Am I being too passive?

[Osric]

Situation:

Tight game, we are down 3-4 in the top of the 5th. We are batting at the top of the order.

First three batters walk, bases loaded. There are a couple opportunities at this point to steal home. I keep the runner at third thinking that with no outs and #4 batter up, we are better off looking for the hit to score rather than chance the 1st out at home on a steal. #4 batter walks, run scores tying game.

Bases still loaded, tie game, no outs. Again and opportunity comes to steal a base and I hold the runner up b/c I don't want to make the first out at home. #5 hits a ground ball and gets out at 1st, runner on 3rd scores, runners on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out. We are up by 1.

#6 batter walks, reloading the bases.

#7 strikes out in 4 pitiches, no real opportunity to steal home

#8 strikes out in 4 pitches, I'm trying to get the runner to go in on a delayed steal if the catcher doesn't miss a ball, but no real opportunity presents itself. 3 outs. We go through 8 batters and only get 2 runs.

My assistant coach thought I wasn't aggressive enough early in the inning. I wasn't wanting to gamble in a bases loaded situation with no outs in a tight game.

Your thoughts?

13U rec league. Team we were playing against was the best we've seen so far. Their pitcher was decent early in the game, but was (obviously) erratic in the 5th inning (she got pulled in the 6th)

 

[CoachKevin]

Well in the situation you described, bases loaded with #4 hitter up means your #1 batter was on 3rd. Typically the #1 is one of the faster girls on the team. I would have a green light for her to go if she thinks she can make it on a PB/WP. But hey, you scored 2 runs without a hit can't complain about that.

Really want to be aggressive, if that situation happens again, have the #7 hitter bunt and do a squeeze play, that is a tough out if done properly.

 

[mad hornet]

Not knowing the backstop distance makes it tough. With a speedy player and normal backstop distance the score on most passed balls is automatic on my teams. The only exception is that pitch that is so high the catcher never gets a glove on it and the ball bounces right back, but if it touches the catcher first we get the score 95% of attempts and I really like those odds.

You are also better off having runners at 2nd and 3rd which takes away the force at any base. On a ground ball if the other team really needs an out, they have no choice but to go to first which gives you another scoring opportunity.

 

[JAD]

Our decision to send the runner from 3B would primarily be based on the speed and base running savvy of the runner on 3B. If she is fast, has good base running instincts, and a quick first step, we will send her every time, unless there are really short backstops!

 

[Osric]

Backstop is pretty short. #1 hitter is one of the smartest baserunners on the team, but not really one of the fastest girls on the team (medium speed; not slow)

 

[CoogansBluff]

It's impossible to answer your question without knowing the odds of the base runner being out at home. To know those odds, we'd need to know what those potential wild pitches/passed balls looked like. We'd need to know the skills of your base runner. Also important would be the skills of your batters. If it's a .500 hitter, you play it safe. If it's a .050 hitter, you play it aggressively.

That said, I do not second-guess the way you played it based on what you stated. Unless you passed up some opportunities where you were 90 percent likely to be safe at home, then I tend to think you made thee right call. Once you had two outs, you can be more aggressive, but you didn't have any opportunites at that point. Easy to second-guess after the fact.

 

[chinamigarden]

my thoughts, you didn't score more runs because the girls who had strikes to hit, didn't hit them. Work on that, not on whether or not you should be taking home more often on bad pitches.