Opinions re: Game Strategy: Bush League or nah?

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Aug 19, 2015
1,118
113
Atlanta, GA
We have a new Coach for HS this year. Don't know a ton about her background other than that she played softball in high school (pretty sure not in college) and that she has helped with coaching other teams in the past. But she has a very baseball mindset (I think maybe she assistant coached boys' baseball and she says she and her Dad are big baseball fans). So, not a lot of experience with coaching softball.

Thus far this year (we play fall HS softball in GA), she's made some decisions that were head-scratchers. Things like seeming to not understand how to take advantage of the DP/Flex rule, aggressive base stealing that seemed really ill-advised, etc... We have very young pitching. One good freshman pitcher and two not-so-good freshman pitchers. The way she has managed that has not seemed optimal (e.g., leaving in one of the not-so-good pitchers and allowing her to walk seven batters and wind up losing the game instead of placing the good pitcher somewhere in the field and bringing her back in to save a disastrous inning).

But yesterday, we played a region opponent. It was a must win. Because of COVID restrictions, parents weren't allowed to go. I watched on GameChanger. It was 11-1 when I started watching in the top of the third inning. It was 21-1 before those poor girls could get three outs on us. Here's what I have a question about. In a game where ONLY the win matters and NOT the score, WHY would you keep stealing bases aggressively, including stealing home 3 or 4 times? This poor catcher could not hold onto the ball and there were passed balls practically every other pitch. Why couldn't our coach have just let one of our girls step off the base and make the inning end (there were two outs for like eternity)?

Now, she did allow literally every girl on our 17-man roster play during that inning. But why not just quit stealing bases and running up the score? Like I said, the score did not matter. Our old coach would have stopped attempting to score once we'd hit the run rule number (maybe the run rule number plus one insurance run). We went way past that. Am I the only one who thinks our coach's decision was kind of bush league?
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
But yesterday, we played a region opponent. It was a must win. Because of COVID restrictions, parents weren't allowed to go. I watched on GameChanger. It was 11-1 when I started watching in the top of the third inning. It was 21-1 before those poor girls could get three outs on us. Here's what I have a question about. In a game where ONLY the win matters and NOT the score, WHY would you keep stealing bases aggressively, including stealing home 3 or 4 times? This poor catcher could not hold onto the ball and there were passed balls practically every other pitch. Why couldn't our coach have just let one of our girls step off the base and make the inning end (there were two outs for like eternity)?

Now, she did allow literally every girl on our 17-man roster play during that inning. But why not just quit stealing bases and running up the score? Like I said, the score did not matter. Our old coach would have stopped attempting to score once we'd hit the run rule number (maybe the run rule number plus one insurance run). We went way past that. Am I the only one who thinks our coach's decision was kind of bush league?
Yeah IMO Bush league in baseball or softball.. ;)

Edit: Just re-read it and at 11-1 I wouldn't necessarily step off bases but I would stop stealing bases for sure. Of course with my DD's team, 11-1 could turn in to 11-9 pretty quick after 8 wallks in a row and a few hits so who knows..Of course I have no idea how they would get 11 runs in the first place so that is purely theoretical..
 
Last edited:
Feb 15, 2016
273
18
We have a new Coach for HS this year. Don't know a ton about her background other than that she played softball in high school (pretty sure not in college) and that she has helped with coaching other teams in the past. But she has a very baseball mindset (I think maybe she assistant coached boys' baseball and she says she and her Dad are big baseball fans). So, not a lot of experience with coaching softball.

Thus far this year (we play fall HS softball in GA), she's made some decisions that were head-scratchers. Things like seeming to not understand how to take advantage of the DP/Flex rule, aggressive base stealing that seemed really ill-advised, etc... We have very young pitching. One good freshman pitcher and two not-so-good freshman pitchers. The way she has managed that has not seemed optimal (e.g., leaving in one of the not-so-good pitchers and allowing her to walk seven batters and wind up losing the game instead of placing the good pitcher somewhere in the field and bringing her back in to save a disastrous inning).

But yesterday, we played a region opponent. It was a must win. Because of COVID restrictions, parents weren't allowed to go. I watched on GameChanger. It was 11-1 when I started watching in the top of the third inning. It was 21-1 before those poor girls could get three outs on us. Here's what I have a question about. In a game where ONLY the win matters and NOT the score, WHY would you keep stealing bases aggressively, including stealing home 3 or 4 times? This poor catcher could not hold onto the ball and there were passed balls practically every other pitch. Why couldn't our coach have just let one of our girls step off the base and make the inning end (there were two outs for like eternity)?

Now, she did allow literally every girl on our 17-man roster play during that inning. But why not just quit stealing bases and running up the score? Like I said, the score did not matter. Our old coach would have stopped attempting to score once we'd hit the run rule number (maybe the run rule number plus one insurance run). We went way past that. Am I the only one who thinks our coach's decision was kind of bush league?

I would stop stealing bases. In a must-win varsity game I wouldn't necessarily run off the bases coaching a team with shaky freshmen pitching. I saw our varsity coach let off the gas with a big lead in a playoff game and the girls ended up losing the game. With a new coach I would give her some grace on this one. She is learning as she goes.
 
May 20, 2016
433
63
After you're up by 10 there is no reason to press the issue on a team you can see you clearly outmatch. So that's bush.
 
Aug 19, 2015
1,118
113
Atlanta, GA
I would stop stealing bases. In a must-win varsity game I wouldn't necessarily run off the bases coaching a team with shaky freshmen pitching. I saw our varsity coach let off the gas with a big lead in a playoff game and the girls ended up losing the game. With a new coach I would give her some grace on this one. She is learning as she goes.

