Catcher signal improper?

[Coach JV]

I heard over the weekend that a catcher on a 14U team we play frequently
has a signal she gives to the pitcher to hit the batter. None of opposing girls were hit
at the game I saw yesterday,

BUT.............

I did see her let a ball go by and hit the umpire that may have been intentional,
as she and the plate ump were not on the same plane for the Ball/strike calls.

Does anyone have a catcher with that much 'grit'?

 

[softball_chic_12]

oh my gosh......i as a pitcher would never intentially hit a batter. and i as a catcher would never signal for the pitcher to throw and try to hit the batter! i can't even fathom that. If i didn't agree with the strike zone, then after a close call have my catcher ask why it was a ball or if it's really bad i will let my coach know my opinion and have them deal with the ump.

 

[absdad]

That's ridiculous imo. I've taught my dd to treat the ump with respect (yes mam, yes sir). Always ask, be polite, etc. When blues get a little grief, I'm sure that zone starts to shrink...

 

[andyh64000]

Wow. I have never heard of this. When I caught we had a sign for pitch-out (closed fist)...maybe the girls talking about the strange sign were confused. I can't imagine any coach allowing his Catcher/Pitcher to try to intentionally harm a batter or umpire.

 

[fastpitch]

I have seen coaches call fastballs inside to girls who looked too comfortable at the plate telling their pitcher, "If you hit them; you hit them."

 

[GOINGDEEP]

Look, lets not all get too crazy. If anyone thinks a coach at the college level ( whether he or she admits it ) doesn't have a 'bang the batter' pitch, your mistaking. I've pitched D1, if I go 3 balls to a BIG hitter and the strike zone is small, the coached called a 'hard hit'. Heck my DD at the HS level had 3 'hard hit' calls this season. I know I'll get so much slack from this post but it happens. It's all part of the game. It happens every day in the majors.

It has a purpose, it throws a big hitter off if you jam them. Even a softball.......ain't so soft.

 

[Lozza]

Yeah, there's ALWAYS a call for this from every decent catcher. I've never taken anyone out, but I know how to pitch to get a batter on edge.

Not letting a ball hit an umpire? DUMB, DUMB, DUMB. I've had my coach pull catchers who get stupid with umpires, there is no point getting upset with an umpire, he will just not call your strikes.

 

[Coach JV]

I never suggested that it was coaching (but it could be). Rumor mill says that the catcher has taken it upon herself.
Now, I do know that many good pitchers (those with 'killer instinct') will throw high and inside
to keep a good hitter on her toes. At this age, I do not agree with throwing at a batter, but a good catcher
is generally the toughest player on the team thus showing TRUE GRIT.

If MLB calls it, why wouldn't softball coaches at a high level have it hidden deep within their arsenal

 

[Torontonian]

I would never have my kid's team, purposely hit a batter. Not only it could hurt the kid, it can get ugly and them coming back to try to hurt our kids. So for me as a coach it's a no no.

OTOH, I recently talked to the coach of another team. They have a U14 boy, 6' tall, pitches high 50s and low 60s. When this kid was at a pitching lesson with a renowed pitcher (who went to many international competitions), he told him to hit a batter early in the game. His rationale is the kid is a dominant pitcher in the league with a hard throw. Hit a batter, and let them know he can do it.

 

[mad hornet]

This takes me back to my teenage baseball days. My catcher (unbeknownst to our coach) had a sign for "miscommunicated pitch-out" if the ump had a tiny strike zone. Only used it a few times on the "jello bros" (300+ lb umpires) as we called them. It didn't open up the strike zone any but we had some fun with it. "Oops sorry you got drilled blue......" Boys will be boys.

Would never coach my girls to try it however.