Is your own team chatter helpful?

ImminentDanger

Up and Over
Is your own team chattering helpful or distracting during your at-bat?

Are you (internally) encouraged by your team commenting to you or about you during your at bat?

Is positive or negative encouragement better for you, personally?

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TheKid33

Star Player
I don’t mind the rah rah type chatter “big hit here!” “Let’s go!” Stuff of that nature.

I also don’t mind when I make a mistake if someone calls it out so I can emphasize correcting it “keep your head on the ball”. “Follow through”. “Weight back”. Etc.

What I don’t like is talking to me like I don’t know how to hit. For instance if I foul one off “that ain’t your pitch!”… it’s slow pitch softball and I’m swinging at what I perceive as a strike in the moment because I’ve hit the same pitch 1,000 times. I’m not swinging at a bad pitch on purpose!

Or telling me not to swing just because it’s a 2-0 count. If I get a pitch I know I can crush. I’m not taking it just because you said “red light”.. then it’s 2-1 and I have to swing at anything close.
 

blakcherry329

Well-Known Member
I don't need encouragement in a game. I never get too high or too low.
I do let people know when they're doing something wrong, at the plate. I always welcome critique of my ab, especially when I do something wrong. So I try to help without being overbearing.
I also HATE, HATE, HATE when someone swings at the first pitch right after a 3 pitch walk.

I try to break the tension not add to it. Some guy are so tightly wound that they get others going too. No good can come from that.
 

bimmerpilot

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I've learned over the years to only provide critique or feedback when asked for it.
Once I get on-deck I really don't "hear" anything, and have caught flak from my wife for not acknowledging her cheering - oops

I have been conditioned to habitually look over and smile (at her) around 3B or heading back to the dugout, depending...
 

ImminentDanger

Up and Over
I need to raise my concentration level in the box because what's being said from the bench is often distracting.

I've seen a number of players that are motivated by verbally challenging their skills --- they rise to the occasion and do better. But I likely see as many that can be demoralized by a coach that won't let up. I suspect that these talkers think others are motivated in the same way they themselves are motivated, but there's a 50/50 chance they're wrong when making negative comments and therefore make matters worse.

In general, I think it's best to positively encourage batters on your own team. Build up their confidence rather than challenging their skills.

But, maybe that seems right only because that's the approach I prefer for myself.

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The BP Hero

Addicted to Softballfans
Is your own team chattering helpful or distracting during your at-bat?

Are you (internally) encouraged by your team commenting to you or about you during your at bat?

Is positive or negative encouragement better for you, personally?

%%%
Anybody that has played with me long enough will know that unless I look at them I’m not listening to them. I block everything out and get in the zone to hit.

I’m not saying some people can’t get up on negative encouragement, but I really don’t like it. Stuff like “bust out of this slump right here” or “find a way to get on here because you’re due” can be encouraging but can also make someone think about the struggle they’ve been having.

Push confidence. Tell them to go melt somebody. Tell them to shoot a gap. Nobody better for this situation.
 

blakcherry329

Well-Known Member
That's definitely me, ******* that I am. :D
I'll definitely say stuff like, "just try to make contact, baby steps. or stay luke warm up there"
But I'm usually the guy that people go to for constructive critiquing, too. It's all fun, win or lose.
 

Hiltz

Built for comfort
I’m not saying some people can’t get up on negative encouragement, but I really don’t like it. Stuff like “bust out of this slump right here” or “find a way to get on here because you’re due” can be encouraging but can also make someone think about the struggle they’ve been having.

If someone is struggling with something, I try to cue the fix without mentioning the problem.

ie: For a chronic upper-cutter I'll yell "hard level swing", for someone who's being too tentative it might be "hit it hard".

Always positive, never too specific, never more than 3-4 words.
 

TWmccoy

3DX Connoisseur
I've learned over the years to only provide critique or feedback when asked for it.
Once I get on-deck I really don't "hear" anything, and have caught flak from my wife for not acknowledging her cheering - oops

I have been conditioned to habitually look over and smile (at her) around 3B or heading back to the dugout, depending...

This. Guys don't want to be yelled at while they're in the box, whether you're trying to be helpful or not. Shouting out unsolicited "advice" to guys when they're batting will do nothing but irritate them after a while.

I've learned to be quiet while teammates are batting. If I feel like something needs to be said I'll talk to them privately after the AB.

As a hitter I don't feel like constant shouting/chatter does me any good. I don't need the noise. I'd rather just concentrate on what I'm doing at the plate.
 

defos

Well-Known Member
Like most of you, at some point I shut it all out and don't hear anybody. Likewise, I only hear what I'm tuned into on defense and running the bases.

I know this is about hitting, but it's always irritated me when I've missed a ball on defense and somebody says, "You almost had it!" But I didn't get it, and it was a foot (or 2) from my glove, so don't tell me I almost had it.

