Things to Remember - Coaching

[jmack31]

Please give a swing away sign on all 3-0 counts!

 

[canyonjoe]

I'm assuming this is 10U Rec. If so have a plan for how you will play the game with subs etc. so you don't have to worry about getting everyone in during the game. You will know what is happening so you can concentrate on the game.

 

[daywalkerdad]

The rough math on this based on the chart is three successful steals of second replaces the value of one caught stealing at second, so you have to be better than that.

One RoE/H bunt that gets you 1b/2b replaces the lost value from three regular bunting the runner over to second. What's the bunt for a hit percentage in softball? I feel like it'd be higher because closer bases, but the fielders are closer too. Maybe it's actually harder because the spot where no fielder can quite reach in time is smaller?


There's obviously some ancillary value in having the defense think you're going to bunt, fielders might play a step or two in which might give you a single to the OF on what would otherwise be a lineup, but I suspect it's negligible. (MLB tried restricting shifting/positioning infielders and BABIP didn't really even change)

What is almost always a bad idea in baseball, the IBB, seems like it might be less so in softball. Top OBP in D2 softball was .638 and there 40 players above .500. Only Barry Bonds has done that (4 times) in MLB this century. So in baseball the batter you walked is more likely to have made an out if you pitched to him, but not so in softball. Seems like there might be more value, especially with outs already, to walking someone. In fact, I bet there's a sweet spot in the middle ages where it's much better to do so. If your opponent is batting their whole roster at levels where that's still a thing, you probably want to walk that strong mid-order batter.

Bunting is complicated. You have to compare results to the batter not bunting.
I found bunter must reach base about .06 less batter. So a .35 on base of batter, bunter would need .29
Lots of assumptions made, real unknown is what % of time did coaches bunt that figure into the chart.

 

[Lightning]

I'm assuming this is 10U Rec. If so have a plan for how you will play the game with subs etc. so you don't have to worry about getting everyone in during the game. You will know what is happening so you can concentrate on the game.

Yes! DD had a rec coach who would print out a spreadsheet with all of the defensive positions listed per inning. So when they were in the dugout they would know where they were going next, and the next catcher would know that it was time to strap on the gear, etc. It also eliminated a lot of "but I want to play first base" type whining because they could see that they'd be playing first base in a later inning, and for a lot of kids get them excited about moving the game along.

 

[Rolling Hard]

If your leadoff batter reaches 1st to start the game and your 2 hole hitter is 2.6-2.7 down the line and the pitcher is heavy, I bunt every time trying to make right handed pitcher field a backhand. She is probably hitting .500 in this spot. Plus drawing first blood in the first inning is psychologically huge.
Bunting is very situational. Whats the score? Whos up? What inning?

 

[Fury_Mike]

Not an "in-game" situation but rather, after the game keep your after-game comments to the team 5 minutes or less. Even in HS, I had a designated player set a timer and when it went off, I was done. Some coaches think that they are going to change things in that talk that would take hours of practice time to change. In that "talk" start and end with positive comments.

Another option is to ask them after the game, what did we do well, and what do we need to work on.

 

[Fury_Mike]

Bunting is complicated. You have to compare results to the batter not bunting.
I found bunter must reach base about .06 less batter. So a .35 on base of batter, bunter would need .29
Lots of assumptions made, real unknown is what % of time did coaches bunt that figure into the chart.

and what percent the coach gave the sign to bunt and the player got the sign.....

 

[Fury_Mike]

If your leadoff batter reaches 1st to start the game and your 2 hole hitter is 2.6-2.7 down the line and the pitcher is heavy, I bunt every time trying to make right handed pitcher field a backhand. She is probably hitting .500 in this spot. Plus drawing first blood in the first inning is psychologically huge.
Bunting is very situational. Whats the score? Whos up? What inning?

I always tell my 10U team we are going to learn how to bunt, run the bases, throw, catch, and defend the bunt

 

[Nuwin]

 

[quincy]

Kids do not leave the dugout either. This is the one thing my DD 10u coach did I

I always knew once the player stepped into the dugout she or he was my responsibility. They needed to tell a coach if they were leaving dugout.. Depending on environment we keep tabs on them.

Teams that DD played on this ultimative didn't work IMO.