Anyone else make a player cry?

[mtnump]

LL juniors, B1, pitcher is all over the place. After a high/outside pitch he starts walking to the plate with his arms out wondering why that was not a strike. The mask comes off and I told him that is enough or you are gone. He starts crying and goes back to the mound and says "you won't give me anything."HT fans says, "he obviously is too young to have seen A League of Their Own." The fans from both sides are now laughing...VT coach has to make a trip to get the kid together.

I know there will be some of you that say there should have been an EJ, but he stayed with no more problems. He came to me as he was heading to F5 in the 4th and apologized...

So, the question is, "Is there crying in baseball?" If so, how much?

[SnareDrum]

"you won't give me anything."

I'd tell him "I don't "give" anything. A strike is not a gift."

And no, with all due respect one of the best quotes of all time (from a great movie), there is no crying in baseball!

[scrounge]

I dunno, maybe it's the youth coach for many years in me, but unless the kid was mouthing off or mean-spirited, I'm not threatening ejection without a gentle warning not to argue balls/strikes, at least if they're under 14. After that, fair game though.

[mstaylor]

I think you were fine. You warned him and he quit.

[mtnump]

I did explain the idea of I don't give you anything, if it is a strike I will call it a strike.

Thanks for the support on the non-EJ, but nobody really answered the question...:question1:

[mstaylor]

Crying is the coach's problem. I don't think I have made a baseball player gcry but I have multible times in soccer.

[mtnump]

I almost had 2 in one week! LL majors F4 fake tags at 2B and I warned him. The coach said that was his most sensitive kid and he was surprised that the kid didn't cry!

Never had this happen before Saturday...

[SnareDrum]

To answer: Yes, but not much. They just lost the championship on a walk-off BB... They just struck out looking for the fifth time that day to end the game... Something BIG like that yes, maybe a little. Not getting the ball over the plate no... unless it's a walk-off BB.

[Rich Ives]

Fred Patek of the KC Royals cried on the bench on National TV after the Royals lost the WS one year.

The Yankees cried on the field at the Thurmon Munson game.

[dddunn3d]

LL juniors, B1, pitcher is all over the place. After a high/outside pitch he starts walking to the plate with his arms out wondering why that was not a strike. The mask comes off and I told him that is enough or you are gone. He starts crying and goes back to the mound and says "you won't give me anything."HT fans says, "he obviously is too young to have seen A League of Their Own." The fans from both sides are now laughing...VT coach has to make a trip to get the kid together.

I know there will be some of you that say there should have been an EJ, but he stayed with no more problems. He came to me as he was heading to F5 in the 4th and apologized...

So, the question is, "Is there crying in baseball?" If so, how much?

Two points:

1) Similar situation, LL Jrs, and F1, while not actually saying anything, is making his displeasure very well known to everyone involved. After his second display (ball 4), I call time, walk around to brush the plate, and tell F2 to handle his pitcher, i.e., if he continues to make such displays then he may never get those borderline pitches.

F2 trots out to the mound, tells F1 that he's not helping himself by his antics, and comes back.

As luck would have it, the manager then comes in and replaces his pitcher. New F1's very first pitch was a 'two-plane miss,' both high and inside. He throws his arms up and stomps around the mound. Before I could say anything, F2 says to me "Don't worry, I'll take care of it." He trots out to the mound, talks to F1 and comes back. Lo and behold, no more demonstrations and this F1 proceeds to pitch lights out.

2) Since I don't get paid enough to not have fun while working games, I always try to make the players cry. :P

[grayhawk]

1) Similar situation, LL Jrs, and F1, while not actually saying anything, is making his displeasure very well known to everyone involved. After his second display (ball 4), I call time, walk around to brush the plate, and tell F2 to handle his pitcher, i.e., if he continues to make such displays then he may never get those borderline pitches.

This sounds like asking for trouble. If that gets to the coach, you may have a real problem on your hands. I like the idea of sending out F2, but I think I would be more likely to tell him that any further displays will be considered arguing balls and strikes and the next steps will have to be restriction or ejection. To each his own, I guess.

