Coaches calling ptches

[Screwball]

I have a regional near me and saw some games there and on TV. Only one coach does not call pitches. I heard/saw that Taylor at Michigan shakes off pitches (calls pitches from the circle was what Smith said) but could not tell on TV if the coach was calling.

I did see coaches getting flustered having to call pitches, write on a clipboard and manage other aspects under pressure. A few head coaches call pitches, many have an assistant do it.

The strike zone is very small in regionals compared to the regular season.

My main peeve: The coaches keep calling a pitch that has NOT been called a strike all inning, one the pitcher probably got in the regular season. No time outs, no adjustments. But let's just say that screwballs started leaving the yard and there were some hits on 3-2 and walks.

The best pitch caller was one head coach who did NOT have a clipboard with him and who did not talk to the pitch charter during the inning. It is interesting to see this stuff and I would like to go back today and watch some more. I could sort of see what types of papers the charters were writing on.

FYI: Another Bristow article on charting pitches. http://www.softballexcellence.com/dugout/strategy/charting_catcher_called_games/

 

[chinamigarden]

Taylor at Michigan calls her own game. Basically the catcher runs through all the signs until she gets to the one that Taylor wants to throw.but its Taylor who decides what to throw.

 

[chinamigarden]

I went to the Michigan game today and a coach was definitely signalling to the catcher before every pitch.

 

[sluggers]

Michigan's coach decided to call the pitches for today's games. It worked out pretty well, until the end.

The coaches keep calling a pitch that has NOT been called a strike all inning, one the pitcher probably got in the regular season.

That is part of the problem with coaches calling pitches. The pitcher and catcher should be constructing a "model" of the umpire's strike zone. (As I've said before, the official strike zone described in the rule book is mythology.) So, they should know what is or is not a strike.

In the ASU-SDSU, Michelle Smith discussed this. She said she and her catcher called all the pitches in college, pro, and Team USA

But, these days, you have coaches not willing to let 12U pitchers call a game.