Intentionally hitting a girl?

[Coach Fastpitch]

I have an issue. Throwing up and in is one thing. Throwing at someone is another. We had an opposing team throw at my number 1 pitcher this fall in a 7-0 (we were up) ballgame. The pitch was shoulder high and at her. Instead of turning into the pitch and getting hit in the middle of the back she raises her left hand off the bat and tries to protect herself with that hand. Well, ball hits her hand and breaks her finger, out 6 weeks. Kids, and these are kids even at 13-17 rec league, should not be taught, IMHO, to lash out physically when the world doesn't go their way. Telling a 13 to 17 year old kid to throw at a batter is teaching a kid to bring physical violence to a situation in which there was no just cause.

Now I know someone is going to come over the top of my post and say it is part of the game, or there are unwritten rules, or a pitcher has a right to throw wherever they please. I am all for throwing high inside, making sure a batter doesn't get to comfortable. But telling a pitcher to throw at someone is an irresponsible adult, again, IMHO. And a kid who does this on their own, well, they didn't come out of the womb knowing it was ok to throw at someone. A coach or parent had to put the bug in this pitchers ear at some point.

Hind sight being 20/20, why didn't the pitcher just give up the base, walk to the circle, and if she is head and shoulders above the other team, like the OP says, strike out or induce weak contact from the other team. At most she gives up the 1 run to the other team. Then, when you get that same girl in a travel ball tourney, you show no mercy. Beat her team 24-0, don't let up, steal bases every chance you get, bunt every pitch, take second on every walk, etc. or if both tb teams are good just beat the other girls team. Then shake her hand, walk off the field, and enjoy the satisfaction that comes from beating an opponent, especially an obnoxious one. My dad used to say karma is a real mother and she likes to get even. Or maybe you never get even, and that is a life lesson, too. The world isn't fair sometimes.

Anyway, a long rambling post from someone that is a little passionate about his subject. And so endeth the rant.

 

[splinterpicker]

I am a pitchers dad so I will try to be unbiased. I see all the time batters crowding the plate with half of their foot on the chalk and inches from the plate. They are considered aggressive hitters. They are going to get hit by a good pitch thrown inside. If parents want to whine about getting hit by pitches I have a solution. Take away the 300 dollar bats and level the playing field. More than likely the pitcher may have been intimidated by a batter, gave up a HR and has lost confidence. A batter only has to only worry about getting hit, getting a hit or walk and gets to do it again the next inning. If they hit 4 out of 10 times they are a great hitter. A pitcher may throw 75 to 100 pitches a game and is expected to be perfect. If they hit or walk 4 or 5 they are labled with the no control words. I have never seen a batter not able to conitnue a game after being hit by a pitch, but I have seen several pitchers carried off. So do I say those hitters intentionally hit a ball at a pitcher.

 

[Indiana]

I read the OP to mean that the pitcher made the decision on her own. Whether or not she is predisposed to make such decisions due to coaching or upbringing I can't say. Nobody's perfect, maybe this pitcher just snapped as a one time thing. Maybe it was completely an accident and the pitcher was stone faced because she was thinking "uh oh, this looks bad"

Fighting in hockey seems to be on the rise - it seemed like it was getting better for awhile, but then I read in the paper that a local player made it into the NHL because of his fighting skills...??? I worry about my nieces and nephews who are in the game today. Kids take their cues from their heroes. Tobacco in baseball was curtailed, maybe we need to look at other aspects as well.

It used to be common knowledge that pro baseball pitchers plunked batters, catchers would even call for it specifically. Did it get better for a while? Is it better or worse than it was? I don't know.... thoughts?

 

[David Carter]

As a coach I have never or would I ever tell a pitcher to hit a girl. That goes double if batter is best player and is hitting HRs off you, I will tell them to pitch around don't give anything to hit etc. For showboats I have a very low tolerance but hitting the girl is not what I would recommend, however, if one of my pitcher went that route I would not say anything except....and this is what I don't get "OK you made your point now lets play ball"

This is what I do not understand the first time around something happens the girl gets hit OK whatever, any umpire worth his salt knows what is going on and talk to the coaches even if it is just between innings. If it happens one more time the line is drawn I am going to the umpire and let them know exactly what is going on and he needs to get the game under control, I don't like ultimatium because if the number 9 hitter is up and a pitch honestly gets away I don't expect a bright line. Third time, against big hitter and some one is getting thrown out of the game either the pitcher or me, and my direct path out is not the parking lot it is to the UIC and tournament director there is no reason (assuming we are talking about girls that have control of their pitches) for the best player on our team to get hit every time up.

 

[nanotech14]

As long as no adult or coach called for this to happen. It is up to the players, as long as they no that what comes around, goes around. If my dd hits someone on purpose and she has the favor returned, don't whine to me. She made the choice not me.

 

[Rooster98]

Talk, talk, talk.....this topic comes up all the time. There seems to be some issue with softball being played by girls and girls can not get hit. Well there is nothing soft about a softball, it hurts. The history of policing the game by the players will never go away. BB or SB is just as much a mental game as a physical game. I have no issues with going high and inside on a batter crowding the plate, just as I have no problem with a batter jacking one over the fence on a mistake pitch. In BB that batter may get nailed in the back his next at bat, why is it different in SB. Girls can talk just as much if not more trash than boys. If they get hit, they get hit. I don't call pitches, but I have been on the receiving end of a pitcher throwing at me. BB or SB part of the game, no coach should call it. Let the players play the game.

 

[nanotech14]

listen folks, I'm going to make some people real mad, but, this country we live in right now, IMO,we are raising a bunch of wimps, cry babies, its not my fault kids. Wrap them in bubble wrap in the name of safety for the children. We look to blame something or someone for our actions, never can it be the offenders fault. If a softball hitting your princess is the end of the world. Then stay home, doors locked, hidding under your bed.


MOLON LABE,
now you know were I stand

 

[SoftSocDad]

Regardless of the setting, there are proper ways to police the game. Yes, I very much have a problem with a teenager who thought it was ok to throw at another player. Too many things can go wrong.

My DD played for a coach that told his DD and the other pitchers to hit any opposing player who crowded the plate. He complained that one opposing coach was telling their players to get up on the plate. He felt completely justified in his position. In 10u.

Hit batters are a part of the game, but my DD plays for a different team now.

 

[GunnerShotgun]

I wonder where the umpires were in all of these scenarios.

 

[David Carter]

I wonder where the umpires were in all of these scenarios.

Exactly my point....once OK we get it (whether we condone it or not), twice we are having a coaches/umpire conference, and three strikes and you are out, if you say that will make the pitcher afraid to throw then too bad you should have thought about that before your plunked the clean up hitter twice after she hit a 3 run HR off you in the first if you can control yourself against every other hitter in the line up but magically hit the number four batter every time maybe coach needs to sub you out next time clean up hitter comes to bat.