- Aug 21, 2008
- 2,390
- 113
Potentially long post, sorry. Yesterday I got a text from a dad of a former student who's pitching in college and has a game nearby, asking if I wanted to go watch the doubleheader. "Which game is she pitching?" I asked. He didn't know. The coach doesn't tell them until game day. Folks, this is nothing more than a coach's ego. It's beyond stupid and should be outlawed from the sport. Coaches who do this are control freaks and they need their ego's checked.
I know the argument they make: "everyone should be ready on gameday" or "it shouldn't matter if their prepared". IT DOES MATTER YOU FOOLS. I can't exactly explain why but I'm telling you it matters. As a pitcher, young and old, I wanted to know what game I was pitching the next day. It helps me prepare mentally, physically, it alters what I eat in the morning, it alters how much sleep I need, it effects my state of mind the night before thinking about pitching, IT MATTERS. Yes, even if I'm not starting I know I have to be prepared in case I have to go in relief. But starting the game is different. It just is. Just look at MLB, those pitchers know 5 days in advance. Yes, part of that is due to their rest between games. But the other part is their preparation and mental approach. They can think about the opponent, watch film if they want, etc. IT MATTERS. Why can't coaches just tell their pitchers who's starting game 1 and 2?
I understand things happen. A starting pitcher can get injured during warm ups. They can wake up sick and unable to pitch. File this under s**t happens. And the non-starter who gets the call up for game 1 needs to step up. No doubt. But without any issues like this, it makes zero sense not to let your pitchers know. ZERO. ZERO. ZERO. And lets be honest, the families would like to know too. It's easy to say a coach's job is to win, not to appease a family. Ok, I understand that. But what are we doing here? This is softball. It's a game. It's supposed to be fun. Families are a part of that, no? This isn't some professional situation where Top Secret classification is needed and it will undermine your entire game strategy if you let the pitchers know in advance where they can tell Grandma, I'm pitching at 11am!!! It might even encourage them a bit more. Who knows?
Many people reading this have never been in the circle on a softball field in a game or on the bump for a a baseball pitching start. So this may seem silly to you. It's not. It matters. There is no reason on Earth why you can't tell your pitcher the day before what the rotation is. None. Your pitchers will thank you and be better prepared. All the nonsense about "they should be prepared every day no matter what" is just that: nonsense. They probably are prepared as much as they can be. But it does matter. And it's infuriating when coaches don't know that or care because of their control issues. Wake up and help the pitcher be the best they can be by giving them the advanced knowledge of their start. I guarantee it will alter how they prepare the day before and the morning of. IT MATTERS. End of rant.
I know the argument they make: "everyone should be ready on gameday" or "it shouldn't matter if their prepared". IT DOES MATTER YOU FOOLS. I can't exactly explain why but I'm telling you it matters. As a pitcher, young and old, I wanted to know what game I was pitching the next day. It helps me prepare mentally, physically, it alters what I eat in the morning, it alters how much sleep I need, it effects my state of mind the night before thinking about pitching, IT MATTERS. Yes, even if I'm not starting I know I have to be prepared in case I have to go in relief. But starting the game is different. It just is. Just look at MLB, those pitchers know 5 days in advance. Yes, part of that is due to their rest between games. But the other part is their preparation and mental approach. They can think about the opponent, watch film if they want, etc. IT MATTERS. Why can't coaches just tell their pitchers who's starting game 1 and 2?
I understand things happen. A starting pitcher can get injured during warm ups. They can wake up sick and unable to pitch. File this under s**t happens. And the non-starter who gets the call up for game 1 needs to step up. No doubt. But without any issues like this, it makes zero sense not to let your pitchers know. ZERO. ZERO. ZERO. And lets be honest, the families would like to know too. It's easy to say a coach's job is to win, not to appease a family. Ok, I understand that. But what are we doing here? This is softball. It's a game. It's supposed to be fun. Families are a part of that, no? This isn't some professional situation where Top Secret classification is needed and it will undermine your entire game strategy if you let the pitchers know in advance where they can tell Grandma, I'm pitching at 11am!!! It might even encourage them a bit more. Who knows?
Many people reading this have never been in the circle on a softball field in a game or on the bump for a a baseball pitching start. So this may seem silly to you. It's not. It matters. There is no reason on Earth why you can't tell your pitcher the day before what the rotation is. None. Your pitchers will thank you and be better prepared. All the nonsense about "they should be prepared every day no matter what" is just that: nonsense. They probably are prepared as much as they can be. But it does matter. And it's infuriating when coaches don't know that or care because of their control issues. Wake up and help the pitcher be the best they can be by giving them the advanced knowledge of their start. I guarantee it will alter how they prepare the day before and the morning of. IT MATTERS. End of rant.