Monday's "Rec Play of the Day"

[HornetsCoach]

It's tied 11 to 11 in the bottom of the last inning. We have the winning run on 3rd. Our best hitter is at bat. Its dark, its raining, we've been there forever and the opposing AC at that point orders their pitcher to intentionally walk our batter. She proceeds to roll four balls to the plate. Game ends in a tie.

To a 6th grader, in a Rec league. Way to go, Buck Weston.

"For those who live between Broadway and Grandville, between the ages of 11 and 12 who are free on Sundays and Tuesdays, this is the big leagues."

 

[redhotcoach]

Tell your player to golf it. I have had a few painful rec games I wish they would have let us tie.

 

[HornetsCoach]

Tell your player to golf it. I have had a few painful rec games I wish they would have let us tie.

You're right - I thought of that too late, I was so surprised by the whole thing.

 

[redhotcoach]

It's ok, dont know what I was thinking in tb game Saturday. Time is out, we are guest, other team up,1 out, tie game, runner on 2nd: 1st pitch wild, runner advances to 3rd. Call 1st pitch then think #*^t we need to load the bases, TOO LATE! 1st pitch high fly just outside right field foul line, my right fielder is directly under it, I am jumping up and down "let it drop! Let it drop!" she catches it, runner tags and scores, game over.
Rf comes in "why were you yelling don't catch it?". I just said "it's ok honey, nice catch"

 

[Greenmonsters]

It's ok, dont know what I was thinking in tb game Saturday. Time is out, we are guest, other team up,1 out, tie game, runner on 2nd: 1st pitch wild, runner advances to 3rd. Call 1st pitch then think #*^t we need to load the bases, TOO LATE! 1st pitch high fly just outside right field foul line, my right fielder is directly under it, I am jumping up and down "let it drop! Let it drop!" she catches it, runner tags and scores, game over.
Rf comes in "why were you yelling don't catch it?". I just said "it's ok honey, nice catch"

I hope you later explained to your whole team why you didn't want her to catch it so that they could learn something from the loss (and your mistake).

 

[GunnerShotgun]

It's tied 11 to 11 in the bottom of the last inning. We have the winning run on 3rd. Our best hitter is at bat. Its dark, its raining, we've been there forever and the opposing AC at that point orders their pitcher to intentionally walk our batter. She proceeds to roll four balls to the plate. Game ends in a tie.

To a 6th grader, in a Rec league. Way to go, Buck Weston.

"For those who live between Broadway and Grandville, between the ages of 11 and 12 who are free on Sundays and Tuesdays, this is the big leagues."

I would absolutely intentionally walk someone in a rec league game if the situation warranted it. This is very rare, but I have done it before. We don't role it in to the plate, the catcher sets up outside the opposing batters box and we throw 4 straight balls.

I am trying to teach my girls how to play the game, and pitching strategy is part of it. Even if they didn't intentionally walk her why would the pitcher give her a good pitch to hit in that scenario? Why not set it on a tee next time?

I am not crazy run up the score rec league coach but I do try and teach the game.

 

[Comp]

It's tied 11 to 11 in the bottom of the last inning. We have the winning run on 3rd. Our best hitter is at bat. Its dark, its raining, we've been there forever and the opposing AC at that point orders their pitcher to intentionally walk our batter. She proceeds to roll four balls to the plate. Game ends in a tie.

To a 6th grader, in a Rec league. Way to go, Buck Weston.

"For those who live between Broadway and Grandville, between the ages of 11 and 12 who are free on Sundays and Tuesdays, this is the big leagues."

What rules set do you play under? Under ASA, USSA, TCS, and FED rule sets, not so sure about NCAA, would have to look, it is an illegal pitch to purposely roll or bounce a ball to the batter in order to keep them from hitting it.

 

[GI Tom]

It's tied 11 to 11 in the bottom of the last inning. We have the winning run on 3rd. Our best hitter is at bat. Its dark, its raining, we've been there forever and the opposing AC at that point orders their pitcher to intentionally walk our batter. She proceeds to roll four balls to the plate. Game ends in a tie.

To a 6th grader, in a Rec league. Way to go, Buck Weston.

"For those who live between Broadway and Grandville, between the ages of 11 and 12 who are free on Sundays and Tuesdays, this is the big leagues."

Is this ASA?

If it is, those were all illegal pitches unless you have some specific league by-laws that state otherwise.

For ASA, it's Rule 6(3)N: The pitcher shall not deliberately drop, roll or bounce the ball in order to prevent the batter from hitting it. EFFECT: Any infraction of A-N is an illegal pitch. (Page 63 2012 ASA Rulebook)

If it was, on the first one, the runner from 3rd should have been advanced a base, and a ball called on the batter.

If for some reason this method is allowed, another option you have is to call time, tell your batter to swing at all of them and on the 3rd one run to 1st base in an attempt to to beat out the throw from the dropped 3rd strike, if its in effect for this league.

Of course, this isn't teaching proper softball, but if your interested in winning, that's one way to counter this particular tactic.

 

[GI Tom]

Comp beat me to it!!!

Sorry comp, was obiviously typing mine as you were responding. As comp mentioned, in nearly all rulesets its an illegal pitch. I'm most familiar with ASA and IFA/VTD rulesets. If its one of the others I'll leave to more intelligent folks than me to give specifics, I only quoted ASA.

 

[HornetsCoach]

If you're intentionally walking a batter to load the bases to increase the chances of a force out I can see it, but in a REC league if you are taking the bat out of a girls hand just so she can't compete against your girls, that's pathetic and sad.

Not only are you taking the bat out of her hand, you're depriving your pitcher and fielders of the chance to have a great moment.

The half inning before visitors had a chance to blow the game open with their best hitter. Our pitcher went after her. There's a smoking line drive strait up the middle the pitcher snares with an impossible stab, then whirls in the same momentum to sprint to first and double up that runner. It was, literally, the best defensive play I've ever seen in Softball. It was a great moment for her. That's what REC league is all about, IMHO, those moments.

And who learned more about playing the game? Her, or the girl whose coach told her to be afraid of another player? Go back and watch the Bad News Bears for the book on this.

I've heard guys say "its part of the game". It is. It's the part of the REC-league game where some over-amped adult decides its more important for him to win than for a child to play.