Hilarious article out of New Jersey

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Jul 14, 2018
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I was fully prepared to be outraged by the article, but I was disappointed. The players had to run? Someone scraped their knee because the balls were coming too fast in an infield drill? Even the hit batter drill -- you have to know how to take a pitch that's going to hit you (or when you have to take one for the team, ahem, Brett Gardner). I honestly worry that stories like this obscure coaches and programs that are a real problem.

I don't think it's uncommon for coaches taking over a program to want to weed out the previous coach's players. And players leaving en masse after a coaching change isn't too uncommon either (look at Oregon). Butler sounds like a tough coach, but not a monster.
 
Apr 16, 2013
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A few years back I was watching a D1 baseball game. The batter got hit by the pitcher. I was amazed at how he simply turned in and let it hit him. No shrugging, no jumping back or being afraid, he simply turned in and let it hit him. The next batter, SAME THING! I told myself that was practiced. No way you can't take a hit like that without jumping back, showing zero pain, and shrug it off like it was nothing. All I can say is KUDOS to the coach for instilling that in them.

My DD played baseball thru 14u. To say she was purposely plunked on a few occasions is an understatement. She took pride in showing zero pain, no matter how much it did or didn't hurt. A few times she looked at the pitcher, shrugged on her way to first, and gladly took her base. I must have abused the hell out of her! By today's standards, I'm sure I did.
 

Strike2

Allergic to BS
Nov 14, 2014
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My kid plays D1 ball.

She doesn't call six 100 yard sprints "emotional abuse", she calls it Tuesday's warm up or something like that.


I didn't think it was funny. It's the time limit for each rep, not the number. The alleged reason is eye-brow raising as well, and there's much more than that. With the number of players choosing to transfer or leave the game all together...over half the team...there's a problem there.
 
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Feb 17, 2014
7,152
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Orlando, FL
...With the number of players choosing to transfer or leave the game all together...over half the team...there's a problem there.
Butler was brought in to fix a program that was in the pits. That is what she and her husband do. This type of exodus is normal in such circumstances. I first saw Butler when she was in TB and have known both her and Smith for well over well over a decade. Full disclosure, we were at their wedding. Was not there at Rutgers so I am not privy to details, but will say that if you are a snowflake or entitled brat there is no room for you in their program. They know what it takes to build a winning program and you are either all in or you are out.
 
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Jun 11, 2012
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There’s always a decent amount of turnover on college teams for a multitude of reasons but when that many players leave and they all tell the same story there has got to be something going on.
DD’s team lost 2 after last season, both freshmen, one who was really homesick and one who didn’t play much and decided not to play. And 2 freshmen quit after fall ball this year. Both are transferring elsewhere in January, both are overwhelmed being in the middle of a city after growing up in a small town.

Maybe the coach was trying to get rid of certain players, maybe she’s got a short fuse and punished them for little things by running. Who knows. But I hardly think it’s funny
 
Jan 5, 2018
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PNW
Butler was brought in to fix a program that was in the pits. That is what she and her husband do. This type of exodus is normal in such circumstances. I first saw Butler when she was in TB and have known them both her and Smith for well over well over a decade. Full disclosure, we were at their wedding. Was not there at Rutgers so I am not privy to details, but will say that if you are a snowflake or entitled brat there is no room for you in their program. They know what it takes to build a winning program and you are either all in or you are out.

I can't speak to the allegations in the article, but we did have some exposure to coach Smith. My DD (a incoming HS freshman at the time) attended a camp this summer where Smith was one of the college coaches participating. Watching the camp from the stands...there was no doubt Smith was loud and direct in his approach, more along the lines of a football coach. He had a clear message, hustle from station to station, work hard, no lollygagging, be ready when your turn was up, pay attention, don't be talking when coaches are talking etc. It was clear he would be a no nonsense type of guy. My DD's comment after camp was coach Smith "is tough but he expects you to be doing your job not screwing around....some of the girls in this camp just don't get it."

There's tough coaches, discipline, and high expectations. And then there's abuse. I can't tell from the article which it is...but I'm not sure what was hilarious about the article.
 
Feb 25, 2018
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Sure, have high standards and expectations, but conditioning should be conditioning, not a punishment. That's drill Sargent stuff.

As far as the inappropriate language/poor taste jokes, very unprofessional.
 
Oct 19, 2019
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It's the time limit for each rep, not the number.

Before you get a uniform on my kid's team you run 16 110 yard sprints, so goal line to back of end zone, you have to run them all in under 18 seconds, you have 30 seconds between sprints to get your **** together.

I think pitchers get 20 seconds instead of 18. I'm not sure why.
 

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