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Coach going too Far/Catcher intentionally hits batter…

Discussion in 'GatorGrowl's Diamond Gators' started by QGator2414, May 20, 2023.

  1. g8trdoc

    g8trdoc Premium Member

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    If that was my daughter I’d have punched that coach in the mouth.
     
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  2. murphree_hall

    murphree_hall VIP Member

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    Player is not a victim. Player and coach are both wrong. The player was given bad instruction, but the word "victim" isn't accurate, here. We've seen high school players held accountable for actions. High school students, in general, aren't automatically given victimhood status carte blanche just because an adult was involved. In basketball, coaches would teach swinging elbows to clear out the