Cardinal Sin of Coaching?

[southpaw coach]

As a travel ball coach I have listened with curiousity as parents explain why they pulled dd off a team because the coach benched her in the middle of an inning for "making an error". I have heard another coach make a public apology to his team for doing that to a player.

Is this an unwritten rule?

Now I would never pull a player in the middle of an inning just for making an error. But, suppose my second baseman let a grounder get by her that was three feet either side of her because she barely made a move to get it? No effort? No hustle? Hurting the team? I say she comes out.

I learned early on to be careful when removing a pitcher from the circle in the middle of an inning putting her at another position. If the pitcher is just tired and knows she's done, ok. But if she is upset at her performance or upset about being pulled, she'll be useless at any position in the field.

I can honestly say I've benched a lot of pitchers mid inning. Only benched two other fielders in the middle of an inning however. One happened to be my kid. Both times, lack of hustle / effort. No one pulled their kid off my team and I never apologized.

Just curious about what others on the forum think. Thanks.

 

[Lozza]

It's not something I'd blink an eye at. I personally would wait for the end of the inning, but I wouldn't pull a child from a team, or apologise to my team for doing so.

 

[Don]

Happened to my DD recently. One error and she was pulled from the game in the middle of the inning. Wasn't lack of hustle or effort, she misjudged a fly ball to left field and let one drop that could have been caught. I wouldn't have minded if it had been the only error made by the team, but this was one of those "nothing goes right innings", it wasn't the first error of the inning, and certainly wasn't the last; she was just the only one to get pulled out in the middle of the inning.

I don't have a problem with a coach pulling someone mid-inning, and although I felt bad for my daughter and that long run in from left field, I certainly didn't pull her from the team. I just wish that there was some consistency. My DD is scared now that she'll make one mistake and get pulled out, while others on the team know that they won't get pulled, no matter what they do.

 

[team mom]

Happens on our team not every tournament, but not uncommon. Usually for forgetting to do something that was asked. I.e. outfielder not moving (and not backing up the corner bases on throws) or 2B forgetting to cover 1B on bunt attempt. There is no fuss, no yelling, just a quick substitution. The player will not make that mistake again ( at least not that day.) Of course, this is 10U with free substitution, so it is not a huge deal.

 

[southpaw coach]

Happened to my DD recently. One error and she was pulled from the game in the middle of the inning. Wasn't lack of hustle or effort, she misjudged a fly ball to left field and let one drop that could have been caught. I wouldn't have minded if it had been the only error made by the team, but this was one of those "nothing goes right innings", it wasn't the first error of the inning, and certainly wasn't the last; she was just the only one to get pulled out in the middle of the inning.

I don't have a problem with a coach pulling someone mid-inning, and although I felt bad for my daughter and that long run in from left field, I certainly didn't pull her from the team. I just wish that there was some consistency. My DD is scared now that she'll make one mistake and get pulled out, while others on the team know that they won't get pulled, no matter what they do.

I would not have pulled her mid-inning in the situation you've described. Honest mistakes are going to happen. The one time I pulled a centerfielder she already had a (I know this is hard to believe with girls) pissy attitude. Ball was hit in the gap and she litterally jogged after it to the fence. Before I could get off my bucket her dad was telling me to get her out of there.

 

[Coach JV]

On more than one occasion I have seen a coach undress his catcher
mid-inning. I have never done it to any player before inning end!
If a player doesn't hustle or misses a routine play, they know!
Pulling them before the end of an inning makes it a powder keg ready
to blow and leaves parents something to rant about. My defensive
substitution comes in the next defensive change-over

 

[southpaw coach]

On more than one occasion I have seen a coach undress his catcher
mid-inning. I have never done it to any player before inning end!
If a player doesn't hustle or misses a routine play, they know!
Pulling them before the end of an inning makes it a powder keg ready
to blow and leaves parents something to rant about. My defensive
substitution comes in the next defensive change-over

Do you have limits? Suppose three routine balls in a row hit to your 2b and due to lack of effort and hustle you now have runners on 2nd and 3rd with no outs and you're about to blow what was a comfortable lead. How long to you let her continue to hurt the team?

 

[Amy in AZ.]

It is not done very often, at all, and seemingly not at all in MLB. Pitchers, yes.

 

[chinamigarden]

I have 2 big rules. They are the same rules regardless of the sport. I tell every team that they owe these 2 things to the team.
1. Effort. You will give you best effort for everything you do when on the team
2. Pay attention. To the game, to the practices and to your responsibilities.

If you are giving the team an honest effort and are paying attention to what you are supposed to pay attention to. I will live happily with the result. If a girl boots a grounder that she hustled to, I can accept that. If a girl backs up the play like she is supposed to but the ball gets by her, I can live with that. Those girls would not be pulled.

A girl lets a ball get by because she wasn't paying attention. Or she misses a sign. Then we are going to have a conversation. I don't remember pulling a player mid inning, but if it happens it would be for violating one of my 2 main rules.

 

[Coach JV]

Do you have limits? Suppose three routine balls in a row hit to your 2b and due to lack of effort and hustle you now have runners on 2nd and 3rd with no outs and you're about to blow what was a comfortable lead. How long to you let her continue to hurt the team?

I have never recruited/coached a girl who misses 3 routine balls in a row.
That girl is weeded out during try outs, this is youth softball, not the 'end-all'
game of the world......