My pitcher dropped an easy popup earlier this year. When he had a chance to catch another one later that day, the ball was about 18" from going in his glove when his wife yelled, "Redeem yourself!" He caught it, but I told her that was just about the worst time she could have yelled that.
 

jbo911

Super Moderator
Staff member
Yeah but I bet it was hilarious.

I like to say stay cold to a guy in a slump if I know he can take it, but most up here can't. I also don't say that when they're in the box, but you shouldn't be listening to anyone at that point.
 

BigWhiffa

Underwear Researcher
I have a core group of guys I play with anymore. We are older and more or less a team full of Statler and Waldorf's. even if you are slumping or pissed about something we are likely still giving you the biz. don't get mad that will make it worse.

I'm likely the most egregious of the group and I will even give it to the other team. i've only on occasion had someone get pissed.

We hit the way we hit. we'll tell someone they swung at a ball but they are free to swing whenever. we cheer when one of our guys fouls out or takes a strike 3 because that means beer.

I still get called to play here or there from various other people so i must not make enough people mad.
 

swingnmiss

#1 IN YOUR HEARTS
No.......Most of it is just stupid. The old, "Get a hit........" Lol. I just think, "You know, I wasn't going to do that but since you just gave me that great advice I might try......." Or when they double and get to second and start screaming, "C'mon you guys......" I'm all, "Why do you think I need you to tell me to C'mon, just because you got a double?? I wasn't trying before?" Lol. We could play in complete silence, other than my witty and constructive comment and I'd be just fine with it.
 

D-ROCK13

Well-Known Member
Anybody that has played with me long enough will know that unless I look at them I’m not listening to them. I block everything out and get in the zone to hit.
This right here, 20 plus years of pitching, I can block any chatter out. Talk is just that, say whatever you want when I'm pitching or hitting, I probably won't even recognize you're speaking to me unless i hear someone yell D-Rock 😆
 

jbo911

Super Moderator
Staff member
This right here, 20 plus years of pitching, I can block any chatter out. Talk is just that, say whatever you want when I'm pitching or hitting, I probably won't even recognize you're speaking to me unless i hear someone yell D-Rock 😆
I'd say 90% of the time I throw the pitch anyway when the ump calls time because I'm not looking at them either. Even when I'm talking I'm really tuning everyone out
 

r8dr_rider

Well-Known Member
I have a negative Nancy on my team. Points out everything wrong but when he has an error, pop up or strike out he blames it on something else. Then when I banter with him he gets mad lol.
 

defos

Well-Known Member
I'm 67, but I can remember pitching in Little League as a 12 year-old and not hearing anyone except my mom once in a while, and our pastor whose youngest son was on the team. There was no way to not hear him. He was normally mild mannered and reasonably quiet, but at the games he was louder than everyone else combined.
 

etnstudios

Addicted to Softballfans
i could also always hear mom in little league. could hear her from the concession stand 2 fields away. we aren't a subtle family
 

defos

Well-Known Member
My son was mildly autistic as a kid, meaning he sometimes said or did things others found awkward. As a 10-12 yr old, he'd come to my games and yell to me from the backstop as I batted. He's the only person I know who could cheer and jeer in the same breath. He was on me so much one day that people watching were about to tell him to stop until a teammate told them it was ok, he was my son. They thought it was funny then. I usually tuned him out, but the one thing that I remember from 20 yrs ago like it was yesterday was, "Hit over the fence Daddy! Hit it over the fence! Not that fence! What are you doing?" I'd fouled it straight over the backstop.
 

ImminentDanger

Up and Over
so I just realized I need negative talk when I’m batting.
Yep - A good/smart manager/coach will help set the tone. They should pay attention to who responds well to being challenged vs who better responds to simple encouragement. Not everyone responds the same to either approach.


Tell your guys you want them to harass you when you come to bat. :)
I've seen that work.


The difference can even be seen on this board (in the past) when long-time posters would choose to challenge (berate or belittle) the OP for asking questions. Some of the new posters bucked up to the harassment and stayed around, while others simply withdrew from the malee.

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blakcherry329

Well-Known Member
Yep - A good/smart manager/coach will help set the tone. They should pay attention to who responds well to being challenged vs who better responds to simple encouragement. Not everyone responds the same to either approach.


Tell your guys you want them to harass you when you come to bat. :)
I've seen that work.


The difference can even be seen on this board (in the past) when long-time posters would choose to challenge (berate or belittle) the OP for asking questions. Some of the new posters bucked up to the harassment and stayed around, while others simply withdrew from the malee.

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Yep, the newbies had to run the Country/Joker(and a few others), gauntlet. Only the strong survived. :D
I miss those days.
 
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