Quote:
Originally posted by IRISHMAFIA
Well, Dave, that is one of the drawbacks at some clinics. If this wasn't a clinic for college coaches, the speakers shouldn't really be telling non-NCAA coaches about things you cannot apply in your game. The least she should do is qualify the statement as NCAA only to the best of her knowledge.
But that isn't what you coaches were paying to hear. That information is completely useless to the game you are coaching unless you are an NCAA coach.-
JMHO,
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This was quite a large clinic. Probably near 500 in attendance. A huge conference room. Lasted for two days.
The coaches in attendance were primarily summer league, competitive teams although there were quite a few high school coaches and only a smattering of college coaches.
I assist with my daughter's 16U team.
The speakers were top names in softball. All nationally known figures.
In general, the lectures were not specific to college, high school or anything else. It tended to be more advanced so I'm not sure that a coach of a 10U team would have gained any knowledge that he could immediately put into practice. It mostly involved general softball strategies and techniques that work at all advanced levels. But, in this one instance, JoAnne got off on a tangent with regards to "aggressive baserunning" and she cited this one example of what some of her runners have done in the past.
Two years ago I attended the same clinic. There was a discussion about how to defend against a batter, who was just walked, from taking off to 2nd while there is already a runner at 3rd. A common offensive tactic.
The lecturer was Jacquie Joseph, the head softball coach for Michigan State University. She recommended that the catcher promptly return the ball back to the pitcher and for the pitcher to remain in the circle. She stated that this "forced" the runner at 3rd to either advance or return or be subject to being called out. I was fairly confident she was incorrect about that - especially with regards to ASA rules.
I raised my hand and suggested to her that R3 could *still* taunt the defense, without penalty, even with the ball in the circle, as long as the BR had not yet reached 1st. She disagreed. She bet me a beer. She lost that bet. In ASA, the provisions of the Lookback Rule do not BEGIN until the batter-runner has reached 1st. So, R3 can do just about anything she wants while the BR is still trotting down to 1st, regardless of whether the pitcher has the ball in the circle.
If there's one thing I've learned, although many of these coaches have brilliant minds for coaching - they are far from rules experts. But I don't find that disappointing since the purpose of the clinic was not to make us all a bunch of umpires. But you can see how many of these "myths" get started.
Although I was confident that Jacquie had that rule wrong, I'm not nearly so confident about whether JoAnne is incorrect about a runner's ability to make a break for 2nd, while returning to 1st on an overrun, while the ball is within the circle.
But, it seems this has been answered by those who are much more knowledgeable about such things than myself. That's why this forum is great!
Thanks!
David Emerling
Memphis, TN
[Edited by David Emerling on Jan 23rd, 2005 at 12:00 PM]