Good for the game or not?

[franz]

At a JV baseball game the other day. The opposing team would heckle and scream as the pitcher was getting set for each pitch. I'm just curious what the majority opinion is on the subject. I have seen it done as a chant and or so called cheering on the batter, this happen to be blatant just trying to rattle the pitcher. Is it and should it be part of the game or is it bad sportsmanship?

[RoyceTTU]

At a JV baseball game the other day. The opposing team would heckle and scream as the pitcher was getting set for each pitch. I'm just curious what the majority opinion is on the subject. I have seen it done as a chant and or so called cheering on the batter, this happen to be blatant just trying to rattle the pitcher. Is it and should it be part of the game or is it bad sportsmanship?

once you get to highschool, that should for the most part stop. Thats for little leagers....I'd be embarrased as a parent or a coach.

[ccmom]

once you get to highschool, that should for the most part stop. Thats for little leagers....I'd be embarrased as a parent or a coach. I don't even see that in little league.

[toddg]

At a JV baseball game the other day. The opposing team would heckle and scream as the pitcher was getting set for each pitch. I'm just curious what the majority opinion is on the subject. I have seen it done as a chant and or so called cheering on the batter, this happen to be blatant just trying to rattle the pitcher. Is it and should it be part of the game or is it bad sportsmanship?

baseball is the unsportsmanship capital of sports..especially in the HS levels on down to little league..dont make it right or enjoyable sometimes, but it is what it is.

[Bullaholic]

once you get to highschool, that should for the most part stop. Thats for little leagers....I'd be embarrased as a parent or a coach.

I think most HS pitchers have enough maturity and experience not to be bothered by this, Royce. Probably resented by opposing fans more because it does take away from enjoyment of the game. I think it reflects poorly on teams that allow it, though, because it is so "bush league".

[MGAR]

I think it's Bush league.

[1st and goal]

Its Bush's fault.
:wave:

[Roughneck93]

I think it's Bush league.I agree...Saw something very similar at a varsity tourney this past weekend. Every time the pitcher went into his windup, someone from the opposing dugout would start banging two bats together.

[neck_06]

baseball is the unsportsmanship capital of sports..especially in the HS levels

Very true. I did/said some things in HS that I would NEVER have done/said at the collegiate or professional level.

[3afan]

I agree...Saw something very similar at a varsity tourney this past weekend. Every time the pitcher went into his windup, someone from the opposing dugout would start banging two bats together.

ya I once had girls banging a metal dugout roof with bats ... made 'em stop, called 'em artificial noise makers :ack!: (which are not allowed)

[Tejastrue]

Are you guys serious? This sort of thing has always been there. Talk about yelling, ever watched a girls college softball game? The banging of the bats is a little extreme. The coaches could easily stop any of this.

[pero chato]

At a JV baseball game the other day. The opposing team would heckle and scream as the pitcher was getting set for each pitch. I'm just curious what the majority opinion is on the subject. I have seen it done as a chant and or so called cheering on the batter, this happen to be blatant just trying to rattle the pitcher. Is it and should it be part of the game or is it bad sportsmanship?

Clearly childish and bad sportsmanship. But it can be used to the heckled's advantage if things go right. For example, a few years ago during a playoff game against Shallowater, their students were ridiculing our (Wylie) catcher's name inning after inning up against the backstop, to the point where I thought some of the parents would have said something to shut them up. But no. Anyway, when he drove in the game winning RBI, and gave a nice smile and wave to the now-silenced little turds, it was heartwarming.

[MGAR]

What's funny is when the main heckler is the person that warms up the right fielder in between innings and if he is really lucky gets to courtesy run for the catcher.

[Cam]

my 12 year olds first ever baseball game is this Saturday and he said if the pitcher beans him he's chargin' the mound!.....could be Burnet's first ever little league brawl!....just kiddin' folks....he's a good boy....daddy don't teach that......but he did actually say the "chargin' the mound" thing...jokingly I hope!!..........:thinking:

[Ville]

Are you guys serious? This sort of thing has always been there. Talk about yelling, ever watched a girls college softball game? The banging of the bats is a little extreme. The coaches could easily stop any of this.

I think its part of the game. Nothing to extreme like hitting bats together but yelling chants etc... Yelling at the pitcher or telling the batter to SWING is perfectly fine. Thats part of baseball especially when they are little league ages. I see the same things in basketball and football its part of the game.

[RoyceTTU]

my 12 year olds first ever baseball game is this Saturday and he said if the pitcher beans him he's chargin' the mound!.....could be Burnet's first ever little league brawl!....just kiddin' folks....he's a good boy....daddy don't teach that......but he did actually say the "chargin' the mound" thing...jokingly I hope!!..........:thinking:

FWIW i was ejected and suspended for getting in a fight on second base because the base runner slid outside the baseline to take me out on a double play. We are now very good friends. Funny how things come full circle.

[Cam]

FWIW i was ejected and suspended for getting in a fight on second base because the base runner slid outside the baseline to take me out on a double play. We are now very good friends. Funny how things come full circle.

....and I'll bet that was in T-Ball!!....I kinda figured you as a trouble-maker!...lol......

[Ville]

my 12 year olds first ever baseball game is this Saturday and he said if the pitcher beans him he's chargin' the mound!.....could be Burnet's first ever little league brawl!....just kiddin' folks....he's a good boy....daddy don't teach that......but he did actually say the "chargin' the mound" thing...jokingly I hope!!..........:thinking:

I used to get pitches thrown my way all the time when we played Daingerfield. Played many games down by the lake at the park in Lone Star and more than once had some scuffles. The better you were the more you got thrown at. Anyone play ball with Thomas Everett?

