Mercy ?

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Sep 21, 2017
230
43
PA
I would rather a team just put it on me, than to bunt for outs or hit opposite...stuff like that. Just beat me. If we can't stop you from scoring, it isn't the job of the opposing HC to make outs for us. I have seen (and used occasionally) leaving early on the bases, and have had other coaches tell me to just keep playing and not worry about that stuff.

Do you run it up? Of course not. If we're up comfortably, we're not pushing the issue on the base path. We're not advancing on passed balls, not trying to stretch doubles into triples, or anything like that. Not trying to take 2nd on first and third situations. In a situation like ours, numbers play a big part. We have 20 kids between varsity and jv, 10 on each team. Our varsity is pretty good for our league, and it's not like we can just pull 3-4 players. We have one sub on the bench, and she's pretty good too. We're going to stay aggressive at the plate, but be more station to station on the bases.
 
Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
My opinion has changed over the years.

We were getting absolutely whooped 1 game, they stepped off base for a couple outs or they would still be scoring 2 years latter.

They were nice about it and asked our HC first.

Everyone just wanted to go home.

(My ace DD was pitching and decided to walk a batter to break it up, the 3rd ball she threw was a foot outside and batter smoked it down right field line for a triple. Sometimes you can not win.)
 
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Jul 16, 2013
4,659
113
Pennsylvania
I have been on both sides of this. As a travel coach, we will play teams with less experience and tend to build a lead early. In those games our goal is to take the score to the mercy rule but no further. We will make substitutions, move players around, stop stealing bases, etc. to do what we can to slow the game down. DD's high school team is often on the other side of this. Her team is currently averaging 8 errors per game (and that is with questionable scoring), so we have had a couple mercy rule games. The other coaches seem to follow the same guidelines I do.

One local team seems to follow their own rules. They had a game against a smaller school in our district. At the start of the 3rd inning, they were up 17-1. (Mercy rule is 15 after 3). In the top of the 3rd inning they scored 16 additional runs, closing the game at 33-1 after 3 innings. Personally, I don't see the point in that. They had plenty of players on the bench that they could have subbed in for experience, but chose not to. According to one of the parents on that team (friend of mine), their coach does this to pad the stats of his players. His theory is that padding the stats will help their chances for district or potential All-State honors.
 
Jun 11, 2013
2,619
113
At some point you need to have mercy. If it's just a mismatch take your foot off the gas. If it's an equal team just having a bad game just keep playing within reason.
 
Jun 1, 2015
500
43
I unfortunately have found myself on the poor end of these types of match-ups over the past few years. In some cases, you grin and bear it, in others you figure where you went wrong and move on from there. I've coached a game before when a team was up on us so large, the opposing HC had one of his girls try bunting BEHIND HER BACK (I kid you not). I've never been more disrespected as a coach than that moment, but from an outside POV - if my girls made their plays, we wouldn't have been in that position.

From an outside POV, what gets me annoyed is situations where I hear about coaches leaving their SPs in when the game is clearly out of reach of the other team. Why does your starting pitcher need to stay in when the score is 25-2? Get your backups some time on the mound and let them work on things. It serves no purpose to wear out your SP's arm just because you don't feel like anyone else should/can do the job.
 
Aug 12, 2014
644
43
In fairness to the high schools, sometimes there's a big imbalance in a conference and the teams have no choice but to play the games. Last year, our varsity was one of the top teams in the state but plays in a very weak conference, so they won almost all their league games on run rule. The coach didn't want to play these games at all but had to. They only carried 10 players so there weren't too many options for resting players, but he'd put in the #2 pitcher and move players around a bit.

On the other hand, the #1 ranked team in our school's division pitched their ace pitcher every inning of the season, and they had quite a few blowouts. I don't know if she got tired, but they lost in the first round of state (as did our team).
 
Mar 29, 2017
155
18
When I would get up by double digits, I would stop stealing first. Passed balls the girls would most advance on their own anyway so I wouldn't prevent that. I also start giving the take or fake bunt calls for the first 2 strikes. Then let them swing away. Once they get 2 outs, I may have a runner step of early, but it depends on the score. If it is getting to high, I will have them step off before 2 outs. I can honestly say that I have had another coach thank me for all of this, plus pulling the pitcher I had in and giving a very less experienced pitcher time in the circle. I think if you handle it carefully and your players are not arrogant and seem to be rubbing it in, then the other team will respect that.

I have also been beaten like this and beaten by a team just taking it to us every chance they had. I remembered how my girls felt after each.
 
Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
, the opposing HC had one of his girls try bunting BEHIND HER BACK.

If DD has a shot at them she would drill them, batter is 2nd choice.

Sweatest player in world but someone is going down and it will hurt.

She has played for about 8 years , hit 1 coach and 1 batter on purpose .
 
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rdbass

It wasn't me.
Jun 5, 2010
9,131
83
Not here.
Sweatest player in world but someone is going down and it will hurt.
raw
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
10U here they only allow 6 runs per inning. I coached 9U girls (rec) basketball this past winter and after a team is up by more than 15 (which is a lot for 9U rec) they stop updating the scoreboard :cool:
 

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