14u Pitchers Not Allowed to Bat?

What's your opinion on having a designated player (DP) always batting for the pitcher's spot? We had 4 games this weekend and our 2 pitchers used did not bat all weekend long. HC said he wanted to rest the pitchers between innings....

I would call BS if a coach said he didn't bat a pitcher in order to rest them. How much energy does a couple of at bats take? Maybe he was trying to find a way to get everyone some game time.

I totally disagree. You are taking away one of the best parts of the game plus their hitting skills will atrophy. I see pitchers at 18U playing on game and a couple of weekends during a weekend. How can that be fun?

A little different but DD was the HS's only catcher. During the first game last spring DD gets on base and I hear the coach yelling courtesy for the catcher and DD comes out. I don't think anything about it. Later DD gets on and the coach puts in a courtesy. I know there is only 1 out so after the game I ask her what's with the courtesy runners for the kid that scored the second in runs and steals last year. She's my only catcher and I can't afford to lose her. I explained that taking away a part of the game that DD loves will make her relate catching to not playing the full game and she will come to resent having to catch. DD ran every base after.

There is a local team I am familiar with that does that. In fact, his pitchers never play other positions. All three will rotate pitching and spend the other games on the bench. When they do pitch, they will not hit. I am not a fan of that process, but he was upfront about it before they joined the team.

Personally, a lot of my decisions in this area depend on weather conditions. In PA we can get some 90+ weekends with high humidity. In those cases I will courtesy run for both the pitcher and the catcher. In general I believe my job is to prepare the players for their next coach, whether that is their high school coach or college coach. I know teams vary in that thought process, but that is the way I look at it.

Rocketech1 said:

What's your opinion on having a designated player (DP) always batting for the pitcher's spot? We had 4 games this weekend and our 2 pitchers used did not bat all weekend long. HC said he wanted to rest the pitchers between innings....

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How many players are on the roster? How do the pitchers hit relative to the team?

Let em hit, use a courtesy runner if you wanna rest them

I bat everyone until the rules say that I can't. Then I will use the DP/flex to our team's best advantage.

CoogansBluff said:

How many players are on the roster? How do the pitchers hit relative to the team?

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Good questions.

16 active (2 injured)

In some recent friendlies, one pitcher batted #7 and 9. The other pitcher somewhere around 10-12 in the lineup.

I think JJ is correct that the head coach is trying to get some of the other players in when it's DP/flex. The season is young but I said from day 1 that it would be difficult to keep this many players (families) happy. Maybe this is the strategy, the weaker players will naturally leave for lack of playing time and the "core" 12 or 13 will emerge?

I have NO idea at 13 whether my DD will be a pitcher, a fielder or a hitter when she is older. She just wants to be a player.

There are definitely teams locally in 14U and even in 12U who do this - especially the ones that are chasing national championships - my DD wants no part of that.

Now there is no doubt we courtesy run for our pitchers and catchers regularly as we get girls in and out of the games - but it is not 'always' and every player on our rosters get into almost every game one way or another. Courtesy runners are great because it gets another one of our players in with out burning a sub which we will look do later in games.

We're only 10U but that certainly wouldn't fly with my kid. She's a pitcher but she loves hitting. And she hates sitting.