[gdpmumin]

There is no crying in baseball. I tried to teach my t-ball player son that this season. It was hot, about two days after a massive storm took the roof off the dugout his team was using, and they were getting no shelter from the sun. He wasn't the only one crying about being hot and sweaty and thirsty. But I looked at him and said, "Son, I know you're hot. I am, too. But there's no crying in baseball." He responded, "How do you know?" <_<

[soapbox]

LL Majors. Coaching my son on Mother's Day. I had a couple of parents that were insufferable. Frustrating season with a team that for a lack of a better word, was horrible. Pop up in front of 2B and my SS and 2B both move towards it. My son was playing SS this inning and didn't take charge and the ball dropped in. The 2B was one of my travel players with my son. From the dugout, I made the mistake of proclaiming how stupid, directed towards my son. One of the mothers charged my dugout in tears screaming at me not to call anybody stupid. Didn't call him stupid, just said stupid. Explained it was my kid, and left it at that. Still yelling at me at the end of the inning, I walked out and said to not enter the dugout again. Now her husband in my face as she was crying. She tried to ban me, but the LL had it all on tape and gave her a stern warning.

So, never made a kid cry, but made a mother cry on Mother's Day. Stepped down from coaching at the end of season.

[Ump Rube]

And no, with all due respect one of the best quotes of all time (from a great movie), there is no crying in baseball!

I like the exchange with the umpire after he goes off on her....

U1: There a problem here Jimmy.

HC: She's crying sir.

U1: Let me give you a little piece of advice... you treat everyone of these ladies like they were your own mother.

HC: Ok.

(waits for U1 to start walking away).

HC Anyone ever tell you that you look like a pen*$ with a little hat on?

U1: That's it Jimmy, you're outta here!

HC What?! You can't toss me not when your strike zone is like this [motions wide and tall]!

Classic!

[dddunn3d]

1) Similar situation, LL Jrs, and F1, while not actually saying anything, is making his displeasure very well known to everyone involved. After his second display (ball 4), I call time, walk around to brush the plate, and tell F2 to handle his pitcher, i.e., if he continues to make such displays then he may never get those borderline pitches.

This sounds like asking for trouble. If that gets to the coach, you may have a real problem on your hands. I like the idea of sending out F2, but I think I would be more likely to tell him that any further displays will be considered arguing balls and strikes and the next steps will have to be restriction or ejection. To each his own, I guess.

I would agree if this was at a higher level, like Varsity, etc. But at this level, LL Jrs in their first season on a real-sized field, I feel that this course of action is appropriate: no threats needed. F2 starts to learn that there's more to his position than catching the ball, F1 starts to learn mound-presence, and if the manager comes to me trying to make trouble, I'll just look him in the eye and explain the situation.

[yawetag]

I like the idea of sending out F2, but I think I would be more likely to tell him that any further displays will be considered arguing balls and strikes and the next steps will have to be restriction or ejection. To each his own, I guess.

Yep. "Mark, go tell your pitcher that his actions aren't going to be tolerated. Tell him that if he continues he'll be ejected from the game for arguing balls and strikes. Understand? Great." When F2 comes back and crouches for the next pitch, "Thanks, Mark."

If F2's not been the friendliest through the game, I just walk a new baseball to F1 and basically say the same thing.

[yawetag]

From the dugout, I made the mistake of proclaiming how stupid, directed towards my son.

LL Majors and you're calling any kid on the field "stupid?" Not smart in my book.

[mstaylor]

I had a kid,LL Jrs, doing the shenanigans from the mound one night. I walk out to explain the error of his ways and how the game is going to happen. He basically flipped me off, which drew him an ejection. Fast forward to 17 yrs old, I had a SS giving a running commentary about the zone. Same kid is catching in front of me, I step out and tell the SS I don't need a play by play. F2 jumps up and tells him to shut up, he's serious, he will throw you. That kid now works for me.

[Phil]

I think I indirectly made a pitcher cry in my very first game behind the plate. LL 10-12. It was not the kind of game I wanted for my first time as PU. This pitcher just could not find the zone (many balls way outside, some behind the batter, two HBP), but at the same time, I was not confident I was doing a great job calling close pitches just due to nerves and inexperience. F1 broke down when the coach came to get him. I felt awful just because really wasn't sure how much of it was him stinking and how much of it was me stinking.

[JaxRolo]

I had a kid with tears in his eyes after the 4th Balk I called on him.