Originally posted by baldgriff
View Post
I did answer that question. I have been on both sides of the situation. True you didnt ask anything about football - someone else referenced football in the discussion and I encorporated that comment into my response.
I think I have been pretty consistent in my response related to this. This situation seems to be "Select Ball" from the description. These are likely 5th and 6th graders. The teams are playing tournaments every couple weeks, so its pretty clear here that the play is above instuctional and is competitive. By this I mean that the focus here is on winning games. You dont play multiple tournaments as an instructional team. You also understand that the only way to keep playing is to win. The only way to win a tournament is to be the team that doesnt lose.
So with all of the context set - I would say again I have been on both sides of this. Would I employ this strategy? No, but Im not going to piss and moan because the other team did. My team still has to hit the ball or take walks and figure out ways to win. My job as the manager of team B is to figure out how to beat team A that is employing the strategy. My job as the team manager is not to point out to my kids that the other team is stalling, so lets feel sorry for ourselves and have some lame excuse as to why we lost. Make the pitcher throw strikes - take some walks - hustle for some extra bases. Make the other team start throwing the ball around. The still have to get 3 outs and they still have to pitch and they still have to field and throw the ball. The game isnt ending in 12 minutes, the game if we havent scored enough runs to take the lead while that 12 minutes has elapsed.
I again will say that if this was a conversation about football and a team running a total of 24 plays in the 4th 12 minute quarter by taking all 30 seconds between snaps not one person would be here saying the coach did anything but use the rules of the game to his advantage. However, because this is baseball there is supposed to be some higher meaning or lesson - because its baseball.
From my personal coaching experience - not the same age - but I think it will give you insight into me. I coached a Sr High boys slow-pitch softball team. In a tournament we were playing against what was supposed to be one or the better teams in the tournament. The Center Fielder shows up and had forgotten his glove and his cleats ( he was wearing boat dock shoes ). I brought the team together and I told them their player forgot his glove and he may come over here to ask if he can use one of theirs. I told them that the decision was their's. One of the CF's teammates had an extra glove - so no stress here. However, no one had extra shoes. In the first inning he goes out to the outfield barefoot. When I saw that I approached the umpire and told him that the rules state that all players are required to wear shoes as a safety measure. He was required to wear the cool shoes he showed up in - of course he could not run in them as they had zero traction. We proceed to hit ball after ball to the gaps making him run in those shoes. We won that game......
The other manager said outloud when the shoes were required "Damn Scott and his Rule Book". The rules are the rules and they are there to define the parameters of the game. Play within the rules and I dont have any complaint. Hell I honestly thought Red Bowyou's taking a knee for a whole half was genius - until the water boy showed up.
I think I have been pretty consistent in my response related to this. This situation seems to be "Select Ball" from the description. These are likely 5th and 6th graders. The teams are playing tournaments every couple weeks, so its pretty clear here that the play is above instuctional and is competitive. By this I mean that the focus here is on winning games. You dont play multiple tournaments as an instructional team. You also understand that the only way to keep playing is to win. The only way to win a tournament is to be the team that doesnt lose.
So with all of the context set - I would say again I have been on both sides of this. Would I employ this strategy? No, but Im not going to piss and moan because the other team did. My team still has to hit the ball or take walks and figure out ways to win. My job as the manager of team B is to figure out how to beat team A that is employing the strategy. My job as the team manager is not to point out to my kids that the other team is stalling, so lets feel sorry for ourselves and have some lame excuse as to why we lost. Make the pitcher throw strikes - take some walks - hustle for some extra bases. Make the other team start throwing the ball around. The still have to get 3 outs and they still have to pitch and they still have to field and throw the ball. The game isnt ending in 12 minutes, the game if we havent scored enough runs to take the lead while that 12 minutes has elapsed.
I again will say that if this was a conversation about football and a team running a total of 24 plays in the 4th 12 minute quarter by taking all 30 seconds between snaps not one person would be here saying the coach did anything but use the rules of the game to his advantage. However, because this is baseball there is supposed to be some higher meaning or lesson - because its baseball.
From my personal coaching experience - not the same age - but I think it will give you insight into me. I coached a Sr High boys slow-pitch softball team. In a tournament we were playing against what was supposed to be one or the better teams in the tournament. The Center Fielder shows up and had forgotten his glove and his cleats ( he was wearing boat dock shoes ). I brought the team together and I told them their player forgot his glove and he may come over here to ask if he can use one of theirs. I told them that the decision was their's. One of the CF's teammates had an extra glove - so no stress here. However, no one had extra shoes. In the first inning he goes out to the outfield barefoot. When I saw that I approached the umpire and told him that the rules state that all players are required to wear shoes as a safety measure. He was required to wear the cool shoes he showed up in - of course he could not run in them as they had zero traction. We proceed to hit ball after ball to the gaps making him run in those shoes. We won that game......
The other manager said outloud when the shoes were required "Damn Scott and his Rule Book". The rules are the rules and they are there to define the parameters of the game. Play within the rules and I dont have any complaint. Hell I honestly thought Red Bowyou's taking a knee for a whole half was genius - until the water boy showed up.
Comment