Should I be expected to run base to base so my team doesn't run up to score

canyonjoe said:

Since we weren't there it's hard to say, but my rule of thumb is that if I'm even considering taking my foot off the gas then it's almost always time to do it. Playing and beating
up on a bad team doesn't help you in the next game.


Then only exception is that in leagues with 5 run limits like you have. It the pitcher is just walking kids around the base you might as well go on WP''s to get it over quickly. If the pitcher is throwing strikes let you kids have some fun and hit. However even then I would only go on WP's (PB's) and stop stealing and certainly stop doing any form of delayed stealing.

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BrianTx01 said:

It wasn't a matter of stealing...or running on wild pitches...we weren't doing that...it was a matter of the assistant throwing up the stop sign on big hits to the outfield. I guess part of me hates seeing one of my players hit a bomb to the outfield being stopped at first base.

To be honest I have been on the other side of that many times and I seen teams not run on overthrows and stop stealing, but an have never had a team go base to base on me. So I really didn't know that I was breaking any unwritten rule. I have coached for four seasons but I still consider myself a green horn.

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DRDRODD said:

This past year I saw a nationally ranked team beat another team 42-0! Granted that there was not a run limit per inning and no run rule limit until the 3rd but I will say this it did not look good on the coaches part and was the talk of the tournament. Afterwards I did find out that the reason he ran up the score was because the weaker team decided to contests his players age.

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grcsftbll said:

Personally I'd have gone the other way. All class and sportsmanship. Then the coach making the challenge looks like even more of an rear, and big name coach looks like the bigger person. Great lesson for the girls, too. Too bad it got wasted.

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Rocketech1 said:

Play hard until the last out, whether you are down by 10 runs or up by 10 runs. I never wanted a team to "take pity" on us. If my team can't stop you, that is a problem with MY team and us coaches. Your league already has a run-rule in place that should handle any mismatch of teams. Let the kids play the game...and running hard around the bases is part of the game...

With that said, if the game is truly a blowout, it's a perfect time to give some of the bench players game time, so substitute liberally so they get some much needed experience but for heavens sake don't have them "dumb down their game" by weakly running the bases.

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So here the question... is there some unwritten rule about base to base running when you or ahead or am I being a butthead?

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