Coaching Softball - Who Should Be Calling Pitches - Part 2

Note: This article is a follow-up to my previous post on Who Should Be Calling Pitches was published in the NFCA Fastpitch Delivery a few years ago by By Rod Runyan - Former  Assistant Coach - University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

There is also another interesting about article on the same topic on my site - Calling the Game: Whose Responsability?  Click on the link to read it.

Perhaps one of the most interesting, and hotly debated topics of the recent past has been that of catchers calling pitches in games. It is a topic that pops up in internet chat rooms often, is discussed at summer tournaments, and is written about in softball newspapers. In Fastpitch Delivery, we have heard from many knowledgeable coaches regarding this subject. My recollection is of recent articles in Fastpitch Delivery arguing for the catcher to call the game (cf, McNutt, Phalen). In her May article, Coach Phalen said, “….I also see a lot of coaches calling the game and doing the catching from the bench. I believe that coaches take the game out of the players hands when they do that.” This seems to be the consensus of those against coaches calling pitches.

In this article, I would like to put forth arguments in favor of the coach calling pitches. Ours is a multi-faceted game, with many nuances that make it so interesting. Because of this, there are several areas that I will discuss in support of my contention that coaches have certain responsibilities for game management. I believe pitch calling is one of them. Secondly, there is only so much information a catcher can prior to a game, or an inning. With all of the scouting reports and statistics available on hitter’s tendencies, it is indeed difficult for any catcher to assimilate all of the information prior to each inning. Thirdly, there are certain things a hitter does that a catcher either can’t see or has a difficult time seeing. Keep in mind, as the batter is swinging, the catcher is focused on catching and framing the pitch. Finally, if we accept the argument that when the coach calls pitches it takes “the game out of the players’ hands” the logical conclusion is: why do we need a third base coach to call offensive plays?

Game management is the responsibility of any coach, in any sport. It does not matter what sport we are discussing; basketball, football, volleyball, etc. Making decisions such as when and who to substitute, when to call a time-out, what type of defense to run, etc. are all  responsibilities which most coaches take on, and are seldom given to a player. It has been posited (and often proved) that more times than not, in most other team sports, on player can dominate a Fastpitch softball game. Since that player is the pitcher, then calling the type and location of the pitch becomes arguably the most important part of a game.

In today’s game, we as coaches have access to statistics and scouting reports on most of our opponents. We have players and managers chart pitches, hits, hitter tendencies, defensive alignments, etc. For any given batter, we may have pitches thrown each at-bat, where the ball was hit, how the batter swung, and who the pitcher was. Multiply that information by nine, and you can see that there are a “ton” of data to be digested. During a tournament weekend, for example, do we ask our catcher to:

1) Study these charts on team “A” in anticipation of playing them?
2) Study these charts on team “B” in anticipation of playing them?
3) Study both sets of charts to be safe?
4) Relax or otherwise prepare mentally and physically with their teammates for the next game?

Personally, I believe that each player should prepare mentally to play her next game, no matter which team she plays. Every coach knows the danger of preparing mentally to play team “A”, only to end up facing team “B”. It is similar to “looking past” one opponent in anticipation of the next. So, it would indeed be difficult for the catcher to analyze this amount of data on one team, let alone two. The team might be better served by having the catcher warm-up the starting pitcher. This way she gets a feel of what is and is not working that day. This information can be shared with the pitching coach, and the two (coach and catcher) can formulate a strategy for that day.

From the catching position, there is indeed a distinct vantage point for setting up hitters. She can see whether the hitter is crowding the plate, has an open or closed stance, seems nervous, etc. These are things that are difficult to see from the dugout. But this is at the beginning of the at bat. What the catcher can’t see is how the hitter actually executes once the pitch is thrown. Rather, the catcher is concerned with catching and framing the pitch. She will see only the end of the swing (whether a hit or a strike.) Does the hitter’s lead shoulder “fly out?” Does she have an inside-out swing? Does she finish off-balance? These are observations more easily made from someone else who can concentrate just on watching the batter. Does the catcher have a better location to observe this? Of course. But once again, she is more concerned with her job of catching the ball.

Finally, it is often illustrative when attempting to argue against a certain perspective to take that perspective to its next logical step. In this case, I believe that the next step is to have the first and third base coaches remove themselves from the field. In support, I reiterate the contention that in Fastpitch, the pitching position is the most important, therefore the calling of pitches is the most important strategic part of the game.

The first base coach is there to let the batter-runner know whether to continue on to second base, round the base, or run through the base. Since the batter-runner has just hit the ball, which is somewhere in front of her or to her left, should she not be able to see the ball and decide for herself? The third base coach is (generally) there to run the offense. It is this coach’s responsibility to decide whether to: bunt, slap, steal, fake-bunt, hit-and-run, suicide squeeze, etc. Can’t the hitter, who is standing in a position to see each defensive player, decide whether to bunt, slap, or hit away? Wouldn’t it be more fun for the hitter to decide when to suicide squeeze? In the dugout, the coach often calls defensive plays (e.g., first and second cut-offs, pitch-outs, etc.) Is there a reason why players can’t decide this for themselves? Why couldn’t the shortstop be designated as the player who calls the defensive plays? In reality, the one time the third base coach is indispensable is when a runner is coming to third. Since her back is usually to the play, the coach is there to teall her whether to continue home, slide, or come in standing.

The answers to all of these mostly  rhetorical questions are: no, the coaches aren’t absolutely necessary and yes the players could do these things for themselves. However, since we are indeed talking about team sports, it is much more efficient for each member of the team to do a certain job. We as coaches do not “catch” the game from the dugout by calling pitches, any more than we play second base by moving our infield into a special defensive alignment, or hit for a player by giving a bunt sign. We ask our players to learn certain physical and mental skills, which they can take into a game. We can certainly teach each of our players how to read a defense while at bat. Each player should know the abilities of their teammates, enabling them to determine both offensive and defensive plays. However, we as coaches have certain responsibilities, and calling offensive and defensive plays are two of them, In my opinion, calling pitches are a defensive responsibility of the coaching staff. Asking our catcher to efficiently catch a 60 + MPH pitch, frame it, and perhaps also throw a runner out is enough of a challenge without having to think about what the next pitch should be.

As coaches, we can’t know everything occurring on the field. I rely on my catcher to relay information to me on certain aspects of the game. I also give my catcher the green light to change a call, if she sees something that I don’t. For example, if I can’t see whether a player is crowding the plate or not, I may give my catcher the sign for a breaking pitch, and let her decide if she wants a curve (breaking out) or a rise ball (breaking up and in).

This year’s D-I championship game was decided by one run, hit off of one very important pitch. If one agrees that the pitching position is the most important one in our game, then one should also acknowledge that each pitch is extremely important. How does a coach give up the responsibility during the game for its most important part? As a coach who calls 95 percent of the pitches in every game, I am no more taking the game out of my catcher’s hands, then the coach who makes 95 percent of the offensive calls from third base. I am taking advantage of the information we have compiled on each hitter, and using that to give our team the best possible opportunity to be successful!