Coach attemtping steals in the last inning when the team is losing....

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.

Feb 17, 2014
551
28
Some coaches don't know what they are doing. Imagine this scenario.

You're in the loser's bracket of Premier PGF. Your team is down by 1 with the bases loaded, no outs. The next 3 batters in your lineup are committed to Lousiana-Lafayette, Indiana, & Kentucky. All 3 of them are amazing hitters. Coach bunts 3 times in a row and 3 outs were force outs at home.

Saw that happen to end a season.
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
Some coaches don't know what they are doing. Imagine this scenario.

You're in the loser's bracket of Premier PGF. Your team is down by 1 with the bases loaded, no outs. The next 3 batters in your lineup are committed to Lousiana-Lafayette, Indiana, & Kentucky. All 3 of them are amazing hitters. Coach bunts 3 times in a row and 3 outs were force outs at home.

Saw that happen to end a season.
Sometimes coaches outthink themselves with the possible motivation being them getting praise for their brilliant coaching strategies...of course like you said, some coaches are also just idiots.
 
Oct 4, 2018
4,611
113
Never make the first or third out at 3B, right?

I totally get stealing in younger ages. It's almost a given. But in this scenario it doesn't sound like good coaching.
 
May 17, 2012
2,804
113
My daughter has just ended a travel season with a team that had lots of talent, but also had lots of issues. One pet peeve of mine I saw over and over again - the coach attempting steals at the end of the game (or tournament) when the tying run wasn't even on deck.

This is 16U. I saw this scenario several times: we're playing a game that is a must-win (deep in bracket play where you're win or go home) and we're down by two or more runs. Two outs (!) and runner gets to first. Then the coach sends her to steal second. Then he sends her to steal third.

Yes - this runner is now in position to score on a base-hit or a ball that gets past the catcher, but why are you giving the other team two chances to get out of the game with a throw-down?

It makes slightly more sense with one out, but I saw this exact fact-pattern at least once this past season where we needed 5 runs. 5 runs! You can't win this game without a bunch of base-runners, and why are you risking outs to advance a runner that does not matter one bit to the outcome of the game (and tournament)?

But I'm open to other perspectives. Prove me wrong.

As a coach I love how every parent plays the result (and thinks they could do a better job calling the game).

Some of your thoughts above go against what analytics suggests.
 
Mar 7, 2016
242
28
See this is the kind of things I have to explain to parents at the end of game meetings. Parents asking me why i bunted so and so with so many outs instead of hitting etc... Im a numbers guy and when i have a player whose on base percentage is %5 hitting with a %75 strike out rate but has a %80 on base percentage in the short game when given the chance. I see the corners playing deep and go for the short game route. Now this is a scenario that played out for me in a semi final game and the girl slow rolls one back to the pitcher, game over. Tying run on third. People come out of the wood work asking why blah blah blah. Out 3 is out 3 no matter which way it happens. always go with your high percentage play. Take chances when it doesnt matter.

My point in that rambling is unless you ask the coach why then you wont know for future reference. If he has a solid reason then leave it alone, the coach sees more of the girls then any other spectator will. Also if you have a girl with flat out wheels, a slow catcher, a girl struggling to receive throws and down by two go with what ever puts pressure on the pitcher. Maybe the next girl up was struggling at the plate and he was hoping to draw a walk? Not saying what he did was right but pressure goes a long way in tight games. I dont know any coach that hasnt taken chances when you have 2 outs, bottom of the lineup and need a couple to tie. Like i said earlier out 3 is out 3.
 
May 17, 2012
2,804
113
Which ones specifically? Actually he only presented one scenario. Down by 2+ with 2 outs and attempting to steal 2nd and 3rd. You saying analytics suggest otherwise to that scenario? Go on..........

Runner on 1B with two outs stealing is a different scenario from a runner on 2B with two outs stealing. The OP mentioned at least 4 different scenarios.

FYI: From a Run Expectancy probability stealing in any scenario is bad math (and yet teams still do it, and for a good reason!).

The mother/father/grandparent/sister/brother/aunt/uncle that plays the result after fact is a tired act. You were down 5 with two outs and complaining about the coaches tactics? Umm.....yeah.
 
Aug 29, 2011
2,581
83
NorCal
IDK, down 5 and trying to steal in the last inning sounds like a stupid coaching decision that should be questioned. Unless your success rate on SBs is close to 100% the math is way against you. I mean maybe 10U your trying to open the possibility of 1B being open to DK3 but doubt that goes into the thinking at 16U.
 
Mar 28, 2014
1,081
113
Runner on 1B with two outs stealing is a different scenario from a runner on 2B with two outs stealing. The OP mentioned at least 4 different scenarios.

FYI: From a Run Expectancy probability stealing in any scenario is bad math (and yet teams still do it, and for a good reason!).

The mother/father/grandparent/sister/brother/aunt/uncle that plays the result after fact is a tired act. You were down 5 with two outs and complaining about the coaches tactics? Umm.....yeah.
So which of his thoughts go against analytics?
 
May 3, 2018
75
18
I can see stealing 2B to eliminate the force play if I'm confident she can get there safely. I'm not sure I see the justification of stealing 3B though.
 

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
42,830
Messages
679,478
Members
21,445
Latest member
Bmac81802
Top