Idiot Coach

[Birdhunter]

Does anybody have a coach that makes their players, pitchers included, get in a batting cage and get hit by a pitched ball, so they will know how to get hit in a game to get on base? This is like having your best running back stand still and let the DL or LB's hit them so he will know what it is like to get hit. OBTW, this is high school, and if the player says he is not going to get hit, the entire team runs.

[cheeze105]

idiot pretty much sums it up......i teach my kids how to take a hit, turn towards the catcher, but i wouldnt make them take a hit off of a pitching machine....sounds like a law suit in the making....

[Birdhunter]

No machine, one of the coaches throws the ball. Let my kid get hurt and I hope they have good legal rep. To many coaches do not realize another word for coach is teacher.

[EastOfRaleigh]

this is an interesting subject. watch college baseball games and it is a battle to see if the pitcher can establish the inside corner or if the batter will bail out. new records are set it seems each year for the # of batters hit by pitches. HBP is an offensive strategy to get runners on base.

wonder how this is handled at the college level as far as practicing it?

[Birdhunter]

Think I would tennis balls.

[Braves]

Originally Posted by Birdhunter

Think I would tennis balls.

Yeah, if you are going to physically teach someone how to get out of the way, to me, tennis balls are logical.

[TheOriole]

question is: Can you teach athletes to "have no fear"?

[fmrtitangreat]

definitely would use tennis balls but we never took pitches on purpose in practice when i played college baseball. the game itself gives you bangs and bruises i cant see adding extra ones to yourself/team on purpose. especially as a college hitter if your seeing 90-95mph fastballs or more its just a natural instinct to get out of the way. i think breaking balls are easier to take of course, but really like mentioned before all you can do is turn your head so that its protected from the ball. I think theres a difference between fear and common sense

[LClefty04]

Originally Posted by Birdhunter

Does anybody have a coach that makes their players, pitchers included, get in a batting cage and get hit by a pitched ball, so they will know how to get hit in a game to get on base? This is like having your best running back stand still and let the DL or LB's hit them so he will know what it is like to get hit. OBTW, this is high school, and if the player says he is not going to get hit, the entire team runs.

Toughens them up, you dont want guys running out of the box like they do now when a pitcher throws a ball on the inside corner.

With that being said if the ball is near you then you should let it hit you and he should use tennis balls because he will feel pretty dumb if his star player gets hurt during that drill.

[GloveSide]

So you think the coach is an idiot. Tell me Birdhunter what more do you know about this game than the coach? It is very easy to second guess.

But since you are looking out for your kid why don't you volunteer your time or take up coaching yourself since you have a much better understanding of the game. Like so many parents do.

Its very easy to sit on the sideline and talk with other parents and complain with other parents and whine with other parents.

Yeah file a lawsuit. What would the legal argument be? "Your Honor, plaintiff in this case is suing the defendent for throwing a baseball at his kid. The kid in turn recieved a bruise on his back side. "

Not to say its all right how this coach is teaching HBP but if you have a better way then step up and help the coach.

You call him an idiot and you resent him. IMO thats BS!!

Its this kind of BS that stops people from coaching!

Originally Posted by Birdhunter

Does anybody have a coach that makes their players, pitchers included, get in a batting cage and get hit by a pitched ball, so they will know how to get hit in a game to get on base? This is like having your best running back stand still and let the DL or LB's hit them so he will know what it is like to get hit. OBTW, this is high school, and if the player says he is not going to get hit, the entire team runs.

[HighMaintenance]

They should have already been hit by tennis balls at about 12 years

old while being taught to hit the same over the plate and off the

bounce to improve eye co-ordination.


Hitting GOLF BALLS in BP ( 7-12) is great as the last thing the day

before a game is helpful also.


And there IS a way to learn to teach how to WAIT on the curve..