Baseball Coaching Ethics

Baseball Coaching Ethics

Yes or no. Fair or foul. Right or wrong.

Baseball is an honorable sport that deserves to be coached in an ethical way.

But what are ethics? The answer will vary depending on who you ask. What some consider strategic, others deem ethical.

The New Webster's Dictionary describes ethics as a system of moral principles; Moral is defined as general conduct as right or wrong.

Several retired Indiana high school coaches --many of them IHSBCA Hall of Famers -- have weighed in on the issue of coaching ethics.

Be it sportsmanship, courtesy, common sense or just playing by the rules, here is a list of just some of the baseball situations that could come under the heading of ethics

Running Up the Score.

Is it really necessary to win by three touchdowns? Is it ethical?

Says Jack Massucci "I've seen teams squeeze bunt for 10-run rule win, double steal for a 10-run lead in the late innings and steal when up by more than nine runs or so."

Says Bill Jones: "The thing that was most upsetting is a coach that after he had the game well in control, continued to have his players stealing bases and taking the extra base. Last year, I read one score which was 34 to 1 with the team having 19 stolen bases,

"My belief was that I wanted to play seven innings of baseball if possible and once was had an eight- or nine-run lead I told the players to NOT advance on misplays or overthrows. No stealing of bases or bunts were permitted. It also was a good situation where players who did not get much playing time could be used. It also was a good time to bring in a young pitcher who needed game experience."

Says Jim Reinebold: "Something that I’ve seen over the years that I especially don't like is running up the score when an opponent is hopelessly out-manned. Some coaches continue to bunt, hit and run, steal, and force extra bases when their opponent has little, or no, chance of defending itself.

"At the same time, of course, the winning coach can't tell his players to intentionally make outs or not try to hit. But bunting, stealing, etc., are rubbing it in and therefore are unsportsmanlike acts.

"If one team believes the other tries to "pour it on," the coach or an official of the offended team should notify the IHSAA and the IHSBCA. If theoffense is deemed serious and repeated by either or both organizations, the offending team and coach should be reprimanded. Should the action continue, the IHSAA should suspend said coach.

"Recognizing that some leads in high school baseball, no matter how large, aren't safe, it is difficult to establish when the leading coach "calls off the dogs" Allow me to suggest eight runs after five innings."

Respecting the field

Some team does flip drills into fences (that are probably expensive). Is this ethical?

Others warm up on the game mound (when bullpens are available) or even conduct batting practice them. Is this ethical?

Preferring not to tread lightly, others trample the grass (when there is an on-deck circle or other suitable place). Is this ethical?

Then there's the home team that doctors the diamond to it's advantage, like leaving the mound higher than 10 inches, letting grass grow in such a way to keep bunts fair or foul or using extra water on the infield to slow down a running game. Is this ethical?

Says Tim Nonte: "There's the pitcher coming down off the mound into the grass to receive the ball back from the catcher after each 125 pitches. Doesn't his coach know what that does to the grass?

"How about the coach hitting hard choppers into the grass on a wet infield? or "having kids taking batting practice in a cage next to the field where you can hear the contact of the ball while the game is going on?"

Says Bill Dunker: "The worst unethical act in the 41 years I coached was: I had just finished preparing the pitcher's mound by smoothing the rubber area and the visiting team's coach came to the mound and kicked all the dirt away from the rubber and had batting practice!!!

"Never did I prepare the mound until the umpire said 'play ball' I

restrained myself or I would have been unethical. Yes, I got 'kissed off.'"

Neatness counts

Some leave trash in the visitors' dugout while others prefer to leave the space cleaner than they found it. Some opt for leaving the dugout looking like a dump. Is this ethical?

Foul language.

Some potty mouths spray profanity, directed toward opponents, umpires, administrators and spectators. They simply make the air around them blue. Is it ethical?

Says Orval Huffman: "It is unethical when the coach uses foul language or uses tobacco during the game."

Alerting the media.

In many cases, it is up to the home team to call in the game report to the newspapers and the radio and TV stations. Some choose no to do so, especially when they lose. Is this ethical?"

Scheduling conflicts.

A team might schedule more than the 28 games allowed by the IHSAA then cancel a game on the last week of the season to stay under the limit while likely leaving the canceled team short a game or two. Is this ethical?

Other might avoid re-scheduling a postponed game, perhaps, because of a perceived mismatch. Is this ethical?

Stalling

With daylight slipping away and his team ahead or behind, some coaches will have their team take their sweat time to invoke a victory, tie or suspension. Is this ethical?

Says Dick Slier. "Stalling tactics bother me more than running up the score... I want my 21 outs. If you're beating me badly, that's my problem."

More dawdling.

Not having full control over transportation, sometimes a team can't help being late to a game. But what about taking an extra slow pace once they arrive? Is this ethical?

Says Don Sherman: "When arriving late for the game, the late team proceeds to stretch, throw and then takes a full infield-outfield pre-game drill. This needs corrected. "The home team should greet the visitors and give them such information as location of restrooms etc."

Says Gary Meyer: "Some teams arrive at the bail park, have to get dressed, put on their shoes, warm up forever, then take infield for 20 minutes, which delays the start of the game for several minutes"

"Today, many schools have radio stations waiting to broadcast games that are really put in a bind by these coaches who prolong pre-game."

