Mercy ?

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Feb 7, 2014
547
43
What are people's thoughts on 20, 30, or more run victories ?

I was scrolling through some of the Twitter feeds of the local high school's and am surprised at how many scores are so lobsided. DD played in a game this week with the result being one of these lobsided scores. Is the sentiment "tough"... "deal with it?"
 
Jun 29, 2013
589
18
saw a score in a 10U game from today that was 25-0, and have seen scores locally at the HS level that were worse. I don't personally like being involved on either end of a game like that, but I don't know how you prevent it at the HS level, You're going to have some teams that are simply overmatched, and you hope the coach of the winning team at least empties his or her bench before it gets too out of hand. But if the kids on the bench are still better than their opponents, how do you tell them they can't try to score? I just think of it as a necessary evil. At the younger levels, I think it's easier to control the scores and keep the games closer, but I've been on the wrong end of many 20 run games and (in hindsight) think all of the opponent's coaches were as good about it as they could be.
 
Jun 12, 2015
3,848
83
I feel like when teams are mismatched that badly, it sucks for both teams either way. Having a team step off feels (and is) like pity and that's gross. But it's gross to lose 25-0 too. On our team if we get way up (which doesn't happen often this year, ha ha), he has them stop stealing, or they all bunt to get bunting practice which I suppose is also a little insulting but at least gives them a chance to field a ball and get an out, rather than just be given outs for free. We played a team once where we were losing by a ton in first year 10U. Every girl on the opposing team started batting lefty. That was like, ouch, pride. But hey, that's what happens sometimes.

I will tell you what I find pathetic: teams advertising when they won by that much. I don't mind the FB post, "Won our first bracket game! Wish us luck for #2" or something. But "27-0 Victory over Team X!" just seems pitiful to me. If you beat them by that much, beating them at all probably isn't much to brag about at your team's level. Now, if it's a huge upset, I might feel differently. Like a little local team pulling a big win off on a nationally ranked team or something. But how often does that happen in such a big way?
 
Oct 16, 2014
32
6
We play some 1 day tournaments with a local sanctioning body where you play 3 pool games and pool winners go directly to championship game. 12 teams, 3 pool brackets of 4 teams each. 2 teams play gold championship, 2 teams play silver championship (4th team is best overall record/ runs given up). In order to play in gold championship you have to give up as few runs as possible. Another one of the ugly things about timed games, but one of the strategies used is to stay on offense as long as possible to run time out. Less innings= less of a chance for opponent to score runs.
 
Apr 28, 2014
2,316
113
We played a scrimmage last fall and drew a 16u team that was newer and clearly filled with girls just starting to play the game.
After the first inning it was 6-0..
Our HC started to bunt every player on our team. Held runners and even ran into outs.
The opposing head coach was furious and began to cause a scene in the 4th inning.
At that point our coach decided to play and it got ugly..
Sometimes you can't win no matter what ya do.
Key to not ending up on the wrong side of a crooked number is to have great Pitching.
Easier said than done ;)
 
Oct 5, 2017
214
43
Western Indiana
Played a league team this year and lost 18-1 and 18-0. Didn't really bother me as we continued to work on things that needed improvement obviously.

But the opposing coach made 2 substitutions in the two games. One in each game and was same player for same player. He also did not appreciate that we walked his daughter twice after she had already hit two home runs. His other daughter hit a three run home run in the bottom of the fourth with them already up 15-1. I always feel these things come around at some point if you play long enough.
 
Feb 26, 2012
105
0
Indiana
Once the lead is 15 or more, subtly walk off base(s)...base coach quietly tells base umpire to look for it...runner casually steps off and trots back to dug out after called out. If done correctly, it is almost hard to recognize.

Our high school games require you to get the other team out 15 times for the game to end (5 inning 10 run rule)...if a team cannot get the other team out...mercy is required...nothing good in a 20+ margin.
 
Feb 13, 2015
164
18
If you are way up, have your team sell the leaving early. Don't call it stepping off, call it stealing early. I tell blue, and my players know, if I pat the top of my head a runner is going to steal the next base and leave too early.
 

Strike2

Allergic to BS
Nov 14, 2014
2,044
113
Slow the game down, especially if there's a time limit. Stop running aggressively and take some pitches on offense. If I couldn't send them to the snackbar, I wouldn't hesitate to tell my best hitters to not swing during their last AB if we're up big. If someone is working on hitting from the opposite side or learning how to slap, THIS is the time to practice. Laying a bunt down isn't necessarily making things easy...inexperienced teams often have trouble executing bunt defense. You can step off early a time or two, but doing things like that repeatedly adds insult to injury, IMO.
 
Jun 12, 2015
3,848
83
Slow the game down, especially if there's a time limit. Stop running aggressively and take some pitches on offense. If I couldn't send them to the snackbar, I wouldn't hesitate to tell my best hitters to not swing during their last AB if we're up big. If someone is working on hitting from the opposite side or learning how to slap, THIS is the time to practice. Laying a bunt down isn't necessarily making things easy...inexperienced teams often have trouble executing bunt defense. You can step off early a time or two, but doing things like that repeatedly adds insult to injury, IMO.

I agree about bunting though it seems like if they know it's coming at the very least they should have a decent shot at it, especially without aggressive base running. And then at least our girls are getting some value too. But we've had exactly one game all spring we got up enough to have to do any of these things. Next year...
 

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