Coaches, tell me how you handle pool play.

[Lobster Birch]

The coach of my DD's 12U B team plays his starting 1st baseman and SS every inning of every of every pool game. Sometime the 3rd baseman also if she doesn't pitch Saturday. 2nd base sees a little variation, but only between two girls, one who is a very good middle infielder and the other is the daughter of an assistant coach.

The batting order is the same every game as well.

What are your thoughts on this? How do you approach pool play? Are you trying to develop players or are you putting the the best players you can out there so you get a higher ceding?

 

[canyonjoe]

Assuming we don't have too many players we generally bat the whole lineup each game in pool and keep the same order. We move players around and try to give the kids pitching the next game off in the field if possible.

The only time that changes if if we play in one where you have to be top seed to play in Gold bracket. If so we'll move around a little less. If every team is in gold bracket we will pitch all the pitchers,etc.

Outside of losing on purpose, we also always try to avoid the 8:00 game on Sunday.

 

[GunnerShotgun]

It depends on how bracket play is seeded. If there is an advantage to doing well in pool play than we will play to win. Those advantages could be number of games in a day, playing (or not playing) certain teams, playing at a certain time in bracket play (or not).

If there is no advantage in bracket play then pool play is just practice....everybody plays, everybody bats, roll the lineups, play kids in their second and third positions, etc.

Proper tournaments seed bracket play independent of pool play. Pool play importance is different for every organization (NSA, PGF, ASA, USSSA, etc.). You need to know this when you schedule your tournaments. If every tournament you play in requires going all out in pool play then you did your schedule wrong.

 

[grcsftbll]

We're also 12U. In pool usually everyone bats whether it seeds or not. When do they get reps if not pool? Pool is where we'll try girls in new positions or give reps to the lower string girls but how much of that depends on the seeding. This weekend one pool splits the teams into a gold and silver bracket. We're still batting everyone but besides that, it's play to win positions and not a lot of moving them around. It also depends who we play in pool.

 

[Rocketech1]

IME, it's a balance between letting all players play and trying to be competitive in every game. Doing well in pool play may mean you get farther in the tournament (i.e. a high seed, more games and experience) than playing your bench players. In general, bat the entire line-up in pool play and your best 9 in bracket play. If it's a qualifier or single elimination, you put your best players out there. On travel ball teams, DD played many friendlies/scrimmages where everyone got lots of playing time, during tournaments her TB teams generally were trying to win as many games as possible. With that said, her last TB team 14U showcase team, the coach said they would only have 12 players and it worked out great. The 3 pitchers were rotated freely, and all players got to be seen by college coaches, especially in the fall. Spring was about qualifying for PGF or other national tournament and the best players played the majority if the time. Right or wrong, many coaches and families like to be part of a winning organization...

 

[RichK]

On young 'B' teams pool play can be tough, you'd like to get girls more playing time at different positions but sometimes if you move a girl off an important position like SS or C everything breaks down and you lose the flow of the whole game and everyone's play and opportunity to learn suffers (even setting aside pool record into bracket seeding).

At 12U I think it's always a mix of development and trying to win, but players should earn their time at certain positions and spots in the order...that's how they improve. That said, back in the day we'd always bat everyone in pool and do more position switching then in brackets, sure....

 

[marriard]

The coach of my DD's 12U B team plays his starting 1st baseman and SS every inning of every of every pool game. Sometime the 3rd baseman also if she doesn't pitch Saturday. 2nd base sees a little variation, but only between two girls, one who is a very good middle infielder and the other is the daughter of an assistant coach.

The batting order is the same every game as well.

What are your thoughts on this? How do you approach pool play? Are you trying to develop players or are you putting the the best players you can out there so you get a higher ceding?

This is all really dependent of how my roster is and who they are.

In general - with a roster of players who can PLAY decently and without a massive skill difference.

- I am looking to see how I avoid the 8am game on Sunday. I am also looking to see if there is a bye in the bracket for finishing high in the pool and if there is a reasonable path there. This may involve going all out in a particular game.
- If the plan fails and in all other games/scenarios I am moving my fielders around a lot during pool play, tweaking my batting order and so on. If I am down 10 or up 10 then I am working the players around.
- If I have 3 pitchers, they all get a start and in most cases a pretty long leash
- Apart from sleeping in, I don't really care all that much about pool game results.

HOWEVER
- Sometimes the difference in current ability and skill in my roster means I don't have a lot of choice at certain positions. I am NOT going to play someone at SS who is not ready. I am not putting someone at 1st base who struggles to catch. I am not putting someone in the infield who wont get behind the ball. I wont put someone in the outfield if they are more likely to have the ball hit their face than the glove. And so on.
- I am also not putting any player somewhere where their lack of skills or current ability could get them hurt.
- I am also not rewarding anyone who hasn't earned a shot. If you haven't put the work in, hustled at practice, had a good attitude, etc, etc - then I am not moving someone who has from a spot they earned.
- I am rewarding players for their practices and work as much as I can. But you have to earn and show it.

The real first step in development happens at practices where you earn your shot - and this has to happen before in game experience happens.

Also if I am LOSING a lot, sometimes you just need to find a win. By this I mean there is a 'team happy zone' for most teams. When you are winning less than 30% of your games, families get nasty, small issues become big issues, etc.

 

[quincy]

There is very few tournaments I care if we win, competitive yes.

Forget pool, #3 pitch might start champion game. She needs to be ready.

Maybe team is diminished in individual game but they get hurt, vacation, what ever.

Very seldom is our best team on the field.

 

[dgh31]

I make all three lineups prior to Saturday. I switch the batting order so that girls who will get less at bats on Sunday get more at bats on Saturday. All girls bat on Saturday every time. I try to sit everyone out devensively the same number of innings (as much as possible). I have 3 pitchers so I try to let each one pitch a complete game on Saturday. I try to guess which opponent will be the toughest game. Sometimes I'm right and often I'm wrong. I try to put my best pitcher against the toughest team. I move girls all around on Saturday.

Sometimes I really want to win the third game (maybe the difference between an 8:00 am start and an 11:00 am start) and I'm tempted to throw away my lineup I made during the week where we have weaker batters hitting higher but I never do. I stick to the plan and we do our best.

 

[Fort83]

Also if I am LOSING a lot, sometimes you just need to find a win. By this I mean there is a 'team happy zone' for most teams. When you are winning less than 30% of your games, families get nasty, small issues become big issues, etc.

I am seeing this on DD's team right now. Our coach is leaving in the pitcher's who she gives private lessons to way to long and not letting the 2 other pitchers on the team pitch much. It get's really tough to watch a group of girls who are all in at the start of the game, to coming off the field after the 1st inning beat. As a parent I do not understand how a coach could let a pitcher allow 5+ runs on 1 or 2 hits without even going out there to talk to them let alone yelling at the catcher (DD) when she goes out. Can you explain any of that to me?