Delay of game by 3rd base coach endless signaling

[Guest Martin Dahl]

So my son was pitching in his first HS game tonight, with his team down 9-0.  The opposing team's players were all wearing those armbands with the list of plays.  About every other pitch, the coach would slowly waddle down the basepath grass towards home plate.  The batter would step out of the box.  The coach would squint down at his clipboard and yell some 3-digit number like "one - four - two" to his batter, and each of the kids on base.  Then he'd slowly walk back to the coaches box and the batter would begin digging in at the plate.  It was a 15-20 second ritual, over and over and over.  The home plate ump never really called time out or did anything really.  The constant interruptions and delays did however, prevent my son from getting any type of rhythm on the mound and he struggled.  I finally questioned the pace of play from the stands and urged my kid to throw a pitch anyway.  In the end, I got a scolding from the athletic director, but no remedy for my kid.  (Don't ask about our coach, although I suspect he needs to initiate this and not a parent!).  What's the proper way for my fireballer to fight this delay tactic the next time we play these clowns?

[beerguy55]

16 hours ago, aaluck said:

I'm curious @beerguy55what happened to a key and the sign?  Why these wristbands?  Are high school coaches actually stealing signs, are they that smart (no offense but I haven't come across any)?

That's all I ever used.  I think wristbands came as a way to ensure players (especially baserunners) weren't missing signs because they're looking at the pitcher, or can't see because there are three players between them and the coach, etc...along with a way to ensure players don't forget...which does happen more than it should.   And in those situations I would finally just actually say "BUNT" to the batter.

As far as stealing signs...going back to 12 years old playing club ball, we always had one player on the bench whose job it was to try to figure out the other teams' signs...and it's surprising how often we could crack the code - especially if they weren't using a key.

As I coached, I would use the key to trick other teams.  I'd let them learn my bunt sign, for example...and then give the bunt sign without the key...amazing how many hits you get when F3 and F5 aren't back at their bags.

[Simply The Best]

On 3/16/2023 at 4:45 PM, ErichKeane said:

It took me a horrifyingly long time to toss my first coach.  I'm still not wonderful about controlling coaches, but I'm getting way better.  I only did a little more than 100 games last year, but I believe I'm way better than I was!

Perhaps you're thinking about this incorrectly. You don't control coaches, unless you consider a warning and an ejection 'control'.

Try thinking "control the game" and apply with gusto the rules that support?