We just had a mid-week friendly against the team we just beat for the state championship two Sundays ago. Down 6-2 in bottom 5, we fight back to tie against the starter. In bottom 6, their coach puts in new pitcher – 2 walks, wild pitch, game over. One of the dads on their team went absolutely ballistic (scared the crap out of our girls) shouting at their coach (including obscenities) about the decision. In the handshake line, we ask coach “is everything alright?”. He says “Oh, that’s just Ray. He comes to all of our games. Doesn’t even have a kid on the team, he’s just a huge fan.”, like it happens all the time.
Yikes.
Anyway, we make decisions and live with them. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains.
Sorry, I've been away from my computer for the last week because we were in southwestern VA for the LL majors state championship, which we won. As far as the original post goes, I give the coaches credit. They did not blame the girls, but praised them for playing their best. Although I appreciate the perspective from those who responded, I still consider removing the starting pitcher a coaching blunder-one that almost certainly cost the 10U team the ability to compete for the state championship. Given the outcome of the championship game (the team that walked us off won handily), we most likely would have won the title. So it goes.I think if the pitcher was in shape enough to finish let her finish. One WP, BB, HBP or hit the coach could've made a change at that point.
Too many times I've witnessed the opposite.
Girls with hardly any reps goes 4 good innings, pitching well and see the opposing team lineup for the 3rd/4th time and coaches not pulling the girl and letting her get tired and start missing locations.
So If I had to choose I'd rather see a loss due to a perceived coaching error verses a non-move and let a girl that pitched a great game lose form from being tired out and get a loss when a coach had an opportunity to give the girl and the team a win.
Question.... did the coaches after the game take responsibility for the game loss or did put it on the girls?
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