[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by wadeintothem

Another thing in the "when I'm wrong, I'm wrong" category - different game, this one 12U Rec - coach decides he wants to try a new girl at catcher and she tells me she never caught before.

So here comes a pitch - the girl doesnt move, shes frozen. The ball wacks me. So I take another one and I tell her "girl you need to move that mitt and catch the ball." I took a few more hits, I tell her to catch the ball.. she would catch the ones that came straight to her.. but essentially, she was a statue for anything inside or high. I took a few off my mask, shoulder, leg. Finally I took one to my hip/groin region and I'm ticked off. I tell the coach that "If I take another shot and she doesnt even attempt to catch it shes gone. I'm not a backstop". Well now she's crying and upset, but trying to catch it.

I'm gun shy and pretty much watching the ball for where I need to move and not strike/ball and just calling everything not swung at a ball. This has the effect of a long inning. I start realizing I goofed up, now she is moving though, but still can't catch. I took a another hard foul off my mask other shots. I tell the coach that I shouldnt have said that and if he wants to use her as a catcher I will just call the game for his side from behind the pitcher. So he changes her out.

Can't coaches try out a new catcher during .. oh I dont know, say - practice!

But I still goofed up saying that..

I do not care if she is only 12 years old. After the second time I got hit becuase she would not attempt to catch any pitch unless it was thrown directly where she was holder her cather's mitt, would be the last time I caught hit by a pitch with were in the cather's box. I would have called timeout and had a quiet private conversation with the catcher's coach and my partner. I would have told the coach that if the catcher did not start doing her job that I would eject him from the game. Sending a player, who has never played the position including in practice, to play the catcher's position just proves what an idiot the coach is.

No good coach would put his player in this position. As you said, we are not backstops.

MTD, Sr.