Managing Bench

[mikeforgette]

Hey guys,

I'm putting together a competitive higher-level team, and just wanted to discuss managing a bench.

A - How do YOU do it? What makes you decide on starting a bench guy over a starter? How do you deal with bench guys not being happy? What does your average bench consist of?

Thanks in advance.

 

[rmeman]

My bench players always new they would start there but was the first to be put in if someone couldnt make it. Also if someone is struggling they have to be willing to say or be approachable that they need to be subbed in for. You cant have any egos

 

[mikeforgette]

So rmeman, your bench guys go in with no promises of playing time. Do you guys travel? Do they still pay for hotel or what not?

 

[AttaBoyShort]

Carry ten. Have a sub list. That's what I do. It's less headache.

 

[Jomatty]

That seems dangerous if anyone gets hurt...can't imagine traveling with 10 can be good

 

[AttaBoyShort]

That's true too.

 

[mikeforgette]

As much as it would save a headache or two, going with 10 (or even 11) is not very likely for this type of events. I'm just curious for the teams that go with 12-13 people rosters, how they manage those benches and meet team goals, player expectations, etc.

 

[ToddVenom20]

Every good team needs 12 to 13 players that can all play well (not just extra guys). If you're going deep into tournys, you need to keep guys fresh (especially if playing 5 man and such) and players need to understand its about team. Keeping players fresh is a way to help avoid injuries as well. Also, you have bad days. You are gonna have to outright sit guys when they are struggling for the better of the team for that tourney and put the hotter hand in to play.

 

[joee5]

My old PBA team we had 12 every week for doubleheaders. Guys sat themselves for piss break, smoke or to quench their thirst of hops. Was pretty easy and everyone was happy. Good luck

 

[joee5]

I'm surprised piss is allowed in the vocabulary

 

[MBplayer]

Darn my travel team goes with anywhere from 13-17. I manage/coach and play and it's definitely a chore. I always start the 10 guys I feel give me the best chance to win that particular game. I have certain guys for certain situations for example I have one young outfielder who is super fast and pretty much just pinch runs and plays some defensive innings. Got another big fella who does nothing but eh or come off the bench once a game to take a swing with guys on. If your playing competitive your players need to "buy in" to the ultimate goal of winning. It's very hard to get it right but after about 10 years of trying I finally got a group that works. Lots of times I don't even need to tell guys to start warming up to hit, to pinch run, to take over defensively they are already doing it and ready to go when I call. Heck they even catch me sleeping once in a while to sub someone. And yes they all help fundraiser and pay their own way! I refuse to pay for anyone to play this game!

MB

 

[softballin101]

I've thought about managing a team myself. It's so hard to find players though, players who'll show up to everything but if and when I do, I planned on keeping everything transparent. I was going to find out what positions people play and rotate them in a way that everyone gets equal playing time. I would have someone keeping the book and rotate the batting order according to stats. If the team is batting over .600 as a team, I would bat 12, if it falls below that, drop down to 11, and if we're struggling at the plate, bat 10.

 

[B-radical]

Managing is tough, but like said above, tell everyone to check their ego's at the door........


I'd say higher level ball may be different, but I tell my guys that we are going to have to take turns sitting so that everyone gets the same amount of playing time. The bonus to that is I have guys who can play multiple positions well. The biggest thing is ego's, you won't have any room for them, trust me. Everyone needs to know up front, this is what we're doing, and this is why we're doing it and that should understand that.

You will always have that one guy though...... always

 

[D_Simms1IA]

Every good team needs 12 to 13 players that can all play well (not just extra guys). If you're going deep into tournys, you need to keep guys fresh (especially if playing 5 man and such) and players need to understand its about team. Keeping players fresh is a way to help avoid injuries as well. Also, you have bad days. You are gonna have to outright sit guys when they are struggling for the better of the team for that tourney and put the hotter hand in to play.

Mostly this. I would say if you're playing tourney ball you'll want your bench to consist of second P, 2 IF, 2 OF and a solid EH. Most tourney teams I see are carrying 15+ guys because you do need to keep people fresh and play the hot hand. It doesn't matter about playing time or keeping anyone happy. You play to win the game and people need to understand that. Tourney ball is typically heavily sponsored and cut-throat. Guys need to understand their capabilities and play for the team.

 

[Bolusu]

What about a tourney team that everyone pays their way? I like to carry 12 but find it very difficult to sit guys because we aren't sponsored.

 

[mattya420]

We usually roll in with 14. Our subs are good players and understand their roll. It's not always about who starts the tourney but more about who's finishing. you perform you play, you suck for a game or two you sit. If guys have a problem with that then they aren't part of the team

 

[mattya420]

What about a tourney team that everyone pays their way? I like to carry 12 but find it very difficult to sit guys because we aren't sponsored.

depends on the type of tourney team. If you're there to drink a few and have some fun then play everyone. If you're building a winner then they have to understand their roll

 

[Bolusu]

depends on the type of tourney team. If you're there to drink a few and have some fun then play everyone. If you're building a winner then they have to understand their roll

Well it's a little a both, but I have to agree, everyone needs to understand Team First, I have some work to do. LOL

 

[MBplayer]

My rule this year was if you are 0-2 your sitting down cause there is someone on the bench that can do your job. Then I told the guys who knew they were starting on the bench once you get your chance give me a reason to leave you in and start you next time!

