Showcase strategy: What do you think of this?

[CoogansBluff]

So, we're playing in a showcase. It's 90 minutes drop dead, finish the batter. ...

Game is tied, bottom of the 6th. Home team has runners 2nd/3rd when time expires, but final batter coming up. There is 1 out.

Opposing coach has his pitcher throw every pitch over the plate - but 6 feet high. Basically an intentional walk to preserve the tie.

There is no bracket play, no trophies. There are published standings based on W-L records over the 5-game round-robin.

So,is this good strategy, or chicken sh!t?

 

[softballphreak]

So, we're playing in a showcase. It's 90 minutes drop dead, finish the batter. ...

Game is tied, bottom of the 6th. Home team has runners 2nd/3rd when time expires, but final batter coming up. There is 1 out.

Opposing coach has his pitcher throw every pitch over the plate - but 6 feet high. Basically an intentional walk to preserve the tie.

There is no bracket play, no trophies. There are published standings based on W-L records over the 5-game round-robin.

So,is this good strategy, or chicken sh!t?

The last two words describe showcase, time limit, and that strategy. I guess the published standings is an attempt to make chicken salad out of chicken shirt.

 

[CoogansBluff]

Yeah, my thinking is that it sends a poor message to your players.

Are we here to look good, or to get experience and get better?

If you walk the batter, you look good on paper. But you do that at the expense of cheating your girls out of the experience of a 'one batter, do-or-die' situation. Isn't that why you play? For the experiences? To see how you compete? What you're made of?

I'm not trying to make this single at-bat a profound moment in the lives of these players, but I do think coaches need to really think through decisions like this and what it teaches their players. In this case, they were told by their coach that their appearance (W-L record) is more important than who they are on the inside.

 

[#10's Dad]

Yeah, my thinking is that it sends a poor message to your players.

Are we here to look good, or to get experience and get better?

If you walk the batter, you look good on paper. But you do that at the expense of cheating your girls out of the experience of a 'one batter, do-or-die' situation. Isn't that why you play? For the experiences? To see how you compete? What you're made of?

I'm not trying to make this single at-bat a profound moment in the lives of these players, but I do think coaches need to really think through decisions like this and what it teaches their players. In this case, they were told by their coach that their appearance (W-L record) is more important than who they are on the inside.[/QUOTe

I am sure the college coaches watching the game could care less bout either teams record , But I bet they would love to see how that pitcher or batter handled the pressure situation at the end of a game. I think the coach that called for the walk did both teams a disservice.

 

[grcsftbll]

I am sure the college coaches watching the game could care less bout either teams record , But I bet they would love to see how that pitcher or batter handled the pressure situation at the end of a game. I think the coach that called for the walk did both teams a disservice.

We're not to the showcase thing yet so no personal experience here, but I agree.

 

[rdbass]

I didn't think on 'drop dead' a game could end in a walk. Batter has to get a hit or strike out. Maybe your game rules were different.

 

[sftblldad7]

Word to the wise. College coaches do not care about the scores or who wins. They are there to see players play.
The other coach has no clue what a showcase is for. He thinks by winning games that a college coach will be more interested. Don't work that way.
Most teams will move girls around so they show there 2nd position and even a third. All the coach wants to see is how you swing and how you play your position during a game.
Trust me no coach is looking at the stands.

 

[MNDad]

I’m curious what peoples reaction would be to pitching around a girl to make sure she doesn’t get a big hit instead of intentionally walking her? It would seem to be the same thing, but I wouldn’t expect any outrage in that scenario.

 

[MNDad]

Word to the wise. College coaches do not care about the scores or who wins. They are there to see players play.
The other coach has no clue what a showcase is for. He thinks by winning games that a college coach will be more interested. Don't work that way.
Most teams will move girls around so they show there 2nd position and even a third. All the coach wants to see is how you swing and how you play your position during a game.
Trust me no coach is looking at the stands.

I disagree. The standings and score are by no means the determining factor, but they do play a role. If you’re beating top level teams, even in a showcase, a coach will notice and be more interested seeing what the team is about. If you’re winless a coach will be more inclined to decide the team isn’t worth watching.

DD regularly updates her future coach. She recently told her about a high scoring game they won. The coaches first question...“how many of those runs were yours?”

 

[CoogansBluff]

I disagree. The standings and score are by no means the determining factor, but they do play a role. If you’re beating top level teams, even in a showcase, a coach will notice and be more interested seeing what the team is about. If you’re winless a coach will be more inclined to decide the team isn’t worth watching.

DD regularly updates her future coach. She recently told her about a high scoring game they won. The coaches first question...“how many of those runs were yours?”

I agree that results do matter to an extent. In this particular event, if you really stink it up, you won't be invited back, or at best, you'll be placed with weaker teams where fewer coaches will see you.

That said, the tie in this particular case was not worth the strategy. In fact, this showcase ranks teams based on overall run-differential rather than W-L. Going 1-4 with all tight scores is better than 3-2 and giving up 35 runs.