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Dec 13, 2014
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I know you have all heard to stay away but it still happens. Quick story.
DD ,who recently finished her college career, is now going to grad school and helping her old team as an asst. coach. This weekend she was recruiting nearby so I took a ride with her to a few games. I wandered around while she did her thing. On the way home I asked her if she saw a certain pitcher that I thought was pretty good. She said that she thought she was very good but wouldn't be interested. When I asked why, she said that the girl was out of the dugout talking to her parents in between innings.
 

JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,231
38
Georgia
I know you have all heard to stay away but it still happens. Quick story.
DD ,who recently finished her college career, is now going to grad school and helping her old team as an asst. coach. This weekend she was recruiting nearby so I took a ride with her to a few games. I wandered around while she did her thing. On the way home I asked her if she saw a certain pitcher that I thought was pretty good. She said that she thought she was very good but wouldn't be interested. When I asked why, she said that the girl was out of the dugout talking to her parents in between innings.

If her bucket mom/dad is not a coach, but has caught 10,000 of her pitches over the years, why is it a cardinal sin for her to ask her/him for advice between innings? What qualifications does the coaching staff have to offer advice? How many of her pitching lessons has the coaching staff been too? How many "bucket sessions" have they caught? Putting on a hat/jersey and calling pitches does not make you a pitching expert. When I am calling pitches I like to solicit the pitchers mom/dad for advice. It helps me be a better pitch caller, makes her mom/dad feel important, lets them know what is working and what is not, and what they need to work on during their "bucket time", and is a win/win for everyone.

College coaching staffs are 100% responsible for pitching/hitting/fielding, but in TB and HS ball I bet 98.2% of pitchers are taking lessons from an outside pitching instructor or mom/dad are DFP members (or should be). To assume that a TB or HS coach has any level of competency to give pitchers advice is ludacrist....
 

redhotcoach

Out on good behavior
May 8, 2009
4,706
38
"Always working on something with dad. Home watching film with him to figure out what I am doing different". ~ Cat Osterman, 2 days ago.
 

rdbass

It wasn't me.
Jun 5, 2010
9,131
83
Not here.
I have wrote and re-wrote my comment a couple of times.....then deleted. I will leave it at this... I disagree with your DD's reason.
 
Dec 13, 2014
91
0
When college coaches are watching you , act like you are playing college softball. What if the players wanted to ask their dads about hitting. An empty dugout?? Pitching lessons from dad in between innings is overkill. Wait till the game is over.
 
Dec 13, 2014
91
0
Also, A travel coach at a showcase level might not know all the mechanical issues, but should be able to determine if pitches are not working. The pitcher herself and the catcher should also be able to make the proper corrections. If the dad sees something mechanical , the pitcher will fix it in between innings.Doubt it.
 

rdbass

It wasn't me.
Jun 5, 2010
9,131
83
Not here.
My DD is not a pitcher. There has been times that I have 'seen' something that DD and coach might have missed. It's not like I approached DD after 1st at bat or even the second at bat but, before the 3rd at bat I have to say something. I spend a lot of time with my DD as I have spent with the coaches. So, no I'm not going to just sit there.
 
Jun 27, 2011
5,089
0
North Carolina
I can understand a college coach taking note of this. But is this one incident enough to make a coach write somebody off?

I can understand if the pitcher-parent conversation appeared volatile in some way, or if it appeared the pitcher was blowing off the coach and doing her own thing. But if I liked a pitcher's skills and demeanor otherwise, I wouldn't let this bother me.

In fact, any teenager who welcomes a parent's advice and responds well to it, I count that as a good thing.
 
Feb 17, 2014
7,152
113
Orlando, FL
Also, A travel coach at a showcase level might not know all the mechanical issues, but should be able to determine if pitches are not working. The pitcher herself and the catcher should also be able to make the proper corrections. If the dad sees something mechanical , the pitcher will fix it in between innings.Doubt it.

This is pure fantasy and a big reason why many pitchers never realize success at a high level. I certainly hope that there is much more to the story behind the OP. For all we know the person the player was speaking to may have been an accomplished PC, and the player speaking to him may have been doing so based on the direction of her HC. This is what gives rise to myths such as you will never get recruited if you wear a mask.
 
Last edited:
Dec 13, 2014
91
0
Here I go with the pitching dynamics argument again . I got ran out of here once before so might as well go for it again. It is not as complicated as you make it out to be. At that age level with college coaches watching you would you ever see a hockey goalie talk to his father in between periods, a QB talk to his dad at half, A BB player go in the stands during a timeout. I know I can never win an argument on this site when it comes to softball pitching . You guys make it out to be brain surgery X 10.
And to clear up. DD is a 21 year old grad asst. so she is not calling the recruiting shots by any means. but she was turned off when this girl did it multiple times because she knows that none of her former coaches or I would have allowed it. You are playing a sporting event, unless there is an emergency, stay inside the ropes.
 

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