Once the game is finished I like my team to line up immediately at the plate to shake hands. Some teams feel the need to get together and give a 'Nice Game Anytown' cheer. Is my team required to reciprocate? I think it far more respectful to line up quickly and personally congratulate the opponent rather than give some half-hearted, generic cheer. What would you think of us as an opponent if we didn't cheer for you?

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What would you think of us as an opponent if we didn't cheer for you?

I would assume that mostly you are a boy's team.

I would line up and shake hands as you suggest and no more. I don't know why people come up with ideas like this but if that is what they want to do then so be it. I would not worry about what they think for not reciprocating. The handshake already shows proper respect to the opponent. No need for you to repeat someone elses goofball manuever imho.

For me personally the after game hand shake stuff is ludicrous---you spend two hours or more trying to batter their heads and now you are lovey dovey---say what you want but I don't like the way it happens now--- who invented this procedure anyway---you do not see the pros doing it

The same with after game team cheers--I am more interested in getting off the field and getting to the meeting to go over the mistakes

IMHO--After game handshake for high school age is a good show of sportsmanship a chance to congradulate the opposing team on a well played game. A after game cheer is a little much, pretty corny. Just tell opposing coach your boys not into the cheer-thing. If your team conducts themselves in a respectful manner no offense should be taken.

baseball dad

It is kind of tough to be "sportsmanlike" after they threw at you best hitter isn't it?

TRhit--Hopefully in high school that doesn't happen. After what happend in Mi. I would hope that any coach with a ounce of common sense would realize never to make a high school pitcher hit an opposing player with that intent--my son is a pitcher and would never stoop to that level. Imange the guilt the opposing pitcher feels in Mi. and it probably wasn't done on purpose.
I have taught my son to never compromise his values because someone else lacks them.

If two MMA fighters or boxers can shake hands after one beat the other to a pulp, why the heck can't a baseball team?

If they don't have integrity it doesn't mean you can't show yours.

handshake OK, but no cheer... no way.

If you must participate in the g game line, wear your batting helmet.

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Originally posted by Daque:

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What would you think of us as an opponent if we didn't cheer for you?

I would assume that mostly you are a boy's team.

Good answer!

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Originally posted by ClevelandDad:
I would line up and shake hands as you suggest and no more. I don't know why people come up with ideas like this but if that is what they want to do then so be it. I would not worry about what they think for not reciprocating. The handshake already shows proper respect to the opponent. No need for you to repeat someone elses goofball manuever imho.

"Don't dismiss a good idea simply because you don't like the source."

I've never heard of it being done in baseball. In football though, our school does it after shaking hands. "Three Cheers for the OPPONENT, Three Cheers for the Referees, Three Cheers for the Fans, Three Cheers for the BULLDOGS!"

I have seen it in little league. I would have a hard time not laughing my ___ off if I saw it at a HS game.

The handshake is fine to me. Hey baseball dad 46, the players shouldn't need the coaches approval on hitting a batter if it's warranted. The players should do that. Down here, if another team hits our best batter a couple times in a row or something like that, our team would tell our pitcher to hit the opponents pitcher when he comes up to bat. An if he didn't, well, I'll just say I feel sorry for the kid for the next week or so.

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Down here, if another team hits our best batter a couple times in a row or something like that, our team would tell our pitcher to hit the opponents pitcher when he comes up to bat. An if he didn't, well, I'll just say I feel sorry for the kid for the next week or so.

If I have a pitcher intentionally hit a player, he may just sit for awhile. Throwing inside to send a message is fine; hitting a batter on purpose is NOT.

Yep. There is a problem when a kid intentionally throws at a batter. He has no idea what the outcome will be. Is it worth the risk? Who is going to take responsibility if it goes terribly wrong?

I have had players thrown at and hit and thrown at and missed. But I have never told a player to throw at anyone and would never condone that action. If I thought one of our kids threw at someone they would be in serious trouble.

There are other ways to send a message to the other team. How about telling the other coach your not going to stand for it? Pitching inside is part of the game. Backing a kid off the plate is part of the game. Throwing at a hs batter is not part of the game.

Can you imagine telling a player to hit a batter and then he throws at him and the kid is seriously hurt or even killed? Now how do you feel? Can you imagine condoning that type of action by your players and then something like this happens? How do you feel now? Was it worth it?

So if you call an inside pitch to "send a message" and the pitcher misses his mark and hits the batter, then what? I mean, you would be the one that told your pitcher to "send a message". At my son's school, the coach doesn't know about it. It's in between the players on the team. An if they all seem to agree or a majority vote wins, then it happens. The coach doesn't have to know nothing. Sorry coach, the pitch got away from me.

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At my son's school, the coach doesn't know about it. It's in between the players on the team. An if they all seem to agree or a majority vote wins, then it happens.

Coach knows about it. It's not that hard to figure out.

Coach May, as we have seen this past week, it doesn't have to be on purpose to lead to horrible things...

Rock n Fire---Never agree with hitting a high school player--is not part of game--throwing inside to back off plate is fine. Catch a good high school pitcher throwing some heat and instead of using a mit turn and let it hit you.
My son will never feel the guilt of intentionally throwing at a kid and possibly severly injuring or worse. His team would never ask him to do it, that is not the way they were taught to play the game.
Tit for tat is just not the right way to handle if you think opposing team is purposly throwing at your kids--to be honest--my kid has played for 7 yrs --and Ive never felt a kid was thrown at intentually. That is bad sportsmanship.