DD ordered to intentionally hit the batter

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.

Apr 29, 2013
98
0
My dd (16) was pitching yesterday and her team was struggling. The other team was making a gesture whenever the crossed the plate that our coach viewed as disrespectful, so he called a timeout and met with DD and her catcher. He instructed DD to intentionally hit the next batter. Throw it in her ribs. DD told me she was mortified and it upset her that he asked that of her. So she didn't do it. That batter ended up getting a hit off of her and coach was mad. They lost the W, and at the after game meeting, DD said it was obvious he and the catcher (coach's daughter) were both mad that DD didn't do as she was told. DD is beside herself about this, but I told her I am damned proud of her. It takes courage to stand up for yourself and do what you think is right no matter the consequences.

I am taking my cues from her, and letting her deal with this in her own way, supporting her. I don't intend to speak to the coach about it, but let me tell you I want to.

Is this something she's going to have to deal with a lot as she gets older? If so, I'm not sure she will want to continue pitching. Makes me sad and MAD.
 

Ken Krause

Administrator
Admin
May 7, 2008
3,911
113
Mundelein, IL
It comes up now and then. It really depends on the coach. I never asked a pitcher to intentionally hit a batter, and neither of my daughters were ever asked by another coach to do it. Can't say I didn't think about it now and then, but never did it.

Is this a new team for you? If not, has the coach ever done anything like that before? Maybe the other team's perceived slight set him off on a bad day. Anyone can have one of those.

Hopefully this was a one-time thing.
 
Apr 29, 2013
98
0
This is a new team for her. I'm hoping you're right and the coach was having a temporary moment of bad judgment. I'd hate to think he might ask her to do it again.
 
Aug 8, 2010
352
18
It is the old unwritten code of baseball. We don't play baseball. I had a pitcher do it on her own though once.
 

JJS

Jan 9, 2015
276
0
This is a new team for her. I'm hoping you're right and the coach was having a temporary moment of bad judgment. I'd hate to think he might ask her to do it again.

I'd talk to the coach. Nip this in the bud. Explain that your DD has too much class and sportsmanship to assault another player. Explain that a coach should know better. Then ask if this will be an issue, and if so ask for your team fees back.
 
Aug 8, 2010
352
18
Honestly, I didn't say a word to her. Previous at bat this girl hit a slow roller down the 1B line that the 1B fielded right on the line about 10 feet short of the bag. The 1B was going to tag the batter coming down the line and the batter instead of staying on her line, veered into the fielder and put her shoulder into her, knocking her down. It was a flagrant dirty play. Next time up she paid for it. I thought and thought about it, but couldn't bring myself to get on to her about it. She was protecting her teammate in her mind. She has excellent control (so I know it was intentional) and didn't head hunt. Put it right on her thigh.
 
Nov 25, 2012
1,437
83
USA
DD1 was asked to do it a couple of years ago. She put it as close as she could to appease the coach but did not hit her. I knew the coach had asked her to do it and waited for her to bring it up to me after the game but she didn't. So I asked her what he said and she told me he said to peg her as hard as she could. I asked her what she thought about it and she said "Dad, there was no way I was going to hit her on purpose. I pitched as close as I could without hitting her but I was not going to hit her on purpose." I told her I was proud of the decision she made and that it meant more than anything else that happened that day. And it still does 2 years later....
 
Jun 12, 2015
3,848
83
I'm pretty sure mine would have done the same. She's still very young but I just can't picture her hitting a batter on purpose.
 
Dec 5, 2012
4,143
63
Mid West
I'm not a fan of anyone who ever, for any reason intentionally hits a batter or orders a pitcher to do so. Baseball or softball....its irrelevant. We all have and have had moments we're not proud of, the point is to learn from those moments, and raise our children to be better than us.
Golden Rule.....always.....period!
 
Last edited:

Members online

No members online now.

Forum statistics

Threads
42,830
Messages
679,481
Members
21,445
Latest member
Bmac81802
Top