Last High School Game for a 2022; Need to Vent

[GoGamecocks]

I haven't posted here in a while. My wife, who is the OP, suggested that I read this. It's a little frustrating to read through all of this. Half of the people are sympathetic, and half of the people are just being belligerent.

OP/Wife wrote this to vent. But let me offer some perspective, being a member of the "dad squad" mentioned way up in the posts here.

FIRST THE FACTS
First, this is a very good, but young team. There are two seniors, our daughter who is committed to a D3 school, and a super-talented senior SS who is committed to Michigan. We also have a junior 2B who is committed to BC. Daughter has played with girls on this school team who are playing at College of Charleston, UNC-G, Boston University and UVA. We've seen lots of talent.

As long as we're talking about actual facts, this year our daughter batted .311 Her OBPS was .940. Her average is probably 6th best on the team. On base was probably 5th best, and OBPS was 4th. She is one of three kids to hit HRs this year (the other two are those two D1 commits). She either strikes out or hits long fly balls. Her hits are usually doubles because she runs like a catcher. Her hit in the penultimate game struck the CF fence about two feet from the top and shot back to the middle of the outfield so it was a single.

NOW ON TO OPINION
The freshman who has displaced our daughter at catcher has a rocket arm - much stronger throwing arm than my daughter's. But until the very last game of the year (the one we're talking about here), no catcher on the team had a CS. Aside from the arm, our daughter is a much better catcher in every respect. Framing/blocking/managing the pitcher/managing the umpire. She knows when to call for time. She knows when to go to the circle. Freshman does none of that. The team plays better as a unit when our daughter is on the field. Every time. Better defense. Better offense.

But whatever - coaches gonna coach. The problem which my wife didn't really articulate very well is that the crucial season-long coaching error here is at 3B. 3B is a huge liability to the team. She's a freshman, too. Cannot field sharply-hit balls, and cannot make a consistent throw to 1B. Leads the teams in errors - almost all of them on throws to 1B - one in the dirt, one into the dugout. Over and over again. The 3B's backup is the freshman catcher. So this is getting into some 3-D chess, but coach can solve all of her infield problems by moving freshman C to 3B, moving our daughter behind the plate, and putting the current 3B at DP (she has a good bat). It was the obvious solution, and the coach actually played that configuration several times over the season, and those were our best defensive games. The coach just couldn't see it. This is not an exaggeration - she didn't see it.

So with all of this as backdrop, we enter into this final series that we have to win. Our daughter, who had been a leader on the field, in the dugout, and in the locker room all season long gets pulled in her very last at bat so a sophomore with four hits on the season could ground out into a double play. There's nothing about this situation that isn't sh!tty. It was a horrible thing to do to the senior. It was a horrible thing to do to the sophomore who came in to pinch hit. And it was a horrible thing to do to the team.

That's dad's perspective. And if you're inclined to suggest that "his daughter just probably wasn't that good" send me a DM, and I'll send you video clips and whole game videos that will prove you wrong on that score.

 

[PapaBear]

@IndyHScoach i agree with you that the best 9 should start, but do you have games in your schedule against weak teams where you would start players off the bench, or is it always top 9 for you?

My theory is play/start the best 9 always, adjust accordingly as the game unfolds. If a #2-3 pitcher is in the circle she needs to have the best players supporting her. Football and basketball teams play starters against weaker teams why shouldn’t softball?

 

[PapaBear]

I haven't posted here in a while. My wife, who is the OP, suggested that I read this. It's a little frustrating to read through all of this. Half of the people are sympathetic, and half of the people are just being a$$hole$.

OP/Wife wrote this to vent. But let me offer some perspective, being a member of the "dad squad" mentioned way up in the posts here.

FIRST THE FACTS
First, this is a very good, but young team. There are two seniors, our daughter who is committed to a D3 school, and a super-talented senior SS who is committed to Michigan. We also have a junior 2B who is committed to BC. Daughter has played with girls on this school team who are playing at College of Charleston, UNC-G, Boston University and UVA. We've seen lots of talent.

As long as we're talking about actual facts, this year our daughter batted .311 Her OBPS was .940. Her average is probably 6th best on the team. On base was probably 5th best, and OBPS was 4th. She is one of three kids to hit HRs this year (the other two are those two D1 commits). She either strikes out or hits long fly balls. Her hits are usually doubles because she runs like a catcher. Her hit in the penultimate game struck the CF fence about two feet from the top and shot back to the middle of the outfield so it was a single.

NOW ON TO OPINION
The freshman who has displaced our daughter at catcher has a rocket arm - much stronger throwing arm than my daughter's. But until the very last game of the year (the one we're talking about here), no catcher on the team had a CS. Aside from the arm, our daughter is a much better catcher in every respect. Framing/blocking/managing the pitcher/managing the umpire. She knows when to call for time. She knows when to go to the circle. Freshman does none of that. The team plays better as a unit when our daughter is on the field. Every time. Better defense. Better offense.