[Txbroadcaster]

It is done in the Majors as well..Young talked about how they gave the Tigers a hard time at bat during ALCS

[Ville-D]

I think it is bad sportsmanship, but it exists in basketball and football as well.

[OldBison75]

Come on people, trash talking and noise are part of sports. You all know that there is alot of talking going on between offensive and defensive lineman in football, defensive players try to imitate possible sounds the center will hear and think he needs to snap the ball or a guard will jump offsides. Yeah, there is a penalty for that, but it is a very difficult call for officials to make so it happens all of the time. In basketball, players moving on the box, shaking their hands, or fans waving things behind the goal happen every game from little dribblers to the NBA. Catchers in baseball constantly talking to batters at every level. Read books that have been published by many pro baseball players and they talk about the crap that was said during at bats.

I mean think about it, why does your band play loudly when the other team has the ball and is quiet when you have the ball? They are taught to try and make it hard for the other team to hear signals, hoping to cause mistakes and cause confusion. That is part of sports. Games would be damned boring if the band, students, fans, and players had to stand quietly during all action and could only cheer or boo during breaks between action. AND, most fans would be grief stricken if they couldn't yell at the refs for bad calls.

[upper20]

None of the Abilene area Little Leagues promote/tolerate the "softball cheers" - so it is certainly non-existent in the area high schools. It is pretty funny when teams from here play those from other areas and encounter the behavior. Based on the comments I have heard from players, about the only affect of doing the juvenile cheers at the high school level is diminished respect from the other team.

Regarding yelling or doing something intentional to distract the pitcher, while I am not sure about NFHS rules, NCAA rules prohibit. According to Rule 5, Section 17: "Any orchestrated activities by dugout personnel designed to distract, intimidate, or disconcert the opposing team or reflect poor sportsmanship shall not be allowed." I suspect that NFHS rules has the same provision.

[OldBison75]

The problem with the rule you cite is that it says orchestrated activity. Players yelling or chanting is not orchestrated if they are not doing a coordinated cheer or chant. Plus, most umpires will not enforce the rules until it becomes personal in nature. I watched a player once that had a really loud voice cause alot of trouble for a high school pitcher. He would help by coaching first base and just before every pitch, when the pitcher started his throwing motion, he would yell, "Go Go GO!!!". At least a few times a game he caused a balk and there are no telling how many wild pitches he caused. The umps just said that once the pitcher starts his throwing motion, he should not be listening to what is being said, but he should be concentrating on the pitch and should have already decided whether he is going to the plate or trying a pickoff. That kid was a average player on the field, but damned valuable as a first base coach.

[SHSBulldog00]

It happened every game when I played. Only once did the umpire tell us to stop.

[Gone Fishing]

It all started with select softball. Everybody knows that. Thats why I like Little League.

[yellaseeker]

As far as baseball, i think players prove more with the use of their skills and talent than stooping low enough to heckle the pitcher during the delivery. Saying things to your batter like "He's thrown three straight balls" between pitches is no big deal to me. It may start to get into his head but doesn't directly affect his next pitch. Don't see any chattering really bothering batters cause hitting is more of a reaction to the baseball and is usually not a factor in the moment. Don't see how you can compare rattling a pitcher in the middle of delivery with football though. Heck, trash talkin in football make some perform better. The guy in front of you runs his mouth and when the ball is snapped you try to hit him in the mouth, no harm done. Speaking as a baseball coach, i do not let the talk or chatter go that far. The boys want to get their teammates pumped up by getting a little vocal and loud in the dugout, that's fine but, i will never allow players to stoop that low as to consistently talk trash to a pitcher especially during delivery. To me, it shows lack of professionalism, discipline and possibly weakness. If you can't beat them with your skills, keep your mouth shut. JMO!

[regaleagle]

Yes, it should be a coaching decision as to how vocal and trash-talking your team is allowed to be. The Coach knows the capabilities of his team better than anyone else, including the players. He also knows them individually, and it is up to him to keep a rein on the players individually, and the team as a whole. Too much unnecessary "busch" is bad for the team, and not enough freedom takes away from their potential and their overall competitiveness, not to mention just keeping the whole experience fun. It's a fine line coaches walk, but sometimes they do nothing at all, and that is not good for the team or the fans.

[Cam]

I just found out I get to coach 3rd base for my 12 year old son's game this Saturday!....I'm pumped!.....I'm close enough to heckle the other teams 3rd baseman and throw him off his game!........just kiddin' fellas....just kiddin'.....
Seriously, I don't care for the heckling....especially with the younger ones...but, it seems it's always been part of the game...

[nobogey72]

At a JV baseball game the other day. The opposing team would heckle and scream as the pitcher was getting set for each pitch. I'm just curious what the majority opinion is on the subject. I have seen it done as a chant and or so called cheering on the batter, this happen to be blatant just trying to rattle the pitcher. Is it and should it be part of the game or is it bad sportsmanship?

Just a hunch, but I bet the game was against Snyder. They've always been kind of a heckling, cheap-shot throwing bunch of morons. However, it's been going on forever, some teams worse than others. The person that ought to be embarrased by it is the coach. They wouldn't be doing it if he didn't allow it. Heckling is one thing but yelling during a windup is pretty bush league at the high school level. Also, there IS a good way to shut them up.

[ExScoop]

I've seen it at the junior college level while covering Wharton County Junior College while working at the Journal-Spectator. I would take pictures from the visiting team's dugout on the first base side and hear their players heckling

[pancho villa]

Standaround is so boring the non-athletes that play have to entertain themselves somehow. Hence all the wimpy cheers and heckling.