a spin off from the "toughest position to play" thread. Near the end (hopefully) of it, there's a comment that coaches never win games, they only lose games-- in reference to calling the pitches. I would like to see a rule against coaches calling pitches. I know it isn't practical or enforceable, but I wish it were.
1. It would speed up the games tremendously. How many times do you see a catcher looking to the bench for a pitch signal only to see the coach involved in a conversation with another coach or a parent or player. Even without that kind of thing, just the timely transfer of information adds three to five seconds between every pitch. Add it up and some of those 80-minute games could go six or seven innings instead of five.
(Of course, the signals to the catcher ARE being flashed at the SAME TIME as the hitter is stepping five feet from the box and staring down at the third base coach, who is furiously flashing his/her own signs even though the hitter has two strikes and there is no one on base. Sometimes the signs are really complicated because they have to be disguised so the other team won't know that in a 1-1 game with no outs and a runner at first, we're going to bunt. So the hitter has to walk down the line and ask what the series of really fast motions meant. The coach tells her to bunt. The hitter then takes five hard practice swings, hitting herself in the back every time. She then returns to the box, exhausted and bruised, with her hand up to make sure the umpire doesn't allow a "quick pitch" lol).
2. Pitchers and catchers who are well-coached DO NOT need to have a coach do their thinking FOR them. If YOU CAN COACH AT ALL, YOU CAN TEACH YOUR PLAYERS HOW TO THINK FOR THEMSELVES. Your catchers can learn which pitches to call for when and where. And your pitchers can learn to shake off the signal if they don't think it's right. They really can! In fact, it is your JOB AS A COACH to bring your pitchers and catchers to the point where they don't have to have their hands held with regard to running the game.
3. EVER HEAR OF TALKING TO YOUR PITCHER AND CATCHER BETWEEN INNINGS ABOUT THE HITTERS THEY'LL BE FACING NEXT? NO? THAT'S BECAUSE YOU INSIST UPON HAVING CONTROL OF THE OFFENSIVE PART OF THE GAME FROM THE THIRD BASE COACHING BOX, TOO. ISN'T IT? HEAD COACHES SHOULD DO THEIR TEAMS A FAVOR AND LET SOMEONE ELSE COACH THIRD. THEY'D COST THEIR TEAMS A LOT FEWER RUNS THAN WAY. JUST THINK! NO MORE RUNNERS GETTING THROWN OUT AT THIRD WITH NO OUTS. NO MORE RUNNERS GETTING CAUGHT IN RUNDOWNS BETWEEN THIRD AND HOME WITH NO OUTS AND THE CLEAN UP HITTER AT THE PLATE. NO MORE RUNNERS GETTING CAUGHT STEALING AT THIRD WITH TWO OUTS. IF THEY WANT A BUNT OR A STEAL, THEY CAN RELAY THAT INFORMATION TO THE PERSON (HOPEFULLY SOMEONE WHO ACTUALLY PLAYED THE GAME AND KNOWS HOW TO RUN BASES AND HOW TO DEAL WITH GAME SITUATIONS) WHO IS COACHING THIRD. MEANWHILE, THE HEAD COACH CAN HAVE MEANINGFUL CONVERSATIONS WITH HIS/HER BATTERY ABOUT HOW TO PITCH TO THE HITTERS WHO ARE COMING UP NEXT INNING.
SAMPLE OF CONVERSATION BETWEEN COACH AND BATTERY WHILE TEAM IS ON OFFENSE: "All right you guys. We've got 4, 5 and 6 coming up next inning. Start the first girl with a change up. She looks first ball fastball every time. She hit it hard last time. Then work the hard stuff outside and inside. Nothing down the middle. You blew the five hitter away with the hard stuff last time so don't speed up her bat with the curve or the change. The six hitter likes it up, so let's stay down on her -- nothing over the middle. Hold on a second. Hey Joe! (flashes the bunt sign to the third base coach after lead-off hitter reaches with a single). Ok. Remember, if four or five gets on, don't worry about them stealing. They can't run. So if you want to mix in some off speed stuff to the next hitter, it's fine. The six hitter can run. So if she gets on, you want to make sure you throw the hard stuff to the seven hitter so we have a chance to throw out the baserunner if she goes. The eight hitter will bunt even with two outs. Throw the first one up and in to see what her intentions are. Maybe she'll pop one up for us."