Says Jim Dermody: "It is bush when a team not begin an immediate warm-up upon their arrival, surpasses 15 minutes for infield/outfield, warms up in the field of play during the other team's warm-up or uses 'Prima Donna' speed in-between innings etc."

Says Tim Nonte: "Not having a player ready to warm up a pitcher with a mask between innings" is another way to disrespect the game.

Says Bill Jones: "There were times when because of traffic or bus problem we would arrive late. My solution was to inform the coach that we would not take infield and as soon as our player’s arms were loose we would begin game play.

"Often, we played better in this speed-up mode than we had at other times with a complete infield and warm-ups.

"I recall that early in my coaching that an opposing team would throw the ball around the outfield instead of the infield. In that situation, the umpires took charge and after warning the coach and team then forfeited the game.

"It certainly reflected upon a team in a negative way when they show up and warm up with a boom box playing in the midst of their players.

"Often times after such negative events, I would ask the AD to drop that team from our schedule"

Knowing the rules

Ignorance of the law is not bliss. There are rules, but not even/coach knows them, even though there are rules interpretation meetings. Is this ethical?

Says Gary Meyer: "It always disturbed me to no end to have someone arguing calls that they did not know the rule or situation.

"I believe most young coaches get their knowledge of the game from playing and watching TV. I personally believe that baseball coaches should have to pass the same test that umpires do to verify their knowledge of the game."

Getting in the Way.

Some teach their hitters to check swings in front of the catcher. Is this ethical?

On a steal, they instruct hitters to stand deep in the batter's box to delay their swing so as to make contact with the catcher's glove and get a defensive interference call. Is this ethical?

Others endorse fake tags, which are illegal and can cause injury. Is this ethical?

Says Jim Turner Sr.: "There are two things I've seen that bother me. "One is when a coach allows his team to line up on their knees about 10 feet from the base line during their opponent's infield pre-game practice. This (could be seen as another form of intimidation and) obviously can lead to unnecessary 'jawboning' among players and cause confrontations. Perhaps this practice should he discussed at the IHSBCA Clinic.”

"The other poor sportsmanship activity I have witnessed is the offensive box coaches yelling instructions to the defense such as: 'cut' to the infield cut-off men or yelling out to the defensive player which base to throw to (the wrong one) during a play."

Elections

When it comes time to vote for all-conference or all-state teams, some cast ballots for their own players or their friends' players even if they are not deserving. Sometimes, voting "blocks" -- groups of coaches who are buddies or geographically-linked -- vote along the same lines, not taking into consideration for recognition all eligible players. Is this ethical?

Says Gary Meyer: "(Regarding all-state selection,) there are very few players that are deserving of this great honor Over the years, as chairman of the all-state committee, I found schools with losing records that would nominate six or seven players to the all-state squad. Very few teams have even one.

"I think a good rule would be that coaches can't nominate their own players Send the coaches participating a ballot to nominate the nine best players he has seen, send to regional rep to tabulate to get the best nine and then forward for a state ballot."

Says Jack Massucci: "Some coaches who would do anything to get their kids on all-conference teams, such as voting for the least qualified so their kid would make it."

Coaching cooperation

There are those that would say go out for baseball and not this sport or that because it conflicts with off-season training for baseball. Is this ethical?

Says Dick Siler "I would never tell someone to not go out for football and deny them of an experience You're not thinking of the kids when you do that ... Trying to talk to kid about coming out for your sport after he's been out for another sport without talking to that coach is unethical."

Intimidation.

Getting in the heads of opponents by the threat or actual use of violence is the way some would choose to go. Is this ethical?

Says Bob Mirkovich: "(In one game,) one of our players took out the opposing second baseman on a DP attempt. There was a lot of contact; our kid went in a little high. The opposing coach charged onto the field and threatened our 16year-old athlete. The umpires and myself quickly restored order. Our young athlete was visibly shaken.

"(Another time,) the opposing coach was trying to intimidate our pitcher from his third base coaching box. He was making some derogatory comments. The umpires warned the coach, and things were OK from then on.

"A coach should never threaten or get into a verbal battle with an

opposing team's athletes. If you have a concern, do it through the umpires.

"We had a team rule that you did not make fun of, ridicule or make any off-color or derogatory comments at any opposing player. This took care of a lot of problems that might occur.

"I think some of the young coaches see what some (underlined) of the major league managers do, and try to imitate them.

"Any alert umpire(s) can head off a lot of problems. Perhaps this could be covered in their umpire meetings.

"I’ve always believed that a coach can/should be able to control 99 percent of his kids' actions and attitudes on the field."

Hiring "homers."

The home team hires the umpires during regular-season play. Some make sure they get umpires who will call it "their way." Is this ethical?

Says Tim Nonte: "Believe it or not but the year before I came to

Princeton in '82-83, the same two local umpires called every home game. Near the end of my career when the talent was down I too would have hired them, but ... they were both dead. Not really."

Making the grade

Some coaches have been known to have grades changed or a class load lightened to protect a player's eligibility. Is this ethical?

-- Compiled By Steve Krah