I totally understand still trying to hit the ball. And we had lots of hits. It was just all the base-stealing. Especially stealing home. I just felt bad for the other team. Our region has 7 teams and only four were able to field a Varsity team this year. We really needed them playing so that we would have region opponents to play, so I feel bad that we trounced them in such an ugly (my opinion) way. I do get what you're saying though.
 
Last edited:
Jan 5, 2018
385
63
PNW
here's my thoughts. I agree the score was lopsided and on the surface it looks bad.

you weren't there you watched on GC. So how it all went down...you weren't there to see it unfold. They did get all players in the game.....

Players who just got in the game and haven't played don't want to step off a base. They want the opportunity to play/hit/run the bases....That's hard thing to turn off in a kid if they've been on the bench the game or season.

As a coach I've been in a similar...but not as bad situation. pitcher throwing WP and my girls steal base(s). They were just reading and reacting to the play available in the moment. Hard to fault the player for that. In that same game I eventually had players stepping off the base. NO CALL. I called time and talked to ump and said "that player clearly is leaving the base early". Umpire said "Coach.....let them play the game". Next course of action was to have my player try to strike out. 5 years later she still reminds me of the time she was swinging at pitches over her head to get a K. We laugh about it now...but at the time...it was hard for the kids to understand what you're asking them to do. It was a teachable moment for our team....but one that doesn't present itself or you contingency plan for.

I can see how in the moment it got away from them...especially when subbing in girls to play that had not been playing.

and it sounds like she's inexperienced as well. Maybe a learning opportunity for the coach and the team.
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
here's my thoughts. I agree the score was lopsided and on the surface it looks bad.

you weren't there you watched on GC. So how it all went down...you weren't there to see it unfold. They did get all players in the game.....

Players who just got in the game and haven't played don't want to step off a base. They want the opportunity to play/hit/run the bases....That's hard thing to turn off in a kid if they've been on the bench the game or season.

As a coach I've been in a similar...but not as bad situation. pitcher throwing WP and my girls steal base(s). They were just reading and reacting to the play available in the moment. Hard to fault the player for that. In that same game I eventually had players stepping off the base. NO CALL. I called time and talked to ump and said "that player clearly is leaving the base early". Umpire said "Coach.....let them play the game". Next course of action was to have my player try to strike out. 5 years later she still reminds me of the time she was swinging at pitches over her head to get a K. We laugh about it now...but at the time...it was hard for the kids to understand what you're asking them to do. It was a teachable moment for our team....but one that doesn't present itself or you contingency plan for.

I can see how in the moment it got away from them...especially when subbing in girls to play that had not been playing.

and it sounds like she's inexperienced as well. Maybe a learning opportunity for the coach and the team.
Thing is to me if I was on the losing end of this scenario, obvious things like stepping off bases on purpose and swinging at balls on purpose would be more embarrassing 🤷‍♂️ Tough situation for sure..I hate blowouts from either end of the spectrum.
 
Mar 28, 2014
1,081
113
Definitely bush league. After you're up 11-1, once you bat your order and score 6 or 7 more you start making outs on purpose. Period.
 
Jan 5, 2018
385
63
PNW
Thing is to me if I was on the losing end of this scenario, obvious things like stepping off bases on purpose and swinging at balls on purpose would be more embarrassing 🤷‍♂️ Tough situation for sure..I hate blowouts from either end of the spectrum.
Agreed. Been on both sides of this.

When on the loosing side...my approach was not to be upset at the other team...but to tell our team...our job is to stop them. And if we're over matched...well...we're over matched...but it is not the other teams fault for playing the game.

I'll agree there are jackwagon coaches that run it up to run it up.....but my experience is that is the rarity and it's more a situation or circumstances that lead to the lopsided score.

Funny story from a friend. They were a 14U A team. They played up alot in the fall and got trounced....buried....even. Not 6' feet but 8' down. Worked and Worked and Worked...all winter into spring...come summer they were a 14u A team playing in an 18A tournament....won it. Team they beat was pissed. Coach yelling at my friend that they had no business playing in an 18 U tournament as a 14U team. My buddy told them "we just did you a favor". other coach asked how? "Well your team was just beat by a 14U team...I would think it would have exposed some areas for you to work on and some motivation for your players to work in practice". Other coach didn't take it well and then wanted to throw down in the parking lot.....over losing to a 14U team.
 
Jul 2, 2013
381
43
I'm guessing this had more to do with your coach's lack of experience than anything else.

DD was in a very similar situation during MS. She was playing a team whose starting pitcher was hurt and their backup could barely throw a strike. When she did throw one, it got hit hard. Girls were advancing on wild pitches left and right. We were up 18-0 very quickly in the first. I knew the opposing coach and she kept looking at me begging for it to stop. DD's coach was a good guy but he had no experience coaching softball. I eventually got his attention from the fence and told him to have girls step off. He looked at me like I had two heads. He had never seen that before and didn't think about doing something like that. We were able to end the inning by having a couple of girls bunt for an out. I explained the step off thing to him after that inning.

When I have been in that situation before I have followed these steps. The first thing I do is stop sending girls home on passed balls/wild pitches. Next is to stop running on them at all. If we are still hitting or walking in runs, I will let the ump know we are stepping off and do so. I absolutely hate having girls swing at bad pitches on purpose. I used to stop girls at one base on hits but I don't like doing that either. I want them to be aggressive and play like they would any other game on balls in play.
 

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