That's what REAL coaches DO. They help to develop REAL BALLPLAYERS-- not just little robots.
1. It would speed up the games tremendously. How many times do you see a catcher looking to the bench for a pitch signal only to see the coach involved in a conversation with another coach or a parent or player. Even without that kind of thing, just the timely transfer of information adds three to five seconds between every pitch. Add it up and some of those 80-minute games could go six or seven innings instead of five.
(Of course, the signals to the catcher ARE being flashed at the SAME TIME as the hitter is stepping five feet from the box and staring down at the third base coach, who is furiously flashing his/her own signs even though the hitter has two strikes and there is no one on base. Sometimes the signs are really complicated because they have to be disguised so the other team won't know that in a 1-1 game with no outs and a runner at first, we're going to bunt. So the hitter has to walk down the line and ask what the series of really fast motions meant. The coach tells her to bunt. The hitter then takes five hard practice swings, hitting herself in the back every time. She then returns to the box, exhausted and bruised, with her hand up to make sure the umpire doesn't allow a "quick pitch" lol).
2. Pitchers and catchers who are well-coached DO NOT need to have a coach do their thinking FOR them. If YOU CAN COACH AT ALL, YOU CAN TEACH YOUR PLAYERS HOW TO THINK FOR THEMSELVES. Your catchers can learn which pitches to call for when and where. And your pitchers can learn to shake off the signal if they don't think it's right. They really can! In fact, it is your JOB AS A COACH to bring your pitchers and catchers to the point where they don't have to have their hands held with regard to running the game.
3. EVER HEAR OF TALKING TO YOUR PITCHER AND CATCHER BETWEEN INNINGS ABOUT THE HITTERS THEY'LL BE FACING NEXT? NO? THAT'S BECAUSE YOU INSIST UPON HAVING CONTROL OF THE OFFENSIVE PART OF THE GAME FROM THE THIRD BASE COACHING BOX, TOO. ISN'T IT? HEAD COACHES SHOULD DO THEIR TEAMS A FAVOR AND LET SOMEONE ELSE COACH THIRD. THEY'D COST THEIR TEAMS A LOT FEWER RUNS THAN WAY. JUST THINK! NO MORE RUNNERS GETTING THROWN OUT AT THIRD WITH NO OUTS. NO MORE RUNNERS GETTING CAUGHT IN RUNDOWNS BETWEEN THIRD AND HOME WITH NO OUTS AND THE CLEAN UP HITTER AT THE PLATE. NO MORE RUNNERS GETTING CAUGHT STEALING AT THIRD WITH TWO OUTS. IF THEY WANT A BUNT OR A STEAL, THEY CAN RELAY THAT INFORMATION TO THE PERSON (HOPEFULLY SOMEONE WHO ACTUALLY PLAYED THE GAME AND KNOWS HOW TO RUN BASES AND HOW TO DEAL WITH GAME SITUATIONS) WHO IS COACHING THIRD. MEANWHILE, THE HEAD COACH CAN HAVE MEANINGFUL CONVERSATIONS WITH HIS/HER BATTERY ABOUT HOW TO PITCH TO THE HITTERS WHO ARE COMING UP NEXT INNING.
SAMPLE OF CONVERSATION BETWEEN COACH AND BATTERY WHILE TEAM IS ON OFFENSE: "All right you guys. We've got 4, 5 and 6 coming up next inning. Start the first girl with a change up. She looks first ball fastball every time. She hit it hard last time. Then work the hard stuff outside and inside. Nothing down the middle. You blew the five hitter away with the hard stuff last time so don't speed up her bat with the curve or the change. The six hitter likes it up, so let's stay down on her -- nothing over the middle. Hold on a second. Hey Joe! (flashes the bunt sign to the third base coach after lead-off hitter reaches with a single). Ok. Remember, if four or five gets on, don't worry about them stealing. They can't run. So if you want to mix in some off speed stuff to the next hitter, it's fine. The six hitter can run. So if she gets on, you want to make sure you throw the hard stuff to the seven hitter so we have a chance to throw out the baserunner if she goes. The eight hitter will bunt even with two outs. Throw the first one up and in to see what her intentions are. Maybe she'll pop one up for us."
That's what REAL coaches DO. They help to develop REAL BALLPLAYERS-- not just little robots.
