Kelli Eberle Jacoby · Shipping & Product Manager at Appelbaum Training Institute
I have been debating commenting on this for a day now and have decided in the BEST interest of the player being slammed on here that it is time. I have coached this player for the last 3 years on my select team and NOT once has she ever shown anything but the BEST sportsmanship both on and off the field. She has a heart of gold and would never hurt anyone. I have watched the video alot to try to analyze it. First off this was a very intense game and this happend in the same inning. You could not by the video see where the ball was coming from which was the outfield and it was cut by the pitcher at the last second and she was waiting out in front of the plate for the ball both times. Was she close to the plate yes, could she have been further in front yes, but the back of the plate was open and as a coach I want my players sliding home in those situations to avoid plays like this. If you look at the angles as they are running the one player almost took her coach out because she was running so hard to be safe and looked as if she was going straight into the catcher which if I am the catcher I'd try to step up if there was no play but in the speed of the game you have no time to think and you just react. She did NOT go into that runner, either one of them for that matter. She put her elbow up to protect what she felt was someone coming at her she did not throw a shoulder. Right or wrong she had miliseconds to react. Please people you are talking about a young adult, a kid who you know NOTHING about. I am not saying it was the right choice but it was a chioice she had no time to make to protect herself to. It would have been avoided had the player just slid. Again that player had no time to react either they were just playing in the State Championship game and playing with passion and were giving everything they could. Don't judge if you know nothing about a person. Yes, comment here if you want to about ejection or not but really are we all perfect?? Nope, the umpires did not eject her that was thier call, the coaches from what I understand did not complain to the umpires, she was not warned....again whether we all think that is right or wrong, in the speed of a game things happen really fast. I would take this kid any day on my team. Judge me for that to if you want because at the end of the day I know who she is. I coach the game of life through softball, it is not always easy, if you are perfect and have never made a mistake great. We learn and move forward but you all have no idea who you are talking about.
Reply · · 8 · June 8 at 10:58am
Here is the quote I was referring to.
MY interpretation is the coach is saying, this is a great kid, the runner should've slid, she was just protecting herself.
Appears to me the TB coach is defending her actions. If she has criticized her actions elsewhere, that is a different matter.