Trick Plays

[MTR]

To start, this is nothing new. I've seen plays like this in different levels of baseball over the years since the 50's.

It was also part of a baseball movie, Little Big League, I think.

While some consider it a chicken **** play, but if a team is dumb and not attentive enough to fall for it, oh well, shame on them. A team needs to do whatever it takes, within the rules, to win the game.

However, in softball, there is the LBR. Yes, the pitcher made a move toward 3B while in the circle. That's fine, but the moment she is standing in the circle and is no longer threatening to make a play, the LBR again goes into effect. Depending on the sequence and timing of actions and reactions, it is not necessarily impossible for the runner to be in violation of the LBR.

 

[andyh64000]

To start, this is nothing new. I've seen plays like this in different levels of baseball over the years since the 50's.

It was also part of a baseball movie, Little Big League, I think.

While some consider it a chicken *** play, but if a team is dumb and not attentive enough to fall for it, oh well, shame on them. A team needs to do whatever it takes, within the rules, to win the game.

However, in softball, there is the LBR. Yes, the pitcher made a move toward 3B while in the circle. That's fine, but the moment she is standing in the circle and is no longer threatening to make a play, the LBR again goes into effect. Depending on the sequence and timing of actions and reactions, it is not necessarily impossible for the runner to be in violation of the LBR.

It was also part of the second bad news bears. I have no problem with it except for the planted ball. I am sure the team planted it if it was in the exact place to where the fielders were running. That IMO crosses the line.

 

[whatsup]

• You cork your bat; or you don't
• You throw spitters with the help of some Vaseline; or you don't.
• You yell "I've got it" as you run by fielders trying to catch a ball; or you don't.
• You pretend you were hit by a pitched ball that missed you; or you don't
• You take performance enhancing drugs; or you don't
• You slide in spikes high; or you don't
• You throw at a batter; or you don't

Coach pulls off some lame trick that robs the girls of the chance to experience the scenario the game is played for --bottom of the seventh, two outs, tying run on third-- and the girls get to go home knowing they're really "tricky." I'd rather they went home knowing they're good... even if they weren't quite good enough to win that day.

You honor the game; or you don't...

 

[mad hornet]

• You cork your bat; or you don't
• You throw spitters with the help of some Vaseline; or you don't.
• You yell "I've got it" as you run by fielders trying to catch a ball; or you don't.
• You pretend you were hit by a pitched ball that missed you; or you don't
• You take performance enhancing drugs; or you don't
• You slide in spikes high; or you don't
• You throw at a batter; or you don't

Coach pulls off some lame trick that robs the girls of the chance to experience the scenario the game is played for --bottom of the seventh, two outs, tying run on third-- and the girls get to go home knowing they're really "tricky." I'd rather they went home knowing they're good... even if they weren't quite good enough to win that day.

You honor the game; or you don't...

Most of your examples above are rule violations. The trick play didn't break any rules. When you boil it down, was this anything more than a highly creative pick-off play?

To those who have made negative remarks, do your teams never do anything unexpected? You coach your players to expect the unexpected but do you never introduce a twist to try and catch the other team off guard? Being that this play didn't break any rules for me it begs the question: where do you draw the line betweek "bush" and "it's part of the game"?

Are fake throws part of the game? What about decoy throws to the wrong base to get your target out to take the bait and run?

 

[FPMark]

I've seen this play, as well as variations, before, but never seen it actually work. Makes me wonder what kind of base coaches did they have? HOW in the world did the 3rd base coach let a runner on 3rd take off for home without knowing where the ball was? His JOB is to keep the runner from making that kind of mistake. And what about the 1st base coach? What was he looking at? Surely he could see the pitcher didn't throw the ball. No heads up if the runner and coach on 3rd look confused? PLEASE!!! Yes it's a 'Bush League' play, but if it worked, offence deserved what it got,... one more in the loss column.

 

[bobbyb]

I would have to say that at the point that you use a prop...that should not be on the field... its bush. Its also could be dangerous... i wonder how funny the trick would be if his/her ss or lf had to chase a pop up over there and they rolled their ankle off the prop...tearing ligaments and was out for 8 weeks.

I am all for being "on your toes" as to the situation and aware of whats going on and taking advantage of it but using a prop/decoy...on the field? Bush!

 

[mad hornet]

I would have to say that at the point that you use a prop...that should not be on the field... its bush. Its also could be dangerous... i wonder how funny the trick would be if his/her ss or lf had to chase a pop up over there and they rolled their ankle off the prop...tearing ligaments and was out for 8 weeks.

I am all for being "on your toes" as to the situation and aware of whats going on and taking advantage of it but using a prop/decoy...on the field? Bush!

It was NOT on the field. This was at a softball complex and for all we know it was just a stray warm up ball laying loose. Coincidence? Maybe - maybe not. Apparently the FU thought it of no consequence.

 

[coachtucc]

I've seen this play, as well as variations, before, but never seen it actually work. Makes me wonder what kind of base coaches did they have? HOW in the world did the 3rd base coach let a runner on 3rd take off for home without knowing where the ball was? His JOB is to keep the runner from making that kind of mistake. And what about the 1st base coach? What was he looking at? Surely he could see the pitcher didn't throw the ball. No heads up if the runner and coach on 3rd look confused? PLEASE!!! Yes it's a 'Bush League' play, but if it worked, offence deserved what it got,... one more in the loss column.

How does anyone know that the 3B coach wasn't yelling go back but that the runner went on her own? Believe me, I've seen it happen! I'm not saying the runner is right but that does happen!

 

[FPMark]

How does anyone know that the 3B coach wasn't yelling go back but that the runner went on her own? Believe me, I've seen it happen! I'm not saying the runner is right but that does happen!

Yelling go back shouldn't be nessesary, he should never have let her leave the bag. And if the ball was laying in dead ball territory, the coach should know that the ump will award home for free, she didn't need to run. She obviously didn't see the ball get away (because it didn't) so unless she has never been on base before, I doubt she would ignore the coach telling her to 'stay there', or 'get back' either one. Sorry, but I still think bad coaching.

Original post said "coach sent runner", so he evidently didn't know where the ball really was either.