High School Baseball

[TrampsLikeUs]

After A home run is hit, the batter shows off.  The same batters next at bat, the opposing coach instructs his pitcher to throw at the HR hitting batter.  Now my question, ... Is this an acceptable practice in high school baseball?  How would you feel if it was your son that gets hit?  Just for your information,  the pitcher chose not to do it.  Here's how I feel.  I think it's totally unacceptable!!!  How would a coach,  or the pitcher feel, if after the dirty deed, the batter was seriously injured?  How would  parents, AD's, players, school administrators ( you get the idea) etc. react if word got out? 

[timfitz63]

Short answer to your question of whether it's appropriate at the high school level:  no.  Long answer:

As a life-long baseball fan, and someone who's played the sport for many years (including at the high school level), my take is there's too much showboating and not enough sportsmanship in all sports -- and at every level.  That all being said, there have always been certain unwritten 'codes of conduct' in baseball; one is that you don't show up the opposing pitcher if you homer off of him.

Frankly, it's kind-of hard to blame kids at the high school level for showboating when the professional levels have been increasingly doing it for years now.  Look at old footage of power hitters from the 70's and before; when they hit a home run they just trotted around the bases and his team congratulated him at the dugout.  There are exceptions of understandable displays of jubilance (in chronological order):  Bobby Thompson, Bill Mazeroski, Carlton Fisk, Joe Carter; there are probably others I'm not remembering at the moment...  But even Kurt Gibson was such a professional that he barely expressed any jubilance as he rounded the bases following his dramatic walk-off home run in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series.  But these days, routine home runs are exclamated by bat flips, batters who linger in the batter's box to admire their accomplishment, etc.  I'm more and more reminded of this scene from the movie Bull Durham...

Which brings me to your other question ("How would you feel if it was your son that gets hit?"):  Frankly, my son wouldn't be showboating in the first place; but if he did so inappropriately, I would recognize that he violated the 'code' and accept the consequences so long as no one is seriously injured.  Frankly, it's to the pitcher's credit that he chose not to throw at the batter, even after being encouraged to do so by his coach.  If anyone's to blame in this instance it's both coaches:  one for encouraging a retaliation at the high school level, and the other for not publicly admonishing his batter for showing up an opposing pitcher at any level.

[Strumming Fool]

It's sad but emblematic of American culture these days. Many people have become more selfish and vengeful at the slightest perceived slight to their own self-importance. Baseball is an excellent analogy of what it means to be a team player who abides by the rules of decent behavior. Time to get back to basics. It's not about the individual but instead it's about how we treat one another. Sorry to vent.

[TaylorGirl]

My answer, NO. H.S. or at any level.

Just a little background on me..... I am a woman (and some might not feel I "know" about sports) who grew up playing softball, basketball, volleyball, swimming....all on competitive teams. So, I know the behavior you speak of would be totally unacceptable. The "hitting the batter" giving them a walk wasn't meant to be an intended event, but an unintended event. My question, why not just walk the batter (4 balls). Don't they do that anymore?

There's many things I feel sad about in today's youth sports in the U.S.

[timfitz63]

... My question, why not just walk the batter (4 balls). Don't they do that anymore...?

Yes, intentional walks are still used.  But in the situation described by the OP, intentionally hitting the batter with the pitch is meant to send a message about his unacceptable celebratory behavior, whereas intentional walks are strategic in nature (e.g., it's more advantageous to walk a batter to set up a force play or get a better match-up for a pitcher).

[TaylorGirl]

... My question, why not just walk the batter (4 balls). Don't they do that anymore...?

Yes, intentional walks are still used.  But in the situation described by the OP, intentionally hitting the batter with the pitch is meant to send a message about his unacceptable celebratory behavior, whereas intentional walks are strategic in nature (e.g., it's more advantageous to walk a batter to set up a force play or get a better match-up for a pitcher).

Yes, I understand that totally. No explanation needed for me, but thank you.