I've seen from personal experience pitchers step it up after they've had runners on base after walking them. If you remove a pitcher every time she walks a batter you will never know if she is capable of handling the tough situations that she will eventually face at some point in her career.I've seen it make some pitchers and break some. The ones that are able to work themselves out of a bind seem to mature right before your eyes.I like your analysis.Setting a walk limit isn’t coaching it is managing and there is a big difference. A manager sets performance expectations; a coach evaluates performance.
Softball is about right now, this pitch. A pitcher worried about getting pulled if they walk another batter is pitching to the future. It is every bit as dangerous as worrying about the last pitch that the batter bounced off the fence.
A coach evaluates the performance: is the umpire squeezing the zone; is the pitcher consistently missing high; are the batters reading her pitches, etc.? A coach evaluates the performer: is she frustrated; scared; battling? A coach makes decisions based on their evaluation of the situation.
Setting walk limits is a crutch and a trap. It appears to be fair to all the pitchers, but it’s not. A coach should be willing to pull the ace without giving up a walk if she has lost her cool and allow another pitcher to continue even if she has walked several batters when she is battling. A coach needs to accept that they will get burned from time to time on their decisions and learn from every decision. A coach helps a player to understand why the decision was made and helps the player learn from the experience.
Setting specific limits or expectations for a player is a prescription for disappointment. It places the focus on results which are in the future. Results happen because a player is totally focused on the moment. A player worried they will get benched if they don’t get a hit or walk another batter will always be at a disadvantage.