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Bucketpapi

Banned
May 28, 2008
39
0
My DD was playing in a tourney this week end against team who's coaches crossed the perverbal line. I figured out the ASSistant coach was verbally signalling his hitters which pitch was going to be thrown.
This was 14U and the coaches called the pitches. The ASSistant coach would watch our signal our catcher. Just before the pitcher started her wind up this jerk would call out a "cue" word to his batter. The name of the team was Chaos. When our pitcher was delivering a change-up, this jack-A$$ would work in the word chaos. He would say: "Let's go, time for a little chaos". The batter wouls sit back on the incomming change-up and usually hit the ball hard. "let's turn on it" was a screwball and "give it a ride" was a fastball. After three innings of this I couldn't take it any longer and went to their dugout and told him to knock it off. He told me to sit down and he could do what ever he wanted. Of course I didn't sit down any the conversation got a little heated. By the way, I did wait until his players took the field before I confronted him. The other coaches and umpire came over and I explained what was going on and the ump told me to sit down, which I did. The four of the remained at their dugout for a while. The verbal cues to his hitters stoped and thier hitters struggled at the plate from that point on.
My question is:
Was I out of line or did I handle it correctly?
No girls from either team were aware of our discussion, only the coaches, me, the ump and this team's parents were privy to the incident.
I find signaling the hitters which pitch is coming is very bush league and unethical at the 14u level.
 
Mar 6, 2009
64
0
It goes on in MLB all of the time. Unfortunately, SB isn't played like golf. If it was, you would be in the right, but IMHO, tipping pitches is something you have to deal with. You should have mentioned it to your own team. Changed the signals or rotated them. There are a 1,000 ways to call pitches other than using your fingers and your team could have had an advantage. IMHO, confronting the other team prior to your own was actually more bush league than what he/she did. (IMHO).

Bill
 

Coach-n-Dad

Crazy Daddy
Oct 31, 2008
1,010
0
IMO if your teams signals are that easy to pick up maybe they should be changed, or teach the battery to reverse them or mix them up if they are picked up?

We play 14U and I have no problem with the other team trying to pick up our signals (I DO have a problem if the information comes from OUTSIDE the dugout).
 

Cannonball

Ex "Expert"
Feb 25, 2009
4,854
113
I learned this from a MLB catcher. He would put his index finger into a hole in his facemask telling the pitcher a "hot sign." So starting clockwise right hand upper hole in face mask, fastball. Lower hole on right side was change. Lower left hand side was 3rd pitch. Then, the pitcher disregarded any signal the catcher put down. Naturally, it was more complicated than just this because teams trade pitchers but this is the basics of what he did.

This is really a good teaching point on catching technique. You need to have the coaching staff work a lot more with this catcher. Also multiple signs are harder to pick up. Take some time and think on this.
 

Bucketpapi

Banned
May 28, 2008
39
0
It goes on in MLB all of the time. Unfortunately, SB isn't played like golf. If it was, you would be in the right, but IMHO, tipping pitches is something you have to deal with. You should have mentioned it to your own team. Changed the signals or rotated them. There are a 1,000 ways to call pitches other than using your fingers and your team could have had an advantage. IMHO, confronting the other team prior to your own was actually more bush league than what he/she did. (IMHO).

Bill

This ain't the majors, pal.
It's 14u girls with signals between 3 people, coach to catcher to pitcher.
So don't give me that crap. You weren't there, he was the one that was fanning the flames. Evidently the ump didn't see it your way because it stopped after a brief discussion.
It's bush league at that level.
Nobody yells out the type type of pitch in any level.
There's a difference between signaling and yelling out to the batter.
 
Jan 15, 2009
585
0
If it doesn't go on at that level then why do coaches/catchers make some effort to hide the signals?? I've coached at B/C/Rec before and yes it's a little out of character for the opposing coach to be calling out signs, but it's just as out of character for pitchers and catchers to throw exactly what they want to throw so your taking your chances trying to predict what they will do based on picking off signs.

I had a community coach complaining about another 12U team doing it to him at a tournament a few weeks ago. Opposing coach is calling out catcher set up to his batters. Yes it's a bush league move, but it's legal and all you have to do to make it stop is strike out a few batters by throwing down the middle when your catcher sets up way outside. The other thing you should consider is teaching your catcher to call the game. That's one less place for the signals to get intercepted and a lot less time for the opposing team to pass on a message plus it makes for a smarter catcher.
 
May 13, 2008
831
16
I agree that it is bush, but it is to be expected. You should have a contingency for this by having another set of signals or an indicator. After they get the wrong sign a couple of times they'll quit all on their own.
 

redhotcoach

Out on good behavior
May 8, 2009
4,706
38
It happens sometimes. I would change signals after the inning... get with catcher and have her write new signals on her arm to remember.

If I was getting frustrated about it pull ump aside after inning and tell them. Nothing good ever comes out of confronting other coaches.
 
Aug 2, 2008
553
0
I'm not advocating anything dangerous, but telling your catcher and pitcher the change up signal is now an inside fastball usually does the trick. Playing into an A--holes game can make you an A--hole, you have to come up with ways to keep em guessing. Playing a better, smarter game is usually revenge enough.

Mike
 
Jun 2, 2008
62
0
C'mon, whining about a coach stealing you signs. Please. I think the guy was pretty cleaver in the way he did it. He could have just called out the signs. I also think he was a "nice guy" to stop when the ump asked him to - although I think the ump was wrong in doing so.

Sounds to me like you got whipped by a better coach and that's why you are upset. Heck, I know coaches who don't even hide their signals. The batter still has to hit the pitch, simple as that.

Quit whining.
 
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