Don't get me wrong there is a couple select guys who have longer leashes than others but not many, probably only 2-3 on my team! And those are guys that can be struggling in their first 2 at bats then all of a sudden when they come up with 2 guys on and your down 2 they hit a shot to go ahead.

MB

 

[dponder]

It will depend on the type of tourney. One day, you won't need as many subs. If multiple guys get hurt, that's just bad luck. It can be challenging to find guys that will give up an entire Saturday to watch other guys play slow pitch. Having multiple pitchers and multiple MIF is a plus.

You also need to make sure everyone is on the same page, fun vs win. Having both is great but more rare than people let on. If you play some RR/Pool games, bat 12 and see who's raking that day. Don't go solely based on OBP, look at who is hitting the ball hard. However, every team has a couple guys that won't sit regardless of how they start off that day due to their body of work over a long period of time.

 

[trip]

if i'm a bench player on a softball team i'm not playing softball

 

[OilCountryCanno]

it's easy. Grab your top 10, every other guy is recruited as a bench player/sub when needed. Carry at least 12 all the time imo. No ego's. Especially if it's a competitive team, every guy on the team has pride, but they can't let it get in the way. You don't want someone that will whine and complain about play time if they aren't able to be in the top 10. I'd keep stats, OPS stat posted for everyone to see.

I've taken weaker players because they're more glue guys rather than someone that is better but has a ****ty attitude on many of my competitive teams, not only for ball. Team synergy is more important than team skill IMO. And we are successful because of it. I carry a glue guy right now on my team and it's because he's able to fill in wherever and whenever we need. He never complains, great guy and puts the team first. Priceless.

It's very situaionaly too. If you're going to mash a team, or are mashing a team, sub in your bench players, let them have play time when it doesn't count. Playoffs, tournaments are a different story. They're sitting unless you know for sure you're winning.

 

[dponder]

if i'm a bench player on a softball team i'm not playing softball

LOL, I'm with you there.

 

[rmeman]

Yes we travel most are local or within state. And they dont pay unless they play. But are responosble for there own rooms and stuff

 

[dponder]

Yes we travel most are local or within state. And they dont pay unless they play. But are responosble for there own rooms and stuff

You must have some committed dudes that are willing to fill that role.

 

[rmeman]

If you think about it most of the time someone cant make it so someone would step in and play. But it was nice and we did well. And it was a pay to play team but we had full equipment taken care of

 

[D_Simms1IA]

I'd rather have travel, rooms, etc taken care of over gear.

 

[rmeman]

Its what it was and we had TONS of gear but I am not saying it wouldnt have been nice to have that also. But we took what we got.

 

[sacto73]

When we play out of town I have 12 guys. All 12 bat and 2 sit. One is either a backup pitcher or catcher who is a ringer for us, and usually is our cleanup, so he is ok with sitting as long as he is getting his AB's. The second guy is an OF/inf who will relieve our guys because we run a 5man and gotta have someone to rotate in. It's been working for us especially if we go deep and all 12 is hitting. I usually go with 11 guys as it's less of a headache, but the 11th guy has to be able to be versatile inf/of and a plus if he can pitch.

 

[softballin101]

I just want to put my opinion out there. To me personally, being benched is the worst thing that can happen to me in softball. I would rather be run ruled than to sit the bench in a game and the team wins and I don't contribute. While i do understand that people struggle and the batting lineup should be shuffled around to where people are stringing hits together and those with bad averages for the day should be sitting or hitting at the bottom of the order, that doesn't even tell the whole story. someone could be fouling out or smoking the ball but just hitting it to people. I think that if people have to pay to be in a tournament, everyone should get equal playing time, period. It's all bs anyway, the more I play competitive tournaments, the more it pushes me away. Maybe other people feel that way hence the decline of the game.
I say its bs because of what I've observed. I have never seen a coach sit themselves no matter how bad they've sucked. I've even seen one mediocre coach/player stoop so low that at every tournament, he would award himself an all tournament award while hitting like .400. Maybe I've played at too low a level but I rarely see players with multiple tools such as a bat, arm, speed, catching, tracking, and softball IQ. It's just ****ing softball and i feel that anyone with a pulse can play as long as they are getting in the games and going through situational plays. When they don't play is when their skills decline and when you need guys to come out and play in the qualifier tournaments, your "good" guys are too good to come out, so guess what, you try to reach out to the guys you've been benching all this time and by that time, you've already run them off. I've even seen guys who either place the ball really well and hit about .800 or guys who will hit a homerun each game but can't even run bases. They hit and get on and need a base runner? If I just decide to say **** it and sell all my **** and never return to a softball field again, it will be because of that crap. It's just fricken softball, most tournaments, you don't win much of nothing anyway, you're mostly playing just to get more games in and when you do get more games in, you have some guys complaining about being at the field for too long