what do you think of a coach who yells at a player for taking a BB?

[pizza-boy01]

I was initially going to ask if you actually happened to witness the coach yelling, or were told this by your DD? In my experience, a lot of young ladies can misinterpret stern instruction, or intensity as yelling. However, after reading this.....

in the pre-season scrimmages he would pull any batter who got two called strikes and would replace them with another player to finish the AB.

I'm leaning towards "Idiot"

 

[Little Angels Softball]

I guess I hold my players to a higher standard. For me the end result simply does not justify the means. Unfortunately, that is a a concept that is foreign to many college bound players. Poor execution is just that, poor execution. I do not reward my players for pulling an outside pitch and getting on via an error on a weak ground ball simply because a run happened to came in. Likewise I do not provide accolades to the pitcher who gets a K on pitch that was down the middle of the plate. I refuse to celebrate mediocrity regardless of a positive outcome. When you do, you only foster a culture of mediocrity.

I didn't create the definition of "quality at bat" and I didn't say that I don't demand perfection. I just said she had to have had quality ABs with a line like that, and I'm right. By definition, she had a quality AB three out of four times she came to the plate. Days like that win games, pretty or not. On days when execution isn't falling our way, I'll take a piece of dumb luck or two or a girl fighting off an 0-2 pitch to hit a weak ground ball that scores the winning run. I may not have to like our lack of execution, but it sure beats losing. We can work on the execution at practice but we can never get the W back.

BTW, execution is one of the things we stress the most. Our girls are complimented by opposing players, coaches and parents all the time for their precision, and it is what we've become known for over the years. High standards can exist in more than one place, and this has been the case for a long, long time.

 

[corlay]

I've seen coaches at 10U and even 12U react like this,
and it's usually because he/she is trying to get his batters to be more aggressive at the plate, in general.

But given your DD's age-level, I'm guessing that this is not the case...

 

[MsDinosaur]

Unless there was a called play on where she was supposed to swing no matter what, I don't think he's got anything to yell about.

 

[JAD]

High School softball coaches are like a box of chocolates....$1 to Forest Gump

 

[Amy in AZ.]

I, too, am wondering what the signal was. Hit and run? Green Light? She is a freshman, so I would coach her a little closer, than a player that knows what I want.

But, truthfully, she will be alright and if she wants to talk to him, she should. He may not even realize that she is unhappy. But, I think that he expects a lot from her and he may be pushing her more than others.

I don't agree with yelling at her. Talking to her, would have went a long way.

 

[riseball]

I didn't create the definition of "quality at bat" and I didn't say that I don't demand perfection. I just said she had to have had quality ABs with a line like that, and I'm right. By definition, she had a quality AB three out of four times she came to the plate. Days like that win games, pretty or not. On days when execution isn't falling our way, I'll take a piece of dumb luck or two or a girl fighting off an 0-2 pitch to hit a weak ground ball that scores the winning run. I may not have to like our lack of execution, but it sure beats losing. We can work on the execution at practice but we can never get the W back.

BTW, execution is one of the things we stress the most. Our girls are complimented by opposing players, coaches and parents all the time for their precision, and it is what we've become known for over the years. High standards can exist in more than one place, and this has been the case for a long, long time.

QAB is a subjective term and there is no universal definition. However, I think most would agree that it is of little value when it is can be defined by a singular outcome such as an RBI sans any other context as you suggested. It kind of defeats the purpose as you are relying on something that is beyond the control of the hitter and may or may not reflect a high level of performance.

Consider the scenario of a runner on 3rd and a called squeeze play. The hitter fails to even attempt to execute, however the runner is safe at home resulting in an RBI for the hitter. The hitter then goes down looking at 2 consecutive strikes. I cannot see how by any standard that would considered that a Quality At Bat.

 

[coach james]

Get on base..........period!
Who gives a crap how you got on, just find a way on. It's hard to score from the dugout.

Every college coach I have ever spoken to.

Following this logic some of you would be fine with a batter electing not to lay down a bunt on a squeeze, so long as the run scored? High fives all the way around? Please tell me the name of a top college coach that would not lose their mind if a player not only failed to execute in such a situation but decided not to execute as instructed. Do not confuse finding a way to get on base with crap mechanics or failure to execute. You get on base through proper mechanics and execution.

Who said anything remotely close to your post... if coach says to sacrifice then you'd better. No coach ever says to swing at balls way out of the zone, But if coach says get on base, then who cares how that base was aquired. Like I said, it's hard to score from the dugout.

You have a knack for looking for every opportunity to discredit people's posts.... its getting old

 

[riseball]

Who said anything remotely close to your post... if coach says to sacrifice then you'd better. No coach ever says to swing at balls way out of the zone, But if coach says get on base, then who cares how that base was aquired. Like I said, it's hard to score from the dugout.

You have a knack for looking for every opportunity to discredit people's posts.... its getting old

Not looking to discredit any post. Just too often I see coaches and parents who seem to think that a positive outcome is the sole criteria for success.

 

[Little Angels Softball]

QAB is a subjective term and there is no universal definition. However, I think most would agree that it is of little value when it is can be defined by a singular outcome such as an RBI sans any other context as you suggested. It kind of defeats the purpose as you are relying on something that is beyond the control of the hitter and may or may not reflect a high level of performance.

Consider the scenario of a runner on 3rd and a called squeeze play. The hitter fails to even attempt to execute, however the runner is safe at home resulting in an RBI for the hitter. The hitter then goes down looking at 2 consecutive strikes. I cannot see how by any standard that would considered that a Quality At Bat.

I am not exactly sure why you think that would end up with an RBI being awarded to the hitter. In your scenario, the run would be attributed to a stolen base, passed ball or wild pitch, neither of which result in an RBI. The analogy does not apply.

An RBI is always due to the control of the hitter. One is not awarded for the batter simply being at the plate when something occurs. The run must be "batted in," hence the name, "RBI."

I also don't believe I have ever seen any definition of a "quality AB" that does not include "any RBI."