How do you keep your bad players engaged/happy?

[Hx214]

Coaching question for you guys.

I have a league team this year with my friends and family. We are a pretty good team and finished 3rd out of 15 teams before the playoffs. I have a few guys that really just started playing ball. One of them was a very good football player that played OLine in high school. He isn't the fastest guy and doesn't have the best arm and has trouble with playing anywhere but catcher and right field. He is a great guy and everybody likes him, he always shows up, hits before games, etc. I've taught him a few things and he actually hits pretty well for a guy just starting out.

My problem comes in that I have 13 guys in the roster that show up all the time. So he is at the end of the list being he can only play one or two positions, and the guy that plays Cather has a issue with seeing at night (when we play) so he only feels comfortable playing in that position... And the guy hits like .700... So that puts my worst player in an even deeper hole.

The last couple weeks we have played the best teams on the schedule and I have struggled to get him in games. I worked him in early in one of the games in right field and he booted the ball around so much the other team started hitting it right at him every time and he was struggling. I felt bad for him. None of our guys said anything to him, but I could tell they were pissed. My team doesn't take playing to seriously, but like I said the core group of guys are pretty good players, and don't play on a bunch of other teams and want to be competitive when they come and I understand that also.

I've had him coaching 3rd for us, and he has gotten more than a few guys thrown out at home and third sending people. He still has it in his head that the field is the size of a baseball field and sends guys when he shouldn't... Then he feels bad about that too...

Tonight we had playoffs and I wasn't able to get him into the two games we had. Both games were two to three run games and I wasn't able to get many of the extra guys in.

I get a text from him after, saying he knows he is bad, and if I don't need him, to let him know. Because he hasn't played much lately. I feel like he feels he is wasting time and I don't blame him for that either.

I've tried hitting 11 and 12 guys and it's just awful... We got smoked both times I did it and even the top of my order barely got three at bats...

Just feel I am stuck here. On one hand I want him to hang around because he is a great guy and we all like him and its not like it matters if we win a championship in league, but on the other hand I don't want the rest of my team to be pissed because we lose close games because of bad play, and have all them feel like they are wasting their time coming down to watch someone kick the ball around.

Guess I am just looking for ways other people handled situations like this.

 

[slamit93]

It's just league ball, if you care enough about his feelings to keep him around, then hit 12... Simple as that.

 

[Dogue]

I'd keep him but try to do a couple practices with him per week. If he doesn't at least get 'decent' then it sounds like he would understand if you can't use him...he already gave you the go-ahead to let him go.

 

[2TransAms]

Like any team, you've got your starting lineup and you've got your bench players. Tell him you'll call him when you need him. Unlike 99.99% of ball players, he seems ok with that. So, man up and tell him that he's right...we don't really need you.

We have league playoffs Saturday. I wish my worst guys would text and say they know I don't want them there. :/

 

[Hx214]

Ya, 2TransAm, I guess that's the only thing to do. Can't bat 12 in the playoffs, might as well call the team and tell then to go to the bar instead of the field, can't put him in and watch him boot it around either. Ah well. Just another ****ty situation you gotta deal with when you run a team.

 

[ball go far]

why wouldnt league ball let you hit 12...dumb

 

[zuke 37]

Tell him that you notice how much he has improved from week to week. I don't think you will go to hell for that.

 

[ryanclink]

Pretty easy... Tell the guy that you want to have him show up for certain games where you know that you will smash the competition. Those games, bat him like 5th. Get him up to speed. Then tell him that the rest of the team wants to win the whole enchilada and that he needs to sit on those other games. Also - if he picks up another squad, he can practice more and go full time once he's up to speed.

 

[pontiacfb78]

If you really want to have a 'fun' team, where no one is gonna get benched for missing a routine fly ball, get into a low div coed league. The competition in men's ball seems to be a lot more stiff, even in the lower levels. If you can't field a ball in any capacity, and have a .200-.400 average, its gonna be really tough to get any playing time.

Suggest that he find a coed team to play for, which should get him a lot more playing time and at-bats. Then tell him to come out to the men's team when you need him.

 

[louconn]

in league, we usually hit everyone who shows up. to me it sounds like homeboy is learning. let him learn. he'll get it. it's ****ing softball, not rocket science.

 

[trox]

in league, we usually hit everyone who shows up. to me it sounds like homeboy is learning. let him learn. he'll get it. it's ****ing softball, not rocket science.

That's how we do it. Anyone who shows up hits but it sucks when the whole team comes and they decide to bring a buddy because we usually don't have enough. So a roster of 20 people is usually full of scrubs and we might get one at bat each lol

 

[mattya420]

It's rec league softball..........if you're sitting guys you need to check yourself. At least sub him in for an inning or two. Having him sit for two games is a punk move. Not win much in life?

 

[rhound50]

It's rec league softball..........if you're sitting guys you need to check yourself. At least sub him in for an inning or two. Having him sit for two games is a punk move. Not win much in life?

