Any Travel Ball Parents...

[agcy68]

Just finished watching a SB tournament my daughter played in. Got a little chippy in our last game as the opposing coach got under our skin. Kept putting down one of our girls who is headed to a D1 school next year: "She doesn't look like a D1 player" just loud enough for our girls to hear. Also, kept calling out "Sit!" whenever a change-up was coming (based on how he saw our pitcher hold the ball from his 3rd base coaching spot).

Another dad was telling me that in a game he was coaching, he was calling pitches from the dugout and an opposing dad was sitting in the bleachers so he could see what was being called then relaying that to the batter. He asked the guy to stop but the gentlemen said he was with the team and helping his team out. Pretty bush league for a 14-U C game.

Got me wondering what tactics you have had to endure from opposing teams that irritate you.

 

[crawfy54]

In high school baseball, our bench guys were always trying to steal other teams signs. It's part of the game in my opinion. And if the coach is able to tell your pitcher is going to throw a change up, she needs to hide it better.

 

[Macloney]

In high school baseball, our bench guys were always trying to steal other teams signs. It's part of the game in my opinion. And if the coach is able to tell your pitcher is going to throw a change up, she needs to hide it better.

I agree its part of the game, so is plunking players on the team stealing the signs.

 

[harimad]

Daughter was playing in a softball tournament this weekend in a game against a Beverly Bandits team. They're a top 5 program nationally, and we got run-ruled, of course. Apparently their girls were calling our girls b**** just for tagging them out. You'd think that a game against a second-tier team like ours, they wouldn't act that way. I guess not.

We actually played three games against Bandits teams and did a lot better than I expected. Only lost by 2 runs and 3 runs against the other two teams, but the game I'm talking about was was just lopsided. Those girls have a real mean streak.

 

[ISUCubswin]

I don't really blame the coach for telling his girls to sit on the changeup, especially if he could see it. I know they do this at the college and high school levels.

Saying "she doesn't look D1" is bush league, and while baseball/softball are mental games, it makes me furious there are coaches out there that do what they can to get in young peoples minds to help their team. I know of a coach here in Central Iowa who is notorious for yelling at umps that quite literally every pitcher he faces is illegal to try and get in the pitchers head. They teach their kids to lean into pitches (which is fine) but then demands a warning is issued after their star player is hit once after leaning into a pitch.

 

[agcy68]

I don't really blame the coach for telling his girls to sit on the changeup, especially if he could see it. I know they do this at the college and high school levels.

Saying "she doesn't look D1" is bush league, and while baseball/softball are mental games, it makes me furious there are coaches out there that do what they can to get in young peoples minds to help their team. I know of a coach here in Central Iowa who is notorious for yelling at umps that quite literally every pitcher he faces is illegal to try and get in the pitchers head. They teach their kids to lean into pitches (which is fine) but then demands a warning is issued after their star player is hit once after leaning into a pitch.

Our Pitcher hit of their batters and the umpire wouldn't give her first because she leaned into the pitch. First time I had seen that call actually made.

BTW, the umpires this weekend were excellent. Called the game right and explained their calls to coaches and parents (between innings).

 

[agcy68]

Another annoyance is the dreaded time-is-almost-up-and-we-have-to-delay tactics:
- Changing pitchers when there isn't any any threat
- calling time to tie shoelaces (once watched 2 girls call time at the same time in the field - oops)
- over a minute to figure out who the courtesy runner should be (our coach actually told them he didn't care - just get someone out there)
- one team's coach had a stop watch and would signal the pitcher after 15 seconds of looking at the batter (you get 17 seconds (if I remember correctly) between pitches)