Peak
Footballguy
I know...TL
R. Synopsis: 35 year old LL Baseball Coach bullied a 10 yr old pitcher to cause him distress so that his team could score 3 easy runs. Said coach even put one of his own players at risk by sending him running full speed to home plate during a pitch - not knowing if the pitcher would stop or not. How can a little league coach be such a ##### as to pick on a young kid the way he did? What would you do if your kid was the pitcher, or if you were the pitcher's coach?
A 10yr old is pitching in the semi-finals of a tournament. His team is winning by 1 run, and folloiwng 2 strikeouts, he walks a batter. Once on the base, the other team's head coach begins running up/down the 3rd baseline and yelling at the umpire that the pitcher has balked. He's animated and loud, so the umpire stops the game and talks to both coaches. No signs of a balk, so all is good. and play resumes. Before the next pitch is thrown the visiting team's HC is at it again - animated and yelling. He does this enough times that he's rattled the 10 yr old pitcher who doesn't know what this coach is talking about but realizes that he's talking about something he is/isn't doing. The boy is visibly distraught and trying to get back into the game, but the HC is still yelling and now the baserunner steals 2nd while the pitcher is looking at the other team's coach. The Pitcher's coach and his team yell about the runner, but it's too late as he's already into his pitching movement. Now the pitcher stops moving and doesn't complete the pitch, and he truly does balk. The umpire calls it, and the runner goes to 3rd. The pitcher tries to gather himself, but musters a 2-1 count on the next batter. The other HC starts yelling for a balk again. The umpire doesn't call anything, but the Pitcher's coach calls time to talk to the pitcher. The boy is visabily distraught and rattled. The visiting team's HC is standing on third smiling and laughing while watching the other HC talk to his pitcher. When play resumes, the pitcher steps on the rubber and begins his pitch only to see the runner at third now heading towards home plate. He doesn't know what to do, so he doesn't complete his pitch but starts running for home with the ball. The pitcher is completely off his game now as the other team's HC is yelling balk, the umpire is yelling balk, and the pitcher is looking confused while his coach tries to work everything out with the ump.
The pitcher eventually finishes the inning getting a ground out, but the damage is done. The visiting team's HC has put enough emotional stress on this kid that he doesn't know whats going on or why everyone is yelling at him. One of his coaches pulls him aside and talks to him on what happened and steps to correct it. The pitcher goes back in, but still receives the same treatment from the visiting team's HC. The umpire doesn't say anything or intervenes. The pitcher stays in for one last inning and then is relieved, but still shaken.
Having been a little league coach previously, I couldn't believe what I was seeing/hearing. Yes it was a tournament, but how can a grown adult live with himself knowing that he just spent the better part of 20 minutes bullying a 10 year old for equaled 3 runs for his team? I tried to think of what I would have done were I the pitcher's coach or even his parent. How does the umpire not notice what is going on and step in with a warning to that coach? What kind of lesson is he teaching his kid? What would have happened to that base runner had the pitcher kept pitching and the batter swung? The pitch would have beat him to home by 3 steps, just in time for the runner to get hit by the bat. This wasn't a quick dash down half the line and stop, the runner was going non-stop. The coach risked that kid's health on a bet with himself that another kid wouldn't throw the ball.
R. Synopsis: 35 year old LL Baseball Coach bullied a 10 yr old pitcher to cause him distress so that his team could score 3 easy runs. Said coach even put one of his own players at risk by sending him running full speed to home plate during a pitch - not knowing if the pitcher would stop or not. How can a little league coach be such a ##### as to pick on a young kid the way he did? What would you do if your kid was the pitcher, or if you were the pitcher's coach? A 10yr old is pitching in the semi-finals of a tournament. His team is winning by 1 run, and folloiwng 2 strikeouts, he walks a batter. Once on the base, the other team's head coach begins running up/down the 3rd baseline and yelling at the umpire that the pitcher has balked. He's animated and loud, so the umpire stops the game and talks to both coaches. No signs of a balk, so all is good. and play resumes. Before the next pitch is thrown the visiting team's HC is at it again - animated and yelling. He does this enough times that he's rattled the 10 yr old pitcher who doesn't know what this coach is talking about but realizes that he's talking about something he is/isn't doing. The boy is visibly distraught and trying to get back into the game, but the HC is still yelling and now the baserunner steals 2nd while the pitcher is looking at the other team's coach. The Pitcher's coach and his team yell about the runner, but it's too late as he's already into his pitching movement. Now the pitcher stops moving and doesn't complete the pitch, and he truly does balk. The umpire calls it, and the runner goes to 3rd. The pitcher tries to gather himself, but musters a 2-1 count on the next batter. The other HC starts yelling for a balk again. The umpire doesn't call anything, but the Pitcher's coach calls time to talk to the pitcher. The boy is visabily distraught and rattled. The visiting team's HC is standing on third smiling and laughing while watching the other HC talk to his pitcher. When play resumes, the pitcher steps on the rubber and begins his pitch only to see the runner at third now heading towards home plate. He doesn't know what to do, so he doesn't complete his pitch but starts running for home with the ball. The pitcher is completely off his game now as the other team's HC is yelling balk, the umpire is yelling balk, and the pitcher is looking confused while his coach tries to work everything out with the ump.
The pitcher eventually finishes the inning getting a ground out, but the damage is done. The visiting team's HC has put enough emotional stress on this kid that he doesn't know whats going on or why everyone is yelling at him. One of his coaches pulls him aside and talks to him on what happened and steps to correct it. The pitcher goes back in, but still receives the same treatment from the visiting team's HC. The umpire doesn't say anything or intervenes. The pitcher stays in for one last inning and then is relieved, but still shaken.
Having been a little league coach previously, I couldn't believe what I was seeing/hearing. Yes it was a tournament, but how can a grown adult live with himself knowing that he just spent the better part of 20 minutes bullying a 10 year old for equaled 3 runs for his team? I tried to think of what I would have done were I the pitcher's coach or even his parent. How does the umpire not notice what is going on and step in with a warning to that coach? What kind of lesson is he teaching his kid? What would have happened to that base runner had the pitcher kept pitching and the batter swung? The pitch would have beat him to home by 3 steps, just in time for the runner to get hit by the bat. This wasn't a quick dash down half the line and stop, the runner was going non-stop. The coach risked that kid's health on a bet with himself that another kid wouldn't throw the ball.
