Killing the Clock
- Thread starter thompsonc487
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I guess yal are right. I've never seen any 'timed' major league sport where the winning team will TRY to use the clock to their advantage.
If you get your signs out of a cracker jack box, it's hard not to pick up on them. So if my batters are trying to see the grip on the pitcher, is that cheating? If my FB runner sees the catcher set up outside for a pitch out, should she think twice about stealing, or is that cheating? If my SS knows every time the 3rd base coach claps his hands twice, the FB runner is stealing, should she break for the play early or is that cheating?
That's why you hide signs. That's why you have multiple indicators. That's why some really good teams use the 'addition' and 'subtraction' signals.
If you get your signs out of a cracker jack box, it's hard not to pick up on them. So if my batters are trying to see the grip on the pitcher, is that cheating? If my FB runner sees the catcher set up outside for a pitch out, should she think twice about stealing, or is that cheating? If my SS knows every time the 3rd base coach claps his hands twice, the FB runner is stealing, should she break for the play early or is that cheating?
That's why you hide signs. That's why you have multiple indicators. That's why some really good teams use the 'addition' and 'subtraction' signals.
- Oct 21, 2009
- 65
- 0
I challenge my girls to steal the DC signs. The girls on the bench really get into it. This keeps their head in the game. I'll usually sit next to them and help them figure the signs out and subtlely teach them strategies of the game.
No outs runner on first #9 batter hitting. What do you think the coach will do?
You see the player get the sign and move up to the front of the box. Why?
Strike 1, now she moves back in the box. Why?
What are the coaches tendancies? Some will let the hitter hit the first pitch then bunt on the second.
Watch the runner at first does she get in a different stance when she is stealing as opposed to just leading off? This could be a tip off.
Watch the hitter's swing it could tell where her tendancies to hit the ball are. If you are a catcher this will tell you where to pitch the hitter.
This keeps the girls head in the game and not just sitting there talking about boys and shopping. Well reduces the talk about boys and shopping.
No outs runner on first #9 batter hitting. What do you think the coach will do?
You see the player get the sign and move up to the front of the box. Why?
Strike 1, now she moves back in the box. Why?
What are the coaches tendancies? Some will let the hitter hit the first pitch then bunt on the second.
Watch the runner at first does she get in a different stance when she is stealing as opposed to just leading off? This could be a tip off.
Watch the hitter's swing it could tell where her tendancies to hit the ball are. If you are a catcher this will tell you where to pitch the hitter.
This keeps the girls head in the game and not just sitting there talking about boys and shopping. Well reduces the talk about boys and shopping.
Ever watch football or basketball????
I can't believe I'm hearing coaches say that they wouldn't try to run some time off the clock at the end of the game to insure that their team wins the game...
And then I'm reading how it is "Bush" league, and low class and whatever else you want to say...
Biggest college coach I can think of who was NOT NOT NOT Bush League and one of the classiest guys around is Dean Smith from North Carolina, and he PERFECTED the "four corners" on offense in basketball....WHY???? Because just because you have the ball, doesn't mean you have to go in for a shot as fast as you can...that's why the shot clock is there...USE IT TO YOUR ADVANTAGE....
Every sport out there that plays ON A CLOCK knows how to kill time. Heck, watch the World Cup today, and you'll see the two best soccer teams in the world taking their sweet ole time to kill the clock....
BTW....GO NETHERLANDS!!!!!!
And then I'm reading how it is "Bush" league, and low class and whatever else you want to say...
Biggest college coach I can think of who was NOT NOT NOT Bush League and one of the classiest guys around is Dean Smith from North Carolina, and he PERFECTED the "four corners" on offense in basketball....WHY???? Because just because you have the ball, doesn't mean you have to go in for a shot as fast as you can...that's why the shot clock is there...USE IT TO YOUR ADVANTAGE....
Every sport out there that plays ON A CLOCK knows how to kill time. Heck, watch the World Cup today, and you'll see the two best soccer teams in the world taking their sweet ole time to kill the clock....
BTW....GO NETHERLANDS!!!!!!
I didn't know Dean Smith coached softball and I guess I've missed the shot clock behind the plate this time.
- Feb 24, 2010
- 154
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Here's my take on these issues:
Look at some of the rules in the books and ask "why are they there"? Why is it ok to run on a dropped third strike sometimes but not others? Why is there an infield fly rule but not a line drive rule or outfield fly rule? Why is there a look back rule?
They are all put in place due to teams taking advantage of a situation, and as a governing body, the rule was changed. Dean Smith using the 4 corners offense helped install the shot clock in college basketball. Now apply this thinking to softball. Pitchers have 20 seconds to deliver a pitch after receiving it from the catcher; the batter has 10 seconds to get ready to receive a pitch. Why is that in the rules, but not shoelace tying, conference, etc.? Once someone gets fed up enough about this happening, the rules will change. Didn't someone state that one sanctioning body has already put a rule in for this very reason? Use it to your advantage if it allowed, but beware - abuse may cause the rule to change.
And one last comment about sign stealing. If it's bush league, why does your team even have signs to begin with? Why not just yell out what you want the batter, baserunner or pitcher to do - why hide it? It's ok for you to keep something secret, but not ok for the other team to try and figure out that secret? If it's all about team A vs. team B and who's better, just announce what you're going to do and really see who's better when everyone knows what's going on.
Look at some of the rules in the books and ask "why are they there"? Why is it ok to run on a dropped third strike sometimes but not others? Why is there an infield fly rule but not a line drive rule or outfield fly rule? Why is there a look back rule?
They are all put in place due to teams taking advantage of a situation, and as a governing body, the rule was changed. Dean Smith using the 4 corners offense helped install the shot clock in college basketball. Now apply this thinking to softball. Pitchers have 20 seconds to deliver a pitch after receiving it from the catcher; the batter has 10 seconds to get ready to receive a pitch. Why is that in the rules, but not shoelace tying, conference, etc.? Once someone gets fed up enough about this happening, the rules will change. Didn't someone state that one sanctioning body has already put a rule in for this very reason? Use it to your advantage if it allowed, but beware - abuse may cause the rule to change.
And one last comment about sign stealing. If it's bush league, why does your team even have signs to begin with? Why not just yell out what you want the batter, baserunner or pitcher to do - why hide it? It's ok for you to keep something secret, but not ok for the other team to try and figure out that secret? If it's all about team A vs. team B and who's better, just announce what you're going to do and really see who's better when everyone knows what's going on.
I didn't say it was bush leauge, I said it was dirty. Your reasoning on why it is okay doesn't even compute for me. So your saying it is okay for a country to steal top secret documents because the US made them secret? If you need to win by needing to know what the other team is going to do then why not just send a parent over to the other teams bench when the opposing coach is going over the signs. This way you don't have to waste an inning or two trying to "figure" out what they are going to do. I got no problem with a kid or coach that helps his team by having them figure out what a girl is going to do by how they hold their hands or where they line up in the box.
I would assume a coach that will steal signs and share them with his team would be just as likely to take a look at another coaches playbook if he left it "laying around".
Could I steal another teams signs? Sure, but I guess I'm just a big dumb jarhead that still believes in integrity and trying to instill that in my girls.
