WA 2 FST
08-14-2006, 12:03 AM
...which brings up a weaker hitter, who happens to be a cancer survivor.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/rick_reilly/08/07/reilly0814/index.html
One of my assistant coaches told me about this, so I looked it up. At first I thought it was pretty chicken-$%^&, but then my mind started thinking... like a coach, like a competitor, and like a dad. I teach my kids baseball skills, and lifetime skills/values. Here's the excerpt of what I sent to my assistant coaches. Feel free to disagree with me. :) I can take it.
I guess I tend to analyze everything to the "nth" degree, but here are the things that come to my mind:
1) this is obviously a recreational league (vs. competitive/select league) championship
2) these are 9-10 yr olds
3) why is the worst hitter (or presumably that's the case) hitting right behind the best hitter on the team?
4) assuming he's not the worst hitter (but rather _just_ the batter who happens to hit behind the best), why is it that
big of a deal (except that he happens to be a cancer survivor... which I would say if he's out there playing, he would want to just be considered a baseball player first)?
5) this IS a championship game, and strategy is involved and should be employed (both during the game and in pre-game
... as in making out the lineup). The bottom line is that all the coach is really guilty of is intentionally walking the best hitter on the team.
If someone has proven they can hit our pitchers with authority on a consistent basis, and a weaker hitter is batting behind them and we have a base open... we're walking the kid, especially in the last inning with the game on the line. I don't think we've intentionally walked a batter yet, but we talked about it with that 5'9" kid on the Bulldogs this past spring after he hit one 280' that rattled the trees out at Bolin.
You guys don't have to back me if I ever do this. :-)
But FWIW, I have seen several kids walked in the Little League WS qualifying games this weekend. To me its just what I've preached to the boys. My/our job is to put them in the best position at a given time to _succeed_. Sometimes that could be a big part in winning a game, and other times it will just be the best shot we have, even if we don't execute. Still other times we'll have a kid in a spot that pushes him and his abilities...maybe he does well, maybe he doesn't on that given occasion. But, I would argue (based on the limited facts I know) that the losing team's coach didn't put this young man (batter) in the best spot for him, or the team, to succeed.
Now... since none of you hang around me and my U12 baseball team, let me tell you that my son is a small kid who hasn't started puberty yet. He's a quality player. But if I batted him behind my #4 or #5 hitter in the order, and that #4 hitter came up with men on 2nd and 3rd with the game on the line, then opposing coach _should_ walk my cleanup hitter to face my son. Would it be a politically incorrect thing to do b/c he's short and can't hit the ball over the 260' fence? Would it make a difference if the other coach knew that my son had a life-saving operation when he was 2 weeks old (which obviously doesn't make a difference)? Should baseball players of any age take great offense at someone in front of them being intentionally walked?
The answer to all these questions is "no". The fact is, I don't _ask_ my son to hit home runs. I don't expect him to, and I don't expect him to hit for the highest average on the team, either. I expect him to do the best he can. It is MY job as the coach to put him (and all my players) in the best position for him to utilize HIS skills the best he can to help the team as a whole do its best. If that means we win, great. If that means we just gave it our best shot and lost, that's all any coach can ask. We'll play again tomorrow.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/rick_reilly/08/07/reilly0814/index.html
One of my assistant coaches told me about this, so I looked it up. At first I thought it was pretty chicken-$%^&, but then my mind started thinking... like a coach, like a competitor, and like a dad. I teach my kids baseball skills, and lifetime skills/values. Here's the excerpt of what I sent to my assistant coaches. Feel free to disagree with me. :) I can take it.
I guess I tend to analyze everything to the "nth" degree, but here are the things that come to my mind:
1) this is obviously a recreational league (vs. competitive/select league) championship
2) these are 9-10 yr olds
3) why is the worst hitter (or presumably that's the case) hitting right behind the best hitter on the team?
4) assuming he's not the worst hitter (but rather _just_ the batter who happens to hit behind the best), why is it that
big of a deal (except that he happens to be a cancer survivor... which I would say if he's out there playing, he would want to just be considered a baseball player first)?
5) this IS a championship game, and strategy is involved and should be employed (both during the game and in pre-game
... as in making out the lineup). The bottom line is that all the coach is really guilty of is intentionally walking the best hitter on the team.
If someone has proven they can hit our pitchers with authority on a consistent basis, and a weaker hitter is batting behind them and we have a base open... we're walking the kid, especially in the last inning with the game on the line. I don't think we've intentionally walked a batter yet, but we talked about it with that 5'9" kid on the Bulldogs this past spring after he hit one 280' that rattled the trees out at Bolin.
You guys don't have to back me if I ever do this. :-)
But FWIW, I have seen several kids walked in the Little League WS qualifying games this weekend. To me its just what I've preached to the boys. My/our job is to put them in the best position at a given time to _succeed_. Sometimes that could be a big part in winning a game, and other times it will just be the best shot we have, even if we don't execute. Still other times we'll have a kid in a spot that pushes him and his abilities...maybe he does well, maybe he doesn't on that given occasion. But, I would argue (based on the limited facts I know) that the losing team's coach didn't put this young man (batter) in the best spot for him, or the team, to succeed.
Now... since none of you hang around me and my U12 baseball team, let me tell you that my son is a small kid who hasn't started puberty yet. He's a quality player. But if I batted him behind my #4 or #5 hitter in the order, and that #4 hitter came up with men on 2nd and 3rd with the game on the line, then opposing coach _should_ walk my cleanup hitter to face my son. Would it be a politically incorrect thing to do b/c he's short and can't hit the ball over the 260' fence? Would it make a difference if the other coach knew that my son had a life-saving operation when he was 2 weeks old (which obviously doesn't make a difference)? Should baseball players of any age take great offense at someone in front of them being intentionally walked?
The answer to all these questions is "no". The fact is, I don't _ask_ my son to hit home runs. I don't expect him to, and I don't expect him to hit for the highest average on the team, either. I expect him to do the best he can. It is MY job as the coach to put him (and all my players) in the best position for him to utilize HIS skills the best he can to help the team as a whole do its best. If that means we win, great. If that means we just gave it our best shot and lost, that's all any coach can ask. We'll play again tomorrow.