Baseball,Has it become to politically correct?

[Hammer]

Ok,,Got home earlier and am still fuming and need to rant a little,,My son plays legion ball in the summer and pitched tonite against one of the better teams in the league,,He stays around the plate all nite long and they got their share of knocks off him and a few runs,big deal,,Problem arose in the bottom of the 3rd when the biggest hitter,who already tagged him for a round tripper,comes up again,,He is one of those,on top of the plate in the strike zone hitters(ala Barry Bonds/Mo Vaughn,etc. etc),and gets brushed back by my son with some chin music(high heat),,He turns around and complains to the ump who in turn warns my son(bad thing to do to a teenager with a temper,who feels he did nothing wrong)and the bench(manager),,I knew it was comin,hes got my temper,next pitch,heater,belt high, way inside,down goes the kid,misses getting hit,but gets his uniform dirty,,Ump tosses my son,then the manager for argueing and warns of a forfit if it continues,,Man was I jacked up,when did pitcher loose their right to the strike zone and the hitters claim it,,When I played,if you were on the plate or over it as they are now,down you went,message sent,,No getting comfortable in the box,when did this new style begin??,,No wonder why parents go off during games,,Its a shame they can not play the game the way its meant to be played any more... ... Andy

 

[baby.driver]

Yep

You answered your own Question Hammer!



Jay

 

[TxDieselKid]

Hammer,

I think you are right.

 

[KMeek]

It is sometimes difficult for an Umpire to know when the pitcher is losing control as compared to when the pitcher is trying to intimidate the batter. Frrankly, I don't consider intimidating the batter as "part of the game". At least not at the High School and under age group. Here locally a pitcher has to leave the mound if he hits batters twice.

 

[Bill Lins]

It started a few years back in the Show. NOBODY dug in against Bob Gibson, Marichal, Drysdale, et al. Now an inside pitch sends the batter whining to the ump. It's a steaming pile of crap! The plate belongs to the pitcher, period! Dig in @ your own risk!

 

[Hammer]

Do not allow the batter to dig in,,This is one school of thought I have taught my son all through his baseball days and agree with everyone,,Out here in HS ball they will boot the kid after the second hit batter also,,To them it does not matter if the batter is on the plate or not,just the fact he was hit,what a disgrace to the game,,Being a fan of the game its a shame the players in the "big show" can even think of sniveling about this crap at the salaries they are payed,,A deliberate act of hitting a batter for a previous at bat is a different situation as I tried to explain last nite,but,not allowing a pitcher to retain his part of the plate and the inside pitch and then tossing him for it was a bad call,,Stuff like this is enough to make me stop coaching babseball and become a mini-golf instructor.....

 

[sdalton]

Hammer Quotes



"I knew it was comin,hes got my temper,next pitch,heater,belt high, way inside,down goes the kid,misses getting hit,but gets his uniform dirty,,Ump tosses my son,then the manager for argueing and warns of a forfit if it continues



A deliberate act of hitting a batter for a previous at bat is a different situation ... . "

Stuff like this is enough to make me stop coaching babseball and become a mini-golf instructor. "



First, are you coaching your sons team???

Second, it sounds like your son needs to keep his temper in check.

Third, it also sounds as if your son intentially tried to hit the batter with an inside pitch "way inside".



The combination of these things is not what highschool ball or legion ball is all about. Teaching the batter a lesson with a fast ball is uncalled for, outside the Majors. It is about having fun and playing a game. The ump made a bad call initially, but your son also is at fault by endangering the safety of the batter. A complaint should have been made to the Ump when the batter continued to crowd the plate. The Ump made a good call , whether you see it that way or not. He is in charge, not the over involved parents, (who are trying to relive their youth through their children), not the Tommy Lasorta wanna be coaches, and especially not the child players.



It is only a game.

It is only a game.

It is only a game.



Now repeat this 500 times, take a Prozac, and get you and your son into some anger management classes.

 

[Hammer]

Answers to SD's questions. .

1st-Nope I am the hitting coach and do nothing more on game day except help the kids when they come back from a bad at bat.

2nd-My sons temper at times is like any other teenagers,but,in a situation where he feels he was done no injustice it does get more prevelant.

3rd-Define intenionally hit??,,Move a player off the plate with a inside pitch is part of the Game and has been for years,,If he wanted to hit the batter he would have,its not his style,,he will move you,me,or anyone else whose standing on top of the plate away,thats part of the game,,It needs to be taught just like any other fundamental... .

I'll agree to the one statement that the ump is in charge,but,where does his authority stop when it contradicts the games fundamentals??,,I am no Lasorda,just a parent who voulunteers my time like may others do to help kids learn the game...

So then tell me SDalton,how do you teach the game and address the inside pitch to those who you help or coach??,,If you got a better solution I am open to suggestions,trust me 25 teenagers with attitudes may learn better from you, than me and the other coaches,,It is a game and only that,but,try to tell kids that after a blown save costs them a game,,As for the prozac and anger management crapola,I'll just smile and consider the source it came from... ... .

 

[sdalton]

I too agree that crowding the base is a no no, and the person should be taught not to do this. First by the coaches on his team, then the ump needs to warn them, then the pitcher needs to warn them with an inside pitch. In your own words, you said your son threw a "way inside" pitch. This is not the way to teach a lesson. It is dangerous and unsportsman like.

As for Prozac, and anger management, I ment that as a joke, and feel that I am not qualified to make that diagnosis. The Ump on the otherhand might.



I have seen too many parents who coach their kids in sports, and that usually is not a good thing. The child is pressured too much, and the parents think their child is a major league prospect, when they arent. This puts too much pressure on the child, and takes the fun out of the game.