Quote:
Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA
Please stop making excuses. These kids learn at 6yo to run anytime
they hit the ball, especially in fair territory. Yes, there are coaches that are clueless, but there is really no reason for anyone to step foot on a field not to know that the batter runs when they hit the ball
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No argument there. There is no excuse for the batter not running or the coaches missing this initially, but the teachable moment here (and in similar situations) is to infer from silence which isn't always an easy skill even for adolescents to figure out depending on their strengths. I was saying (as a coach of similarly aged players in a different sport with a personal affinity for softball/baseball) if a JV player or their clueless coach(es) verbally ask an umpire during a live ball about the status of the ball, give them the push they need to help them connect the dots so they can learn to figure it out for themselves. Because, yes, they should know that an umpire not calling a play dead indicates something and be able to work logically back to the fact that they missed something.
For instance, this past season at an MLB game I saw in person, after a hit to the outfield with a runner on, the ball returned to the infield and F4 appeared to insist he wanted time. First was uncovered, so the (fast) batter had rounded first and stopped almost halfway to second (standing still). The umpire refused the request for time and F4 seemed to not figure out why -- and it wasn't the umpire's job to connect the dots for him at that level (although he may have even methodically glanced at the runner). If I recall correctly, F4 seemed to become upset before a teammate finally stepped in. No excuse at that level and entirely on the player/team. If a HS JV player was similarly confused/frustrated, even as the opposition, I would not necessarily object to the umpire waiting few beats (to see what happens) and giving a vague verbal clue if things were truly stuck -- although I agree it is a very fine line.
People who know the rules should know what certain non-calls mean (and certain signals, terminology, etc.), but if asked point blank in those situation what is going on by a confused participant in a scholastic game I've always appreciated officials that can artfully teach missing information without ceasing to perform all their proper duties, observation, and mechanics appropriately and without unduly disadvantaging those who come prepared and ready.
[Put another way, it is not officials jobs to coach or teach. But, in extreme situations where bad coaching is actively confusing the rules and procedures of the game to
kidsin a
learning environment, I've never minded an official taking small steps to clarify or translate their rulings and mechanics when they see that a vast majority of the participants did not understand something and it has started to create a mess. Typically, a dead ball would be required, but if everyone completely stops on a live ball and can't figure out what to do . . .]