It's Why We Call Them Rats......

[Dave Reed]

I didn't see or hear the play, but based on the description, I don't think there was rat-like behavior, or meaningful coaching. The player has been hit by his own foul ball, he's gone down like a shot, and now the coach has ascertained that the kid is OK to continue. At this point the coach can say: " Alright little Jimmy, the time for drama is over, the game needs to go on; get in the batter's box." A good coach, however, won't refer to drama or the injury either explicitly or implicitly. The fast way to get the kid back in the box, ready to hit effectively, is to signal that it is now time to play by providing some innocuous baseball related comment. "Don't let the fast ball get by you" sounds like baseball, but it is no pearl of wisdom, and is unlikely to either help or hinder the batter. Furthermore, the coach could just as easily yell that simple advice from the dugout or coaches box--the concept doesn't require any secrecy or a conference.

With 12 year olds, talking about baseball rather than painful shins is the right way to get the game going.

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by Dave Reed

I didn't see or hear the play, but based on the description, I don't think there was rat-like behavior,

The Rat behavior was when he claimed to still be checking the kid out when in fact he was done with that and was coaching him.

The Rat behavior was the lie.

Nobody is saying it was a huge thing. But it was an unnecessary thing and that, in part, is what elevates it to something worth noting.

It's almost, by definition, pathological for a coach to lie in that circumstance...completely useless.

[BigUmp56]

Originally Posted by Dave Reed

I didn't see or hear the play, but based on the description, I don't think there was rat-like behavior, or meaningful coaching. The player has been hit by his own foul ball, he's gone down like a shot, and now the coach has ascertained that the kid is OK to continue. At this point the coach can say: " Alright little Jimmy, the time for drama is over, the game needs to go on; get in the batter's box." A good coach, however, won't refer to drama or the injury either explicitly or implicitly. The fast way to get the kid back in the box, ready to hit effectively, is to signal that it is now time to play by providing some innocuous baseball related comment. "Don't let the fast ball get by you" sounds like baseball, but it is no pearl of wisdom, and is unlikely to either help or hinder the batter. Furthermore, the coach could just as easily yell that simple advice from the dugout or coaches box--the concept doesn't require any secrecy or a conference.

With 12 year olds, talking about baseball rather than painful shins is the right way to get the game going.

Dave,

I didn't feel the coach saying what he did to his player was out of line. In fact, I would have expected him to say something along these lines. It was his reponse to the umpire after being told it was time to get the game going again that I take exeption to. It was rude and ratesque of him to snap back at such an innoucuous request.


Tim.