Nicholas25, it seems to me that you are just upset(whining) that your team got beat that badly. I don't think it is right for you to judge how other coaches coach their team. Now, if the coach is directing his kids to do something like hit your batters, spike our players, things that will injure them, then I say yes that would upset me. I am not sure how what the other coach did injured your kids?? Are you saying it hurt them mentally by doing this? There is no written or unwritten rule that says, "you are not allowed to steal while ahead by 8 runs late in a game." That is ridiculous. Now I will say that as a head coach, I wouldn't have probably done what the other coach did, but I certainly wouldn't be judging him on that. Just because that isn't my pholosophy doesn't mean it is right or the only way. I would be focusing ONLY on my kids and what WE can control. We can't control or change what the other team or coach is doing. When we start focusing on all of those things like umpires, weather conditions or what the other coach is doing, then we aren't improving as a team. My 2 cents.
Coach W

I want to state again, that I am not the type of coach who whines about a game. I just have a passion for the game and want to see it taught the right way. When I see someone do something I think it bush I don't think "HOW DARE HIM DO THAT TO ME." I think "that is not how the game is supposed to be taught." It's about the game of baseball and not myself. Thanks and best of luck.

quote:

Originally posted by Nicholas25:
I want to state again, that I am not the type of coach who whines about a game. I just have a passion for the game and want to see it taught the right way.

That's fine but being taught the game the right way means what to do with the ball when it's hit to you, moving runners in certain situations etc... These unwritten rules you post are just opinions of an individual.

It's not a coach's job to make his team pull back because the other team sucks. It's the other team's coach's job to prepare his players so they don't get smacked around. Besides, a lot of these pastings happen because the losing team can't get out of it's own way and without even trying to play a bit over-agressive, the team who's piling up runs most likely are doing it at will.

Besides, if a team with a big lead decides to empty his bench and play the subs, why should they come into the game handcuffed because of this so-called 'unwritten rule'. For the subs, it might be their only game experience they get and it isn't right for them to play dumbed down baseball when they get their limited opportunities.

WOW, you pitch, hit, run and throw. This thread has turned into one that makes it seem like I said the other team should quit trying after they get a big lead late in a game.

You play the game. If backup players come in and rope the ball then many more runners are going to cross the dish, and that is fine. I was talking about sac. bunting, hitting and running, and stealing bags with a big lead late. I did not say you quit trying to score, you just don't try to squeeze runs across like you would in a tight game late.

FWIW I thought about this thread today in the 3rd base coaches box.

Long story, but I had to coach a 10a JV game today and be at our varsity game by 12p. We were up 9-0 in the bottom of 5 with a runner at second and two out (ummm...they weren't holding the runner close). I had the kid steal third, hitter drives in run with a single hit right at LF, game over. I make it to varsity game just in time to get our pitcher to the pen.

I told the opposing coach the situation earlier and he understood. We were the better team by far. I stole to end the game. I'll be sleeping well tonight.

ironhorse

Well said---the key is that you discussed it with the opposing coach so he knew you were not rubbing his nose in it--I hate the mercy rule but if it is there I will use as well as I can---the other team can do the same---

with the mercy rule I dont think any discussion with piling it on is valid. You also have the rentry. Now you are up 9 in the 4th you sub. all of a sudden the other team comes back and makes it say 9-8. You take the subs out renter your starters. Not exactly baseball but that is the way the game is played today.

quote:

Originally posted by Nicholas25:
I was talking about sac. bunting, hitting and running, and stealing bags with a big lead late. I did not say you quit trying to score, you just don't try to squeeze runs across like you would in a tight game late.

Maybe you don't play the same way in a close game compared to a blowout but if a team chooses to play that way, that's their choice and you should just live with it and move on and not complain or worry about it but just play your game.

Also, with a mercy rule, you try to save your arms by getting the game over as quick as possible so these so called unwritten rules can't apply since no mercy changes the whole game.

Perhaps the worst 'written' rule is the no mercy. Play out the game and you'll see less squeezing of runs with big leads. If you got an 8-run lead and you can bunt 2 runners in scoring position possibly end the game on one swing, you do it, try to get out of there and spare your pitchers for a game they will be needed more. Especially in high school where overextending reliable pitchers is the norm.

What team did this to you?
I know your schedule and it was probably a team that is a rival. All of baseball unwritten rules are thrown out when playing teams with a history. Rivalries do not count in unwritten rules.

sports are about competing. If you werent competing to win then what was the point. a win is a win no matter the score. the game should be played hard and aggresively until the final out of the game. I've been on both end of the bat as a coach and player. you never let up and you'll never surrender. my 2 cents.

I was in a situation in a World Series event. We are beating a team 8-o in the second. Our guys are still stretching base hit into doubles. The other teams is good but we are just hitting. We had a runner on first and our batter gets a base hit. The third baseman and shortstop to the mound without calling time out. Our runners take the base.

The coach is giving me grief. I told him I did not send them. He tells me my players should know better. I tell him his should know better to call time out. Plus I tell him my pitcher can lose it at any moment. Mind you, this team was actually very good. Well, two inning later the score was 10-7. I knew my pitcher and this team. The final score was 14-9. If I would have slowed down I could have lost.

In the same world series. We went up 4-0 on a team in the first and decided to not to bunt or steal from that point because I knew the game was going to get out of hand later. It would depend on the situationof each game.

I all my years coaching I have never worried about what the other team did as I can't control that. I coach my kids the best I can to make sure they are prepared. It is not the other team fault if we can't execute. They should be able to coach their team how the see fit. Who am I to tell them not to steal or bunt? As I tell me players, if you don't want to get rung up on a bad called third strike....don't get to strike two. If you don't want to them to run or bunt with a 8 run lead don't give up the eight runs.

quote:

Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men. Colossians 3:23 (HOLMAN CHRISTIAN STANDARD BIBLE)

Perhaps the other coach read this before the game!

quote:

Who am I to tell them not to steal or bunt?

well today with the 10 run rule it is not too much of an issue. Back when they played baseball u know no dh no re entry no mercy rule there was a little bad blood when teams ran it up. it is easy to say but when you are on the other end of it it is not pleasant. years ago i watched a high school game where a coach suicide squeezed leading by 10 runs. Double stealing etc etc. why ?

Nicholas, I learned a long time ago that the only thing you can control is you. Don't worry about what the other coach did. Control your emotions and learn and teach with every play. You learned to look for that bunt. Study the game, situations, technigues etc etc. If you do it right the winning comes. Baseball is a very complex game and there is always something to learn. If you don't expect help from anyone you will be in the game.

if my team is up by 15 runs we stop everything. My little league team i coached was losing 22-2 and the other team was stealing...now that is bush league, a 20 run lead is different than an 8 run lead.

Coming from a high school coach I know your frustration. My first question is how do you define late in the game? My next question is what do you know about the team and their circumstances, (i.e. were they out of pitching) My one comment is 8 runs has now been replaced by 10 runs. In my 2nd year as a coach our section istitued a 10 run rule mercy and then pulled it 2 years later. When asked all coaches said they would still shoot for 10 runs.

Nicholas25,

I don’t think you were quite understanding what everyone was trying very hard to tell you in a diplomatic manner. What your understanding is of the way the game should be played, and what’s right and wrong, is not the mainstream understanding. That doesn’t mean your wrong, but that the majority of people who would read and respond to this thread, don’t agree with you, or the way you were taught.

Take a look at how many views this thread received. Almost 4,000. Ask yourself why such a tremendously high number of views would not produce anyone who would take up your cause? Had you made the same post on a board that was basically for 12U players, I suspect the response would have been very different indeed.