But whatever - coaches gonna coach. The problem which my wife didn't really articulate very well is that the crucial season-long coaching error here is at 3B. 3B is a huge liability to the team. She's a freshman, too. Cannot field sharply-hit balls, and cannot make a consistent throw to 1B. Leads the teams in errors - almost all of them on throws to 1B - one in the dirt, one into the dugout. Over and over again. The 3B's backup is the freshman catcher. So this is getting into some 3-D chess, but coach can solve all of her infield problems by moving freshman C to 3B, moving our daughter behind the plate, and putting the current 3B at DP (she has a good bat). It was the obvious solution, and the coach actually played that configuration several times over the season, and those were our best defensive games. The coach just couldn't see it. This is not an exaggeration - she didn't see it.

So with all of this as backdrop, we enter into this final series that we have to win. Our daughter, who had been a leader on the field, in the dugout, and in the locker room all season long gets pulled in her very last at bat so a sophomore with four hits on the season could ground out into a double play. There's nothing about this situation that isn't sh!tty. It was a horrible thing to do to the senior. It was a horrible thing to do to the sophomore who came in to pinch hit. And it was a horrible thing to do to the team.

That's dad's perspective. And if you're inclined to suggest that "his daughter just probably wasn't that good" send me a DM, and I'll send you video clips and whole game videos that will prove you wrong on that score.

Alot of information given to identify who the kid is, because I knew exactly which team it was when you said SS Michigan (which by the way is solid and a tough out in travel). Regardless of how you feel towards coach and how it unfolded it’s not the kids fault. Best of luck to your you g lady as she gets the opportunity to play on.

 

[YOCOACH]

Long and short. Not trying to be an a$$hole either. But the coach may be trying to develop the other catcher so that the team can make a state run to the finals somewhere down the road and didn't feel your DD could contribute to that end goal being that she is not only a senior, but already committed to playing at the next level. Regardless, in the long run, HS ball means nothing...at least not what it meant 30 years ago when I played. Back then, Colleges had travel budgets, scouting budgets, etc. Not so much anymore. Other than playing for school representation and spirit, there's little reason to play...especially with the level of coaching at many HS's. In my neck of the woods, if it wasn't for TB, many of these HS coaches wouldn't succeed in spite of their ability.

 

[GoGamecocks]

Alot of information given to identify who the kid is, because I knew exactly which team it was when you said SS Michigan (which by the way is solid and a tough out in travel). Regardless of how you feel towards coach and how it unfolded it’s not the kids fault. Best of luck to your you g lady as she gets the opportunity to play on.

Right. It wouldn’t take much Google-foo to figure out who we are. But there’s nothing I’ve said here that I wouldn’t say out loud to anyone associated with our team or school. That SS’ dad was as baffled as everyone.

 

[JayW]

This is sad. Now there’s a new theory for why DD didn’t start.

 

[GoGamecocks]

This is sad. Now there’s a new theory for why DD didn’t start.

First of all, daughter DID start. The whole gigantic thread here is about the coach taking her out of the lineup in her last at bat so that a sophomore with four hits on the year could hit into a double play. THAT'S what we're upset about. I'm not sure why that's so difficult to follow.

And we're venting on a (mostly) anonymous online forum. There's no reason for you to be a jerk about it. I'm giving you my take, and you can choose to give it credence or not. I saved my venting until the season was over, and I'm venting here - not to the coach or the AD. We told our daughter if she wasn't happy with her role on the team to talk to the coach, and she did. I wasn't there for that conversation, but if my daughter is being straight with us, the coach flat-out lied to her. Maybe she did. Maybe she didn't. What I saw, having watched hundreds of travel and HS games, suggested to me a coach out of her depth who made huge mistakes with her lineups. Over and over again. Am I biased? Sure I am. Am I wrong? I don't think so.

But if you want to see the games, I can send you the links. Hell, I can send you the entire season, and you can watch for yourself and come back with theories that will at least have some foundation in reality. You should consider less snark and more think.

 

[JayW]

First you come on here calling everyone on the board an asshole. Then you call me a dick. You and your buddies talked junk about the coach. The coach probably knew you were talking junk about her. Don’t care about the video. Wish your DD the best of luck in the future.

 

[GoGamecocks]

First you come on here calling everyone on the board an asshole. Then you call me a dick.

I said half the people were assholes, not everyone. You probably know which half you fall into. And I didn't call you a dick. I said "there's no reason to be a dick about it." But I do think you are finally starting to understand what I'm trying to say on both counts.

The rest of your posts are just snarky and unhelpful.

 

[JayW]

Thanks, Scooter. You have great people skills.