Intentionally hitting a girl?

[PA SB Dad]

As a coach, have I ever wanted to tell my pitcher to nail some kid who was being a showboating PIA? Yes. Have I ever told a pitcher to hit said showboating PIA? Never. Would I feel some level of satisfaction if my pitcher did that on her own? Probably (just being honest). Sportsmanship goes two ways. Give respect, and you will get respect. If you are showing up the other players on the team, expect that there might be a price to pay for it.

 

[29dad]

Off topic a little but why are two very good travel ball players playing rec ball? Is this common??

 

[Lenski]

I am by no means in favor of an adult (coach or parent) telling a pitcher to hit a punk-a$$ kid. However, if I'm the pitcher and a player was acting like a complete idiot like the OP states in the first post, I'm putting the ball in the player's earhole. If the player is an absolute stud and just playing the game and dominating, I wouldn't even consider hitting the player.

 

[T.J.]

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

We’re not saying “getting hit” is not part of the game. We’re not saying our girls are wimps and can’t take the heat or the pain; or that we desire them to be shielded from everything and everyone. Of course getting hurt is part of the game and of no surprise to us all when it happens…because we know IT Happens! The debate is about INTENTIONALLY hitting someone. For someone to mentally decide to throw a fastball right at someone tells me that they are the wimp, they have no confidence in their ability to strategically pitch to this batter and in all sense it’s a sign to me that the pitcher has just given up and has acted childish. And if asked why she hit her intentionally I’m sure her answer would be some lame rear sorry crybaby it’s not my fault excuse about the hitter being better than she is and she had no choice cuz she rubbed it in by showboating and not to blame her cuz she felt belittled and its not fair.

Toughness? You want toughness in a girl? My 11yo DD was playing U14 last week and while catching she got hit on the inside of her thigh by a foul, and continued to play while tears were rolling down her cheek (and Im sure many more have similar stories); so I beg to differ on your generalization.

Now you know where I stand.

 

[splinterpicker]

What exactly are umpires suppose to do? As far as I know the batter is awarded 1st base. Is he or she suppose to decide whether a 10u, 12u, or even a 14u pitcher did it on purpose? I do not remember a rule that is in the rule book for that. I would be willing to bet some parents are more worried about it than the player that gets hit.

 

[CoogansBluff]

I thought this was an open-and-shut case. Makes sense to me that kids should not intentionally hit or hurt other kids, nor should adults coach kids to intentionally hit or hurt other kids.

But what I'm hearing in this thread is that sportsmanship should be shown only if the other team shows the same sportsmanship, that adults can and perhaps should be proud of kids who stick fastballs in the ears of opponents so long as the adults don’t openly condone or coach it, that kids who object to being hit on purpose are cry-babies and wimps and so are their parents if they also object, that it’s sexist to think girls are wrong to throw at hitters when boys do it all the time, that children should be responsible for punishing other children for any perceived slights or wrongs, that parents who don't want their kids being hit on purpose are overprotective, and that if pitchers are throwing a kids, they probably deserved it.

 

[Rooster98]

I am going to break out an OMG!!!!! Lets get real here folks, if a coach is telling a pitcher at 10U 12U to throw at a batter he deserves something that I can not type here. At 14, 16, 18 if a coach has to tell a pitcher to hit a batter they don't know the game very well. At the older ages the girls police themselves. If a pitcher is throwing at a batter 3 or 4 times a game, she is getting lit up and should of been pulled long ago DMC (dumb move coach)........ And the umpire should of tossed her for unsportsman like conduct along with the head coach after the same batter was hit the second time. If a pitcher can not send a message after one at bat then she has no business being in that circle. Hitting a girl 3-4 times in one game would insight a riot in the stands.

 

[Rocketech1]

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

I think the better option is to play this game with the sportsmanship, dignity and respect it deserves. As a coach I would never advocate intentionally throwing at the batter and to do so is bush league no different than the action of the player who is taunting the team on the base paths. If the umpire felt a pitcher intentionally hit a batter, he/she should immediately eject that player from the game. Adults need to set the example for these kids.

By the way, we already knew where you stand. Your avatar says it all.

 

[mogsoftball]

Sounds like the girl running the bases was being a a-hole (especialy since op said she only reached base becuase of an error), but if the pitcher hit her intentional the next time up, then she was being a coward.

I think a true competitor would want that batter to get back up there so she could strike her a** out, then she could rub that in her face for being a PItA.

 

[chinamigarden]

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.

My dd is a pitcher and she hit a girl on the wrist that girl went straight to the hospital. My son was hit by a pitch and that resulted in a trip to the hospital strapped to a spine board. It happens. Not all hit batters are hit on purpose put plenty of them are.