I thought one of the more interesting conversations at the National Softball Coaches clinic in Chicago was having the C calling the game. One of the presenters was very passionate about allowing the C calling the game but admitted that it was done from the Dugout when she coached. It seemed like all the College coaches there had the game called from the Dugout. One of the reasons given was that they only had 4 years with the C and if they were not prepared coming into to College they did not have enough time to teach them.
I should have asked but did not think of it at the time is does a C being able to call the game make her more attractive to Colleges. Right now my opinion is No, it doesn’t matter.
Have traveled the past 2 weekends to watch daughter play D1 ball. Watched 10 of her games and portions of probably another 10 while waiting for her games to start. Have yet to see any college catcher calling thier own games, coaches were calling every one of them.
This is a chicken or the egg thing though. Are they being called because the catchers don't know or because the coaches won't allow it?
I would be horrified at having to call a game for my catcher. Or back stop, because if she can't call a game she ain't a catcher. It's the catcher's JOB to call pitches. How else does the team know what is coming?
Teach them as early as possible. I know a 14 year old kid who calls the best game I've ever seen. The idea of coaches calling pitches in this country is practically unheard of. It's the daddies who can't let go and realise they're not playing the game that need to keep the tight control
As for the question of why coaches put batting signals on, they put situational plays on so EVERYONE knows what is happening. They don't always decide if the batter is swinging or not. 90% of the time that decision is the batter's if she's putting a ball into play. (this obviously excludes the take signal or if a hit and run is put on) The batter can't decide what to do if there's a runner on. The first base coach needs to know what is happening too.
Simply put, teams have a staff of coaches and they need something to do. All those clipboards, etc.
It is easier to chart the pitches if you know what they are. Of course, coaches have the crappiest view, probably, of whether the pitchers actually hit the target. And they are sitting right in the foul ball danger spot for a head injury, but oh well.
The college jobs are on the line, so they call the pitches. (Not that the pay is great for assistants.)
AC's are for carrying buckets and charting pitches. . . . charting, not calling. The chart gets to the catcher and HC to discuss during the week to figure out what worked and what didn't.
It's my belief that most AC's become ESPN announcers, since neither have a clue on which pitches are actually being thrown at a given time.
-W