Bunting question

[Greenmonsters]

What are you really teaching?

Life isn't fair so the W-L record doesn't always accurately reflect it, but if you've played some travel ball, without a doubt you quickly recognize that some teams have class and others don't have a clue.

For those of you who teach your kids to drop the bat to make it harder for the catcher to make the play, that's OK, its legal and gives your team an advantage, but I expect that you probably whine about it to blue when its done to you.

Do you also teach your catcher to leave a dropped bat (or accidentally intentionally kick it) so that its just up the 3B line and has to be stepped over/run around/slid through when the other team's runners are trying to score? Hey, its legal, right? Bet you don't say thank you when the other team's catcher does the right thing and tosses the bat out of the way so your own player (maybe your DD even) doesn't suffer a career ending injury in a similar situation.

When you're on defense, make sure to teach your catcher never to pick up the other team's bat and hand it to the next batter - make them bend over and pick it up themselves so they, not your C, expend extra energy and will tire out sooner, thus giving you the advantage.

There's plenty of other subtle and not so subtle borderline legal ways to get an edge, I wouldn't necessarily object to this approach if it regarded my IRS 1040 filing, but we're talking about girls fastpitch softball.

Please, in all seriousness, stop and think about what you really are trying to teach your players. If you teach them to respect the game, they also learn to respect themselves.

Greenmonsters

 

[mudbug]

I can understand how some are put-off by it, but its like argueing about the color of the sky being blue. Thats just the way it is. Thats how D1 college teaches, thats how the most elite teams teach. If you dont agree, by all means you are certainly free to not to do it that way.

Most bunters will drop the bat on the plate, its somewhat in the way regardless. Its just a minor extra effort intended to slow the catcher from getting the ball as quickly. Although its probably happened, I havent heard of many catcher injuring themselves by stepping on bats after bunted balls. Its always around there somewhere anyway.

This is trivial risk compared to 3B, 1B, and P not wearing facial protection, which MOST coaches will allow (although I have no idea why). I witnessed a 3B take a line drive to the face once that shattered her cheek, no one else wanted to play 3B the rest of that game.

 

[Mike]

I don't have any experience with college or elite teams yet (1st year 12u), but I see where you are coming from. Sounds logical.

 

[obbay]

When you're on defense, make sure to teach your catcher never to pick up the other team's bat and hand it to the next batter - make them bend over and pick it up themselves

Funny thing - on U10 Rec team I had no one covering home for a throw one time because the catcher was busy handing the bat to the next batter! Some parents were P.O.'d but I thought it was cute. A good example of the mindset of the age we were working with. That girl turned out to be our best catcher, but really didn't know what she was doing half the time.

At the end of the season, the same kid signed a ball for me and I asked her if she would write her number next to her name. When I got the ball back it had her number, but it was her phone number!

Kids!

 

[mudbug]

My own daughter stole 2B once at 12U , slid headfirst and was safe. The ball dropped out of the SS glove and it rolled away from the bag a few ft. She was laying there on her belly with one arm wrapped around the base still, she reached out and picked up the ball , looke up and politely handed it to the SS. The umpire just shook his head and laughed. She was just being polite, like she would in everyday life if someone dropped something. At least she held on to the base tight while doing it and the play was over with no other runners on base. I suppose she could have been called for interference ...

 

[rowdy]

No bunt close enough for the catcher to field is going to be anything but an out. If you are teaching your team to throw the bat in fair territory you are teaching them wrong. If the bat hits the ball the batter is out and the runner must return to the base they occupied on the pitch. The question is why are you bunting, to sacrifice the intention is to move the runner. If it is a drop bunt then the catcher is last person you want fielding it anyway.

 

[George R.]

Whether the bat is moving or not is moot. What is judged by the umpire is intent; basically if the bat is made to contact the ball it is interference. If the ball rolls into the bat, the bat is considered part of the field.

Yes, it does matter whether or not the bat is moving and, no, intent has nothing to do with it. If the bat rolls into the ball in fair territory, it's an out. If the ball rolls into the bat in fair territory, it's a live ball.