How much has the game changed in 20 years?

[sluggers]

Pitchers NEVER call the game. In softball or baseball. I’m not sure where you’re getting this idea that pitchers have ever called a game from?

Bob Gibson (the greatest pitcher ever) and Tim McCarver. Here is the interview:

To quote Tim McCarver: "Catchers learn that you don't handle a pitcher. The pitcher handles you." Go to 2:15 and listen. Gibson called the games, not McCarver.

Bull Durham is a fantasy.

Do you think Christian Vazquez was telling David Price what pitches to throw during the World Series? Or that Austin Barnes (???) was telling Clayton Kershaw what to throw? Get real.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Let’s see. There are the various age groups. 55 years ago, we had 16 and under or Adult league.
-various size balls
-various pitching distances
-ball pants for women
-our own diamonds
-no more hand me downs from boys leagues
-safe catching equipment
-the cost. I think I paid zero, to play.
-I saw my first metal bat, about 1970.

 

[Orange Socks]

Another change that is slowly happening is that as schools build new fields, they are increasing the distances. Our field is 200 down the line and 205 to center. However, it has an 8 foot fence.

DD's district realigns every 2 years. Most of the fields we have played on thus far are 200' with 8-12 fts fences. However this year the new schools in a neighboring district fences are 210' Left and Right and 225' Centerfield. Our OF's normally hug the fence. When shallow fly balls were hit, they were running, and running, and running until the ball landed in front of them. Of course our coaches never made the adjustment even with the wind blowing in.

 

[_MIA_]

Bob Gibson (the greatest pitcher ever) and Tim McCarver. Here is the interview:

To quote Tim McCarver: "Catchers learn that you don't handle a pitcher. The pitcher handles you." Go to 2:15 and listen. Gibson called the games, not McCarver.

Bull Durham is a fantasy.

Do you think Christian Vazquez was telling David Price what pitches to throw during the World Series? Or that Austin Barnes (???) was telling Clayton Kershaw what to throw? Get real.

Pitcher has/had the last say would be a better way of saying it. In either case, the players on the field were the ones deciding which pitches to throw.

 

[FP26]

My preference is to have the catcher/pitcher handle the pitch calling. I am involved to a certain extent, especially when it comes to noticing hitter tendencies, etc. I am also lucky enough to have a former D1 catcher as an assistant coach. His DD is our primary catcher, so he works very closely with the battery as well. Our #2 catcher is not comfortable calling pitches, so we handle this one of two ways. Either the primary catcher will call, or if she is on the field in another position, one of our other pitchers call. But I didn't throw anyone into that role without working closely along side of them first.

This all said, if my livelihood depended on these decisions, I would probably want more involvement. But for now, I am an unpaid coach that wants my players to have as much control as possible.

 

[Ksphenom]

I purposefully didn't this thread and just wanted to parlay some conversations with a couple of older coaches about the game and the changes over the last 20+ years.

Kids haven't changed.
The parents of the kids have changed.

That's the only difference.


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[texasheat]

I purposefully didn't this thread and just wanted to parlay some conversations with a couple of older coaches about the game and the changes over the last 20+ years.

Kids haven't changed.

Well psychologists don't agree with that statement so it comes down to who you gonna believe, a coach or a psychologist that studies human behavior for a living? The choice is yours.

 

[Ksphenom]

Well I know psychologists don't dictate how much TV, sleep, training, studying, transportation and phone time my kid gets.

So unless you have a psychologist telling you how to parent your kids I'd tend to agree with coaches sitting in a dugout instead of a person taking notes in office full of leather chairs.


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[Ken Krause]

I've been around the game for about the time period in question, so here are a few things I've noticed (on top of what's already been stated).

Off-season workouts is a big one. When I started, the program I was with had a big advantage because our teams would meet once a week to practice in a gym. We eventually opened the training sessions to anyone who wanted to sign up as a fundraiser. We used to get kids from other travel programs because their teams did nothing. Now it's not uncommon for teams to practice 2-3 times a week in the off-season in a dedicated baseball/softball facility.

Overall quality of play is another, probably driven by #1. One of the reasons coaches used to tell hitters to hit the ball on the ground is that it was more likely to get through the infield for a hit, whereas balls in the air were more likely to be caught. Remember this is when games were typically 1-0 or 2-1, so getting ANY runners on base was a big deal. Today's fielders gobble up most of those ground balls unless they're really hard hit into a hole. And balls that used to travel 170 feet now go 200+, so more incentive to put it in the air.

Individual training/lessons is another big change, especially for hitters and field position players. Hardly anyone took hitting lessons from private instructors back then, which meant pitchers who had been working throughout the off-season had a big advantage for much of the season. Heck, most kids didn't even pick up a bat in the off-season.

Our overall understanding of how to perform various skills has also improved immensely thanks to high speed video. There are still plenty of people who cling to myths or the "old ways," but more and more people are looking at what actually happens and trying to follow that path.

On the negative side, I'd say respect for umpires has gone down. Not just coaches, but players and parents all think they need to voice their opinions and know better. It's no wonder it's getting tougher and tougher to get umpires.

Chasing the almighty scholarship is also a big change. Kids used to play softball for the sheer enjoyment of it, the sense of accomplishment, the competition, etc. Very few that I knew did it in the hopes their college would be paid for. That was just a bonus. Now it seems like softball is viewed more as an investment to help pay for college. That's sad IMHO.

 

[sluggers]

On the negative side, I'd say respect for umpires has gone down. Not just coaches, but players and parents all think they need to voice their opinions and know better. It's not wonder it's getting tougher and tougher to get umpires.

So true...

The SS does an impression of an open door throughout the entire game, and yet the parents end up yelling at the umpire.