Pitchers are like the cheese in a mousetrap; they initialize the whole chain reaction. It all starts with them. However, you can't remove any pieces of the mousetrap (the board, the spring, the latch, etc.) and still have a functioning mousetrap, cheese or not. Every piece must be there for the system to function. In that sense, they are equally important.
Dealing with a delusional parent who thinks he is a coach
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- Jun 18, 2010
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Except they are not all equally important. Every position on defense could be considered interchangeable except the pitcher and catcher their positions require skills that make them unique.
WARRIORMIKE
Pro-Staff Everything
Sometimes winning isnt always about winning. Its only rec ball.
Talk to him. Tell him the situation in a professional manner. Don't attack him. If he doesn't like what you have to say and he pulls his dd off then it is what it is. This was why I had my dd take pitching lessons. In case I needed a pitcher . I had one in my back pocket.
Talk to him. Tell him the situation in a professional manner. Don't attack him. If he doesn't like what you have to say and he pulls his dd off then it is what it is. This was why I had my dd take pitching lessons. In case I needed a pitcher . I had one in my back pocket.
Spoken like a true pitcher's parent. It astounds me that you believe the skills required to be a 1B vs CF vs SS are interchangeable. All positions require skills that make them unique (possible exception of the 3 outfield and the middle infield positions). Take a girl who has played 2B all her life, and put her in center and have her track a flyball and catch it that is hit straight over her head back to the fence.
Touche', but in reality, I would have the same problem dealing with a non-pitching parent of a girl I coached since 8U. It seems easy to tell the father to take a hike, but being relatively certain he would pull her from the team against her wishes complicates things a little. That part, which is my only reluctance, really has nothing to do with her being a pitcher.
- Jun 18, 2010
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- 38
I'll let it go. Good luck with your rec team.
I would agree that each position has unique features, however, a good ball-player should be able to play every position (except P and C) with reasonable competency. To use your example of a 2B, if they don't know how to drop-step and chase down a fly ball over their head, they haven't been coached very well. This is a skill that every OF and IF should know how to do.
I see what you are saying, and I'm sure Knight meant something similar, but we all know that girls specialize as they get older. There are different arm angles and throwing motions used in the infield vs outfield. It sounds like you are implying you could pop a good 2B in the outfield and have no drop off in effectiveness over the normal OF. We all know that isn't true. And teaching a drop step and chasing a ball is different from properly judging and being able to catch a deep fly on the run. There are definitely more overlapping skills at the positions other than P and C, so if that is what you are saying, I agree. Also, a good ball player that had put as much time into pitching or catching as they did into fielding and throwing would be competent at those positions as well. I'm not arguing the unique skills, but as a coach of all girls on the team, I can't let myself be convinced that one position is more important than another. Pitcher is important, but so is the RF if a team pounds balls that way all day.
- Jul 17, 2015
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There is a greater investment of time, money and emotional support to develop a reliable pitcher than there is with other positions. Position players at rec level can take a few months off from softball and be ready to play again with a few weeks of practice to knock off the rust. Pitchers need to work year round, even if they only pitch at the rec level. Sure, it takes nine players to win in SB. However, a team with a stud pitcher (and a decent #2 P) and stud C with a so-so supporting cast will go farther than a team with seven stud position players and so-so pitchers and catchers.
To the point of the OP, the developmental needs of the pitcher in question mostly likely doesn't track with the needs of the team. She probably needs to move on to a situation that lets her develop and grow. The father may or may not be a jerk, but the pitcher is getting to the age where the name on the back of the uniform is more important the name on the front of the uniform.
To the point of the OP, the developmental needs of the pitcher in question mostly likely doesn't track with the needs of the team. She probably needs to move on to a situation that lets her develop and grow. The father may or may not be a jerk, but the pitcher is getting to the age where the name on the back of the uniform is more important the name on the front of the uniform.
- Nov 29, 2009
- 2,975
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That's why most of the good teams only have names on the front.
