The Coach

[WinterWillie]

Team A is leading 7 to O in the top of the seventh.
Their pitcher is virtually untouchable (no balls have been hit out of infield). Team A has runner on third, the Team A coach calls for the bunt to pad the score. Team A player bunts Team B throws batter runner out at first and the throw home nails Team A baserunner at the plate- not even a close play- her slide stopped about a foot short of home plate. Team A coach argues the call like it is the seventh game in the world series. Parents of the the team getting hammered are disgusted with him. How would you have handled it?

[ChampaignBlue]

Assuming that he didn't get personal he gets his say, I turn and announce two outs and dust off the plate. I'm not going to give him the satisfaction of a response on the play as you described it. I will let him make an *** of himself, that's what the plate brushing is about, gives him another chance to look stupid. Hopefullly some day he'll learn.

[TexBlue]

Yeah, I'll let him talk about it, I'll tell him she didn't reach home plate. After that, the discussion is pretty much over. If he wishes to discuss it some more, he can talk to the bad sliding runner in the dugout.

Or not.

[WinterWillie]

Originally posted by ChampaignBlue
Assuming that he didn't get personal he gets his say, I turn and announce two outs and dust off the plate.

The only problem with this was that it was raining out!

Originally posted by ChampaignBlue I'm not going to give him the satisfaction of a response on the play as you described it. I will let him make an *** of himself, that's what the plate brushing is about, gives him another chance to look stupid. Hopefully some day he'll learn.

In my pre-game conference (coaches and captains), I always close with the Knute Rockne guote (DTTB uses it as his signature card) "One man practicing sportsmanship is far better than 50 preaching it" (You'd be surprised at how many remember it.) Then I say to the coach, "Yup, this falls right in there in my top five acts of practising sportsmanship." That ends the conversation immediately.

[MichaelVA2000]

If the coach has not personalized his objections, after listening to his argument I would tell him what I saw. If he continues to argue the conversation would go something like this:

Myself: Coach, in my judgment your runner never made it to the plate. I have an out. Arguing judgment calls is a violation of the rules, sir...if you continue violating the rules I will have to take further action. Let's play ball.

Michael

[FUBLUE]

I always (in pre-game conference) remind coaches to TALK to the umpire if he/she has a question on a call. In this case, I would remind the coach to TALK, not yell. If he continues yelling, I think my hearing would start to fail.

[Skahtboi]

Originally posted by WinterWillie
How would you have handled it?

[rafking]

My last two games were something like this, however the coaches were excellent.

14U more of a rec league from two small local towns. Team A had rocket pitcher. Team B pitcher was rocked from the first pitch.

Game 1. Team A started bunting every time up to work on that skill. This is because they hit every other pitch into deep outfield and started to be cautious of showing them up. Good coaching.

Games 2. After 1 1/2 innings 21-0 and team A only threw 7 pitches to retire team B in the bottom half of the first, both coaches decided to allow team B to bat all girls and not count outs. I was happy to spend some extra time behind the plate for these teams.