Thrown ball hits coach's bucket

[jdmara]

Originally Posted by johnnyg08

signs at the 10 year old level?

1 for fastball
2 for fastball
3 for fastball...

I think you can figure out the other two pitches. I agree johnny, it's ridiculous at this age that ANY coach is taking up time with pitch calls. Back in the day I was doing a little kids tourney and the catcher would delay the game waiting for the pitch call from the coach. I then decided to speed up the game a little. I warned the coach that any further delay would be penalized. This is how the next batter went down: Thrown ball (1-0), "Delay Coach, ball two" (2-0), Thrown Strike (2-1), "Delay...Ball Three!" (3-1), the pitcher then lofted one over the fence on a pitch

The coach learned quickly that I wasn't going to let him take 25-30 seconds to call a pitch, have the pitcher look at the runner on base for another 25-30 seconds, and then pitch the ball. The game was heading for a 2 hour finish at that pace.

I asked the coach after the game what he was doing over there that it took him 25 seconds to call a pitch. He said he was just taking his time so he could think the pitch through. I replied, "What would you think if I took 25 seconds to call every ball/strike? You'd be all over me for taking so long!" He got the point.

-Josh

[BigTex]

Originally Posted by jdmara

1 for fastball
2 for fastball
3 for fastball...

I think you can figure out the other two pitches. I agree johnny, it's ridiculous at this age that ANY coach is taking up time with pitch calls. Back in the day I was doing a little kids tourney and the catcher would delay the game waiting for the pitch call from the coach. I then decided to speed up the game a little. I warned the coach that any further delay would be penalized. This is how the next batter went down: Thrown ball (1-0), "Delay Coach, ball two" (2-0), Thrown Strike (2-1), "Delay...Ball Three!" (3-1), the pitcher then lofted one over the fence on a pitch

The coach learned quickly that I wasn't going to let him take 25-30 seconds to call a pitch, have the pitcher look at the runner on base for another 25-30 seconds, and then pitch the ball. The game was heading for a 2 hour finish at that pace.

I asked the coach after the game what he was doing over there that it took him 25 seconds to call a pitch. He said he was just taking his time so he could think the pitch through. I replied, "What would you think if I took 25 seconds to call every ball/strike? You'd be all over me for taking so long!" He got the point.

-Josh

....and when he protested your award of balls on the batter, you would back it up with what rule?

[jdmara]

Originally Posted by BigTex

....and when he protested your award of balls on the batter, you would back it up with what rule?

They were using the FED rules for the tourney (6-2-2c)

I don't know if little league rules have that rule but they should. Get the kids moving and then maybe the right fielder will stay interested.

-Josh

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by jdmara

"Delay...Ball Three!" (3-1), the pitcher then lofted one over the fence on a pitch

I'm confused too. The pitcher did what???

[jdmara]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

I'm confused too. The pitcher did what???

Wow...That was misspoken. The pitcher threw the final pitch over the fence

FYI, we didn't have a problem the rest of the game after that batter

-Josh

[justanotherblue]

Gotta agree with Oz on this one, buckets don't belong on the field period. If a coach can't stand up for two hours, tough, we do, every day, every game. Get the buckets off the field. Then again, nor do giving signs at that age IMHO... try putting this in you plate meeting... no buckets on the field. You won't have a problem with this again.

[Ran.D]

In travel ball, TD's are in it for the money and if a coach wants to bucket sit, they usually accomodate. We played one team with four dads on buckets outside of the dugout (one calling pitches and the others yelling at just their own kids).

The kids do have pitches, fastball, offspeed and they hit a spot occasionally. Coaches would argue the kids aren't too young to start learning.

Appreciate the responses, but I'm still unclear on how to handle, or how to address in the pre-game. To me the most reasonable option would be to treat hitting the bucket the same as the ball entering the dugout. A dead ball zone (if runners have to return to last base occupied) would award the defense for an error. I like the detached equipment idea though.

[jdmara]

Originally Posted by Ran.D

...Coaches would argue the kids aren't too young to start learning...

I agree kids are never too young to learn but my response to a coach telling me that would be, "Great point! The catcher can learn to call the pitches!" In reality, I would never say anything like that but if a young pitcher can throw an assortment of pitches with accurate location, the catcher is mature enough to call the game as well.

Originally Posted by Ran.D

Appreciate the responses, but I'm still unclear on how to handle, or how to address in the pre-game. To me the most reasonable option would be to treat hitting the bucket the same as the ball entering the dugout. A dead ball zone (if runners have to return to last base occupied) would award the defense for an error. I like the detached equipment idea though.

FED 1-3-7 penalty

If loose equipment interferes with play, the umpire may call an out(s), award bases or return runners, based on his judgment and the circumstances concerning the play

-Josh

[Fritz]

Originally Posted by Ran.D

Appreciate the responses, but I'm still unclear on how to handle, or how to address in the pre-game. To me the most reasonable option would be to treat hitting the bucket the same as the ball entering the dugout. A dead ball zone (if runners have to return to last base occupied) would award the defense for an error. I like the detached equipment idea though.

Well I do agree with Oz and Just that the buckets don't belong, I think there are more important issues that take priority. So that is why I let both coaches know up front what the penalty will be. And Ran, considering them as equipment instead of a dead ball zone allows you to penalize the team that left the equipment there rather than automatically awarding bases to the offense even if it was the offense's bucket that caused the problem.

[greymule]

In a situation at least tangentially related to thrown balls hitting a coach's bucket, I once saw a thrown bucket hit a coach's, well . . .