Classless or part of the Game?

[BB875]

This thread has really gotten off track for sure. My only comment which seems irrelevant now happend when my DD#2 was 10U (she started college this year). I was the HC on our TB team. We were playing in a pretty tight game and the parents ont he opposing team were cheerring EXTREMELY loud. They would go crazy when my kids didn't execute a play on defense or struck out at the plate. At one point when we were on defense in like the 3rd inning the wheels were ready to come off the cart. A lot had to do with the intimidation factor. I called time and got all the fielders to come to the circle. I told them the only way to shut those parents up is to make a play. You know they are loud for one reason and that is to put pressure on you. Make a play and it will stop. We did and barely won the game. It was a learining experience for me and the kids. Its total bush league in my opinion to attempt to interfere with the play on the field.

Last Saturday in a tourney game, the opposing pitcher was totally giving away her off speed pitch. I could have relayed that info to my batters. Instead, I let the HC of the other team know what she was doing so he could correct it. The kid is a talented pitcher with a nice change. My baters need to pick that stuff up on their own. Recognizing tendancies when a pitcher throws an off speed pitch and relaying the info to the rest of the team is not my job, its theirs. (I'm talking in TB).

 

[Classof2020]

Last Saturday in a tourney game, the opposing pitcher was totally giving away her off speed pitch. I could have relayed that info to my batters. Instead, I let the HC of the other team know what she was doing so he could correct it. The kid is a talented pitcher with a nice change. My baters need to pick that stuff up on their own. Recognizing tendancies when a pitcher throws an off speed pitch and relaying the info to the rest of the team is not my job, its theirs. (I'm talking in TB).

I don't understand this at all. That seems to be something you would teach your players - part of learning to be a smart batter. I have never once that that this was cheating in some way. If you were yelling out "change" every time you thought it was coming that might be different.

 

[smddad]

I'm new to the fastpitch realm, but couldn't jeering the pitcher cause some some balls to start coming in high and tight? Is that even a thing with a softball? My daughter is starting kid pitch next spring, so like I said, I don't know the etiquette or tradition here. I'm an old codger, but back in the day, we wouldn't have done it in little league to any kid with a fastball and a modicum of control.

DD has been known to come in high and tight on a few occasions.

 

[CMMom1740]

One other thing I think is complete bush league is when girls in the opposing team's dugout yell "Got it!" when a ball goes up and fielders are going for it. With the aim being for a fielder to think her teammate has it and to quit going after the ball. That is trashy IMHO.

 

[BStine]

I ran into this behavior for the first time this summer and I can tell you what my impression of it was in one word: pathetic.

My DD plays on a part-time C team. The girls have to be in our local house league, so I guess you could call it a travelling all-star team. They are a pretty good 12U team, so even though they are C they played in a few B and open tournaments. My DD is the main pitcher. She's not big at 5'1" and 90lbs and her speed is right at average, but she has really good control of three pitches (fb, change, and screw), and a curve that is almost there.

They were in one B tournament facing a lot of good, full-time teams. Some of the players on the other teams looked huge. They beat the team that would go onto win the tournament in pool play and they were great sports. (One of my favorite softball memories was seeing their players watch my DD warm up while elbowing each other and all but drooling over her speed, and then have her strike out 7 of the first 8 girls she faced.) Even though they were clearly frustrated losing to some all-star team they thought they would kill, they still played hard, cheered loud (and for their players), and their parents behaved themselves.

Then in bracket we ended up in the semi against another good full-time team. Same thing happens in warm ups with the same results. We jump out to a 3-0 lead and it rattles them and they don't take it well. Mainly their parents. After about 3 innings, a few dads from their team start banging on the fence and screaming while my DD is pitching. Grown men, red faced and screaming, trying to intimidate a bunch of 12 year olds. Their bench got in on it too, but it was mainly the dads. It worked. Our team got flustered. They made a little more contact, we booted the ball around a bit, and by the end of the game several of our girls were crying (including DD). They ended up winning 4-3. They eventually lost to the team we had beaten the previous day, so at least we had that!

During the game our HC asked both the ump and their HC to control them but nothing was done. I'm no shrinking violet, but I wasn't about to confront them and possibly start a fight over a softball game. What I do wish I had thought to do was video those men and email it to their org later. That idea came to me on the ride home.

Here's the thing. Even though I thought it was sad and pathetic, I know that from their perspective we were "losers" who "couldn't handle the heat". And that's fine. If it makes them feel better to behave in that way so their 12/13 year old daughter can win a plastic trophy, more power to them. I would never stoop so low and I would never let my daughter play for a coach or org that would either.

And for those who will say it: Yes, my DD will have to learn to deal with that sort of thing if she keeps playing. We'd never seen anything near that bad before. She can handle girls heckling her, but this was the first time she'd heard it from parents.

 

[WHEREAMI]

and to make it clear, what i don't have a problem with, is the beating the top of the dug outs with balls. I agree that most stuff is bush league, that you guys have mention. I get so focused on my girls, and looking at technique, that i usually don't hear or care what the other teams do. I have never been accused of doing any of these things from a coach or team. And i guess since I don't listen to the cheers, may be a reason I think its OK. IMO

 

[CMMom1740]

and to make it clear, what i don't have a problem with, is the beating the top of the dug outs with balls. I agree that most stuff is bush league, that you guys have mention. I get so focused on my girls, and looking at technique, that i usually don't hear or care what the other teams do. I have never been accused of doing any of these things from a coach or team. And i guess since I don't listen to the cheers, may be a reason I think its OK. IMO

But wouldn't you prefer for them to win the game without resorting to this kind of behavior? It is so bloody irritating and just smacks of bad sportsmanship to me. Yes, I've heard the argument that college teams do this stuff, and I think it's tacky as hell for them too.

 

[WHEREAMI]

But wouldn't you prefer for them to win the game without resorting to this kind of behavior? It is so bloody irritating and just smacks of bad sportsmanship to me. Yes, I've heard the argument that college teams do this stuff, and I think it's tacky as hell for them too.

I guess I might be the wrong one to ask, I think to many times that "fun" is being taken out of sports. I loved seeing the "fun bunch" from the Washington Redskins (and i'm a Cowboy's fan) and all the crazy NFL touchdown dances that the players use to come up with. Some see it as "rubbing it in", some like me, think they are just having fun. But the old saying comes to mind, if you don't like it, keep'em out of the endzone. I guess the same can go for all the cheers and noise. Win and they will shut up!

 

[CMMom1740]

I guess I might be the wrong one to ask, I think to many times that "fun" is being taken out of sports. I loved seeing the "fun bunch" from the Washington Redskins (and i'm a Cowboy's fan) and all the crazy NFL touchdown dances that the players use to come up with. Some see it as "rubbing it in", some like me, think they are just having fun. But the old saying comes to mind, if you don't like it, keep'em out of the endzone. I guess the same can go for all the cheers and noise. Win and they will shut up!

There's a difference between touchdown dances and deliberately trying to sabotage other players, though. That's not fun; it's bush league.

 

[Easton33]

Has anyone ever thought to ask the people responsible for paying for those dugouts or repairing those dugout if it's OK to beat on them with bats? If I ever catch my DD hitting a dugout with any part of that $350 bat she swings then she will start using low ends bats.

And I agree with u guys, it is Bush League. Someone once said that the class a player plays has a direct correlation with the class of the parents or coach. I am starting to agree to some extent.