Poor Sportsmanship during ASA States

It's the catcher's job to block the plate. True, this catcher does appear to not be in the best position. Maybe she doesn't know how to get into position to create a good throwing lane and make a tag, or maybe the throw is just pulling her into foul territory.

The glaring mistake in this photo is not the catcher, its the runner! This runner is making no attempt to slide around the tag. Any injury here is totally on the runner. This type of incorrect sliding is seen way too often. College coaches seeing this runner will not look at her again.

Lets stop whining about all of this and start teaching these kids how to play the game!

 

I was not at the game at issue. I don't know anyone involved with either team. I would caution, though, not to accuse the player who collided with the catcher of bad sportsmanship. Sometimes when you are trying to reach a base you have to make split-second decisions and sometimes those decisions end up injuring another player or sometimes yourself or both.

Whatever the cause, it probably has been addressed by the player's coaches. If it was bad sportsmanship I hope they will teach the necessary lesson. If it was a poor attempt to get to the bag I'm sure they'll correct that also.

No team should recklessly endanger any player--period.

As far as the team calling or emailing, that would be very considerate but I don't think that is the normal call. I suspect if they were to call right now they might not be received very cordially.

I hate that the catcher got hurt but the player who hurt her may not be feeling very good about it either. It is definitely nothing anyone should feel proud about. And I really can't believe hurting her was the intent.

 

My thoughts...

instead I understand that the next morning when our catcher was walking in with her mother, several girls with The other team began laughing and someone said Hey, there's that girl you put in a cast (or sling) last night....I cannot believe that type of behavior would be allowed by coaches, let alone any of their parents within ear shots distance of this...
My thoughts on this are, not so much whether the catcher or runner was in the wrong during the game, but more on this next morning behavior! Sadly it doesn't shock me though! Too many parents these days think that there DD's are never wrong, no matter what they do!
The old lessons of yester year, just plain aren't observed anymore! Kinda like the 2 players that helped the other team's player by carring her to each base, so that she could claim her 1st HR! That type of great sportsmanship just doesn't happen near as much as it should! I am convinced that parents really don't think about others anymore, just themselves. If it gets their DD where or what she wants, it is okie dokie! Walk on, or over, anyone who gets in your way! As in a lot of other things, just because you can, doesn't mean you should! I actually hold the parents of these players more responsible than the players, they most likely learned this type of behavior from their parents! The parents that heard this type behavior going on, should have done the right thing and they didn't!

 

Let's start teaching?.....

....sorry BBatter but you're 100% wrong on this one.
1. The catchers job is to block the plate? Are you kidding?!!! You actually beleive that? WOW...strike one!
2. Since when is a runner required to slide? Strike two!
3. Catcher is being pulled up the lane, or out of position?..I'll give you a foul tip on this one...yes, both are correct, AND make the catcher at fault, not the runner.
4. As for a college coach saying, BAM!, I'm not interested in this kid who busted her ass to score at all cost because she didn't slide?! Strike three! and I mean a K looking.

Your posts are always in line but this one is not.
If we're gonna teach the game, its important to actually know the rules.

 

Actual play or arrogance afterwards

So whether the player should or should not have slid into home or the ump ejected the girl for intentional contact may be a mute point. It seems to me that they are upset that the catcher got hurt in an unnecessary or possibly avoidable incident, but that the other teams attitudes and comment following the game and on the following day are more bothersome than the actual event.

Now, I know this girl and I have seen her take more than 1 hard hit behind the plate and get up smiling but i know that to be disrespected hurts worse than any physical hit you can take.

Would it have been so hard for that team or that individual player to ask how she was instead of sitting around boasting that they had put another player in a cast/sling whatever.

We had a similar situation of disrespect at the NSA states this past weekend. We had a player who had not played in 3 years filling in a slot for a player who had been sustained a concussion during a collision at the plate at the ASA 18U states (imagine). So instead of us forfeiting and not being able to play the younger sister of one of our players played outfield for us. We were in the middle of a game with her playing left field, the other team was just getting really good hits into the outfield corner so she was running them down. Then a fly ball, tips off the end of her glove.....well the team warming up behind the temporary fence start making comments about the fact that she needs to go back down to 12U, etc. just totally being rude when they had no knowledge of who that girl was or what situation whe was in. Needless to say, they had her in tears before much longer, just making the situation worse.

Just seems that we are having a much bigger problem with common courtesy and respect than we are with playing hard and with commitment.

 

Whatever you do, don't let them watch hockey! How senseless is it practically holding hands and punching each other in the mouth with the other? Thank goodness our sport doesn't take it that far!

 

I agree most all of us need to preach a little bit more about respect and courtesy.

The one thing we want to avoid in most of these situations is the parents getting into it. The girls will work it out between themselves for the most part. Parents can make it ugly or they can take the opportunity to teach courtesy, compassion, and tolerance amongst other things.

When you get to the bottom line we're talking about good kids--all of them. The ones you believe aren't good kids are the ones who haven't been on your team, yet. Approach them in a kind way and you will find a kid you like!!

 

Yes it is the catcher's job to block the plate. It is also the runner's job to slide correctly when she does slide. The best baserunners have mastered the art of sliding around a tag (or a blocking catcher). It doesn't always work, but sliding straight in never does.

Catchers are getting criticized here for blocking when its actually the runner who blindly slides straight into the brick wall. Is it blocking or poor baserunning?

Don't misunderstand. Sliding is not required by the rules, nor should it be, nor did I state that it is.

Check out the photo series in the 16u/18u NSA State Tournament thread. There are at least 6 photos of baserunners sliding straight into a blocking catcher or a tag. Yet there is not one single photo of a runner sliding around a tag. These players have not yet learned to play the game with finesse. If they slide around, they are safe more often and hurt less often, and catchers don't get criticized for doing their job.

If this is a K, Blue missed the call.

 

Sounds like a ...

...coaching problem.

What did the ump have to do with teaching a kid to slide....
Their job is easy, black or white... safe or out....

Don't expect your players to know anything, if you have not taught them..

 

I'm sorry to hear about your players injuries, hope all is well this week! You have a tough bunch that plays hard.