This right here ^^

Having a guy show up and not play at all for 2 games is major douche move on your part. If you have to many at least let the guy know so he can choose to stay home, no one wants to come out and watch. This guy is far nicer than I am, if I showed up and sat on the bench, I would have told you where you could shove it and been done with you. All the teams I play on if you paid and you are there you are hitting, the weaker players may not play on defense.

 

[zuke 37]

my first message still stands.

This guy hit .700 and is your worse player, your team gets smoked, who the hell are you guys playing.

At .700 he could not hurt you as a DH or even catcher, (you said no arm so that leaves out rightfield, that's where your best arm should be)

Try first base, practice with him there, he'll learn to catch the ball...those suckers hurt.

 

[Dogue]

my first message still stands.

This guy hit .700 and is your worse player, your team gets smoked, who the hell are you guys playing.

At .700 he could not hurt you as a DH or even catcher, (you said no arm so that leaves out rightfield, that's where your best arm should be)

Try first base, practice with him there, he'll learn to catch the ball...those suckers hurt.

I think his current catcher hits .700, not the 'worst player'.

Now back to the Soap Opera...

 

[SammyJaxxx]

Coaching question for you guys.

I get a text from him after, saying he knows he is bad, and if I don't need him, to let him know. Because he hasn't played much lately. I feel like he feels he is wasting time and I don't blame him for that either.

TRANSLATION:
I come all the time. Why are you being a **** and not putting me in the game?
If you aren't going to play me, man up and say it.

 

[louconn]

if a coach needs advice on how to deal with this, he is a ****ty coach and probably shouldnt be coaching.

 

[saint]

he can't see ball while fielding, but can when hitting?

 

[scrub]

Tell him you ran out of participation trophies

 

[andy-rockstar]

If you're getting smoked while batting 11 or 12, then it wasn't because you were batting 11 or 12. Your O-Lineman isn't going to get any better by sitting the bench and coaching 3rd base.

I've got a guy on my coed team who isn't very good, and I play him as much as I can since he shows up to play just like everyone else. I sit the bench, keep book, and base coach...and then I sub myself in for whoever I want to go in for. Why not be a real team leader and give him your spot in the lineup sometimes?

 

[smarkley3]

I am batting .222 in 55+ Senior ball and came late last week. I still got to bat, pinch run and play 3 innings at second base. We dont like to but if your on the team and there (and healthy) we generally get to play, even if we bat 15. Even though my hitting xucks, I feel like as long as I play hard, I can help the team offensively by running and have actually improved my defensive skills and am learning to play SS and second base. Try to find the guy another back up position (first Base?) and work him in practice till he is a good back up. Take him to BP (even batting cages, even suggest he play on another lower level team another day a week. If the guy is atheletic his skills will improve and you will still have a nice guy on your team. Unfortunately my grammar is getting woerser, LOL.
Go Hornets!!!!

 

[dblemup]

as others have said, it's league...if they show up, they should play...end of story.

 

[blackbeasst]

i put my bad players at third and pitcher. a couple games in and they don't show back up. problem solved

 

[blakcherry329]

It's slow pitch softball. There's no reason you can't bat 12. If everyone hits, it doesn't matter how many guys bat. If you get smoked batting 12, then there more than just this guy keeping you from winning. Also, why would you put a guy that's still learning out to coach 3rd? That's setting him up to fail. Coaching 3rd takes some kind of softball/baseball knowledge. It's not for a beginner, imo.

 

[mcnary26]

sack up and start cutting guys. i hate coaches that keep inviting guys to play and then are too ***** to cut guys when 14 guys start showing up every week. If you want to coach, then coach. Get 10 committed guys and then a couple that you can call to fill in when needed.

 

[TheKid33]

Back 4 years ago it was my teams first year of league ball. There were a few guys who had played baseball, and other sports. So everyone was pretty athletic, just not much ball experience, no one had ever played softball yet. We basically used that whole season as practice. We only won 1 game, but started out 0-10. So when we won, that's when we knew we were starting to get it right. Still have half of that original team, pretty much all the guys that improved most, others quit in past years. But all of the guys who weren't very good (kinda like your lineman guy) are all now good ball players. Everyone can coach a bag now, keep the book, and most importantly hit consistently and make all routine plays/smart throws. Set him up for success, that way he'll be quicker to find some.

 

[louconn]

i suck at defense so i'm usually at 1b or just dh in men's. in coed i play 3b and get my ass kicked. i boot balls and can barely throw from 3rd to 1b in the air. i hope this helps

 

[ichiromoco]

I would not want to keep my bad players happy. I want them to leave.

 

[GrinningBear]

This is so much easier to deal with than most of these scenarios. You've said what you want to do, so explain to him he is well liked but he plays like someone new to the game whereas the other players are more solid because they have experience. That's not a line, you're telling him a truth he already knows, and just add he'll get better as he learns.

Give him the option to be a sub or to come to every game knowing he may not play, but point out the team wants him there and you MAY get him in, if you can. Then get him an at bat every game. The rest of the team will understand getting him an at bat, and it won't affect the game much. And never promise the at bat.

EDIT: This is all a moot point if everyone paid. Then you bat 172 if you have to or hand out some refunds.

 

[2TransAms]

^This trumps everything. If you paid, you play.