Calling pitches - by the parents?

[ms244]

The last tournament we played we ran into a situation during our final game that I wanted your feedback on. It started in the third inning and lasted the last three innings of the game. The parents that was sitting behind home plate and towards their dugout started calling pitch positions. Our catcher was setting up too soon behind the plate (her fault) but the parents began shouting "inside" or "outside" on every pitch. They mounted a rally and beat us sending us home.

I have watched games where base runners on second would signal the batter of a pitch call, or sometimes a coach or player in the dugout would say something, but a parent outside the field?

To me, this is Bush League. Let the coaches coach and let the players play. Parents should watch, cheer and buy junk food at the concession stand. Stay out of the game!

 

[MandM]

Of course its Bush League but truthfully- if this was the worst parent behavior that you encountered in TB, you would be lucky Counsel your girls to avoid this in the future

 

[David Carter]

Couple easy fixes....tell your catcher to stop setting up so early or between innings have your catcher chat up the umpire " I have been hearing some parents tipping off batters to pitch location so during this inning I might set up inside for a pitch that is really going outside, just don't want you to think my pitcher is getting wild and to expect the pitch to not always be where I set up...thanks" then you can mix things up make sure pitcher pitches to where you signal and not set up, you could also have the catcher stay in the middle and not give away position.

Anyway your options are many and they are all simple in game adjustment no reason for this to be the reason you lost...which I can probably imagine was only one of many factors.

 

[MTR]

Please, stop the excuses. Who cares, teach the kids how to play the game. The only place those parents had any affect was in your head.

 

[Lenski]

Calling out the pitch location did not cause your team to lose the game. The game was lost because the other team scored more runs than your team.

 

[ms244]

Calling out the pitch location did not cause your team to lose the game. The game was lost because the other team scored more runs than your team.

True, the parents calling out the pitch location did not cause us to lose the game, but then again I never said that it did. I thought that I asked politely if anyone else had this happen to them. There were several factors why we lost the game, this is just one of them.

 

[ms244]

Couple easy fixes....tell your catcher to stop setting up so early or between innings have your catcher chat up the umpire " I have been hearing some parents tipping off batters to pitch location so during this inning I might set up inside for a pitch that is really going outside, just don't want you to think my pitcher is getting wild and to expect the pitch to not always be where I set up...thanks" then you can mix things up make sure pitcher pitches to where you signal and not set up, you could also have the catcher stay in the middle and not give away position.


Anyway your options are many and they are all simple in game adjustment no reason for this to be the reason you lost...which I can probably imagine was only one of many factors.

I am not a coach of this team so for me to instruct the players on how to play is a little out of my control. You did offer some good advice that I will forward to the coaching staff.

 

[NVfishing]

True, the parents calling out the pitch location did not cause us to lose the game, but then again I never said that it did. I thought that I asked politely if anyone else had this happen to them. There were several factors why we lost the game, this is just one of them.

Yes. Had it happen with my older DD in U12. She still kicked their butts. The parent was even telling them if it was high or low. It was annoying so I said something. The parent stopped.

I also had a coach count timing my youngest DD's pitches last year. He would tell his girls to swing on three. It helped their girls get a feel for the speed of the ball and they were making contact. We won that game to.

 

[coach james]

A&E... this is what I repeatedly say to my players. Attitude and Effort!
Focus ALL of your attention into what you CAN control. A parent in the stands, a bad umpire, poor weather, etc. We can't control those things but we can always control our A&E.
BTW... the parent calling pitches is in my opinion bush league, and won't last, a good umpire would shut that down.

 

[MTR]

BTW... the parent calling pitches is in my opinion bush league, and won't last, a good umpire would shut that down.

A "good" umpire wouldn't address it.