Coach Assisting Runner

[tankmjg24]

The following occurred in a 12U USSSA game.  R2 and R3 and the batter hits the ball into right center field gap.  R2 and R3 score easily and BR gets a stand up double.  As R2 is crossing home, he steps on the corner of home plate (barely, but he does touch it).  The bench coach for the hitting team has come out of the dugout to pick up the bat (as he claims) but starts yelling at R2 to go touch home as he missed it.  R2 just kind of stares at him then the coach pushes R2 back towards home.  Defensive manager comes out to argue that the runner should be called out due to the coach assisting the runner.  I explain to him that the runner did not miss home and since he had already legally scored he could not be called out due to the coaches actions.  Pretty certain that I am correct but looking for feedback. 

 

On a side note, this was in the first inning and the first set of runs that scored.  I promptly told the bench coach to not enter live ball territory while playing action is going on.  He wants to argue that he always does this as he is just picking up the bat (in reality he wants to come up behind home so he can give directions to the runner regarding sliding or not).  I quickly put an end to the conversation and the game continues.  In between innings I hear the bench coach talking to the manager about how crazy it is that I am making him stay in the dugout. 

[scrounge]

I think you handled both perfectly

[CricketChapman]

Why do people want to be on the field SOOO badly in travel baseball?  I've yet to see a middle school, high school, collegiate, or professional coach on the field, or standing outside the dugout, unless they are in a rules-designated area.

Pretty well-handled.  Stern warning is necessary here, with as little conversation as possible.

[MadMax]

@CricketChapman :

Coach, Middle School: Hired

Coach, High School: Hired

Coach, Collegiate: Hired

Coach, Professional: Hired

Coach, Travel Club: Appointed, often by self.

 

Which one of these is not like the others?

 

Which one of these is going to give you the most grief, because they set their own standards, and think they don't answer to a higher (hiring) body?

[CricketChapman]

@CricketChapman :

Coach, Middle School: Hired

Coach, High School: Hired

Coach, Collegiate: Hired

Coach, Professional: Hired

Coach, Travel Club: Appointed, often by self.

 

Which one of these is not like the others?

 

Which one of these is going to give you the most grief, because they set their own standards, and think they don't answer to a higher (hiring) body?

Hmm...The ugly truth.

I still don't understand the urge to be outside the dugout, though.

[scrounge]

 

@CricketChapman :

Coach, Middle School: Hired

Coach, High School: Hired

Coach, Collegiate: Hired

Coach, Professional: Hired

Coach, Travel Club: Appointed, often by self.

 

Which one of these is not like the others?

 

Which one of these is going to give you the most grief, because they set their own standards, and think they don't answer to a higher (hiring) body?

Hmm...The ugly truth.

I still don't understand the urge to be outside the dugout, though.

 

 

They got something to say and they're gonna say it when they want to say it.

[Replacematt]

Why do people want to be on the field SOOO badly in travel baseball?  I've yet to see a middle school, high school, collegiate, or professional coach on the field, or standing outside the dugout, unless they are in a rules-designated area.

Pretty well-handled.  Stern warning is necessary here, with as little conversation as possible.

 

I've seen wanderers at all levels. It does decrease the higher you go.

[Jocko]

around here a lot of our travel teams have professional coaches. And you can tell the difference between the ones who are paid to coach and the ones who built their own team.

but i will agree with everything that you did regarding how you handled your situation. if anyone is allowed to coach from anywhere near home plate it's going to be the on deck batter saying slide or not.

[charliej47]

I had this happen in a 14U team in the 1st inning.  I went to the dugout and talked to the HC informing him that the AC was restricted to the dugout and not to com on the field again or the HC could take him to the parking lot and they could watch the game from there.

 

The HC got upset over it and I told him that was the was it was going to be that day.

[Mark Pepper]

 

 

@CricketChapman :

Coach, Middle School: Hired

Coach, High School: Hired

Coach, Collegiate: Hired

Coach, Professional: Hired

Coach, Travel Club: Appointed, often by self.

 

Which one of these is not like the others?

 

Which one of these is going to give you the most grief, because they set their own standards, and think they don't answer to a higher (hiring) body?

Hmm...The ugly truth.

I still don't understand the urge to be outside the dugout, though.

 

To be clear, I'm not defending the coach, and they annoy me just as much.  However, I would add the word "volunteer" to the description and I'm grateful for them as they foster the early love of the game I love.  I try to give them a little slack because of it.  You handled this perfectly IMO.

 

Edited:  Removed unintended multi-quote and put my addition outside the quoted text.  Not sure what happened with formatting. 

[JHSump]

I still don't understand the urge to be outside the dugout, though.

 

Maybe it's this: Many of these coaches started out coaching in t-ball and just kept going (with their sons) until they reached travel ball.  At the t-ball level most town/local programs allow the coaches (many coaches, actually) on the field, actually in fair territory, coaching the kids while the ball is live.  This even happens in coach pitch.  As the coaches progress up the chain, they move out of fair territory, but never quite get to the dugout.  They are intimately involved in the play from t-ball on, and can't resist being as close as possible to the action.  They even think they need to be out there to "help" coach the kids.

[BRUMP]

around here a lot of our travel teams have professional coaches. And you can tell the difference between the ones who are paid to coach and the ones who built their own team.

but i will agree with everything that you did regarding how you handled your situation. if anyone is allowed to coach from anywhere near home plate it's going to be the on deck batter saying slide or not.

 

trout...while i agree that you can tell the difference I've seen my fair share of pro coaches be just as bad and sometimes worse than the dads......hell i even dumped an ex Met who supposedly was a professional coach

[Pete Peterson Sr]

around here a lot of our travel teams have professional coaches. And you can tell the difference between the ones who are paid to coach and the ones who built their own team.

but i will agree with everything that you did regarding how you handled your situation. if anyone is allowed to coach from anywhere near home plate it's going to be the on deck batter saying slide or not.

 

The latter are often sponsored by grass seed companies.

 

around here a lot of our travel teams have professional coaches. And you can tell the difference between the ones who are paid to coach and the ones who built their own team.

but i will agree with everything that you did regarding how you handled your situation. if anyone is allowed to coach from anywhere near home plate it's going to be the on deck batter saying slide or not.

 

The latter are often sponsored by grass seed companies.

 

[Jocko]

@Pete Peterson Sr - The only coach I dumped last season. :shakehead: