Push ups for called third strikes

[CoogansBluff]

Major league hitters frequently get called out on strikes. It's not always a bone-headed decision. Obviously we've all seen kids take third strikes that are ridiculous, and they have to be taught how to handle being 2 strikes down. But a good hitter will take calculated risks w/ 2 strikes and sometimes be called out on strikes as a result. The risks pay off in the long run when they learn to guess right a high percentage of the time. A girl who NEVER takes a called third strike is either not a very advanced hitter, or she's just that much better than the pitchers she's facing such that she's not going to strike out much anyway.

Also, punishment for these things is absurd, IMO. Give natural consequences. Kids who miss signs, etc., play and bat less. They don't need to be punished artificially.

 

[Angus T]

I'm not into punishing kids for things related to "somewhat fun". The head of our organization has a philosophy...more in the form of a question, "As coaches what did you do today to make your players better?". If my answer is "they each did 10 pushups", then I've probably failed, called attention to that failure, and made them more likely to fail in the future. More often than not (esp. at 12U), coaches can come up with activities which re-wire the brains of the girls and teach them to protect the plate.

 

[David Carter]

As I stated I put things into two categories either

A. physical skills, abilities and knowledge that needs to be taught and learned.

or

B. Things that while they need to be taught or learned are not physical in nature.

in category A you can fail at things like striking out, over throwing, taking a bad angle on a ball etc. Those are things we can work on in practice and things you can get better at with repetition. Now if at some point it becomes obvious that you are not able to hit for power or make long accurate throws as a coach I need to either give you drills and practice techniques that will get you to improve or put you in a position which I use the skills you have so my poor thrower is on first and my base hitter bats 1st, 2nd, 8th or 9th and not 4th or 5th.

in category B you can fail at missing a sign, throwing to the wrong base, not taking bases when able to, not taking a good lead etc. These things are mental if I tell you to take a pitch you don't have to do anything but exactly what I told you, if you are not leading off the bag every time the pitcher releases the ball it means your are not paying attention because your head is not in the game it should be automatic.

If players are giving me 100% attitude and effort but might not be the best ball player I can work with that, if you are a great ball player but don't give attitude and effort it will eventually catch up with you, you won't be the best player on the field forever and as soon as things are equal coach will take the girl with the better attitude and effort every time.

I just don't see much positive impact from punishment on physical skills failure, I would be much more inclined like Cogan to have girls with mental lapses sit more and bat less as a consequence.

 

[Sparky Guy]

I don't use punishment for called 3rd's. What I do is challenge my team to try and eliminate them as a group. I try to get them to talk to one another about the umpire's strike zone. What is he/she calling for strikes and balls, etc.. Unfortunately, it seems like you always run into the umpire who has a strike zone that flaps like a flag in the breeze. Those are tough at bats for the hitters and pitchers. If I have a hitter who is constantly called for a 3rd strike I will take measures to try and motivate her, but no physical punishments.

Had a girl last week have an 12 pitch at bat. She and the pitcher were in a real duel. She got called out on a pitch at her nose. Even the other coach shook his head and said there was no way that pitch was a strike.

 

[starsnuffer]

Missing a sign is punishable, I would usually bench them for a few innings. Taking a third strike. . . this one really depends on the situation and the pitch. If it's a habit, it's punishable by moving the kid down in the batting order and eventually to reserve. Hitters play.

The key to 2 strike situations is actually TEACHING the kids how to get rid of bad pitches. Coaches say all the time "foul it off until you like it", or other such stuff, without ever actually teaching a batter HOW to foul off a bad pitch.

That said, if it's a full count and the batter fouls off a few and then looks at one, I don't necessarily think she did anything wrong. If the kid stood in the box and watched 5 pitches, 3 of which were strikes, then yeah, she would not pass go.

-W

 

[nanotech14]

Lap around the concessions, order a pushup or ice cream.

You can coach my dd anytime. She would love your sense of humor. I will take that icecream sandwich now, after I catch my breath after the lap around the concession stand.

 

[shockcoach]

I don't advocate it.

I think your better option would be to set a goal. How many backwards K's did you have last tournament? How many do they feel they should have in the next tournament? Sit down with the team together and have the girls come up with a realistic goal they want to try and meet. If they reach their goal, then reward them with something like a dinner for the whole team at Ruth's Chris Steak House. Heck, if you do that, I'll go up there swinging at EVERYTHING!

 

[shockcoach]

Had a girl last week have an 12 pitch at bat. She and the pitcher were in a real duel. She got called out on a pitch at her nose. Even the other coach shook his head and said there was no way that pitch was a strike.

We had something similar 2 weeks ago. Fouled off pitches left and right and was up to about 10 pitches. Then a full count change-up just absolutely froze our batter and came in for a perfect strike. I told her to tip her hat to the pitcher on that one cus both players had a great competition going. Then I turned to the pitcher, who my DD played with last year, and told her that was just plain MEAN!

 

[sluggers]

We have been getting some feedback from some parents like this is the worst thing ever. What does the forum think?

First, if your kids can do 10 pushups without breaking a sweat, then it is hard to call it punishment. On the other hand, if you got some kids who can't do 10 pushups and it embarrasses them, then you've gone too far. I have difficulty seeing how running a lap around the field is "punishment". It is not the same as running 30 minutes of suicides.

I understand that there is "don't punish kids for errors", and I get that. But, if the kids can do the pushups and the running without much effort, then it is not a punishment, it is just a reminder.

And, yes, it does work. Kids do swing the bat freer when you have *THE TEAM* run (as opposed to just the kid). The kids get more aggressive earlier in the at-bat. They don't swing at bad pitches...they swing at pitches they can hit.

As to missing signs...honestly, that is the fault of the coaches and not the kids. If I am trying to tell *YOU* something, then it is up to *ME* to be clear. I've went so far as to simply tell the kid to bunt if she wasn't getting it. (It doesn't really matter if the 3rd baseman knows the play at 14U.)

 

[CoogansBluff]

As to missing signs...honestly, that is the fault of the coaches and not the kids. If I am trying to tell *YOU* something, then it is up to *ME* to be clear. I've went so far as to simply tell the kid to bunt if she wasn't getting it. (It doesn't really matter if the 3rd baseman knows the play at 14U.)

Great point. Communication is a two-way street. If they're missing signs, is the coach making them too complex? Is the coach not spending enough time in practice going over signs, or ensuring that they won't be missed? Not saying the kid doesn't have a responsibility here, but so does the coach. Maybe have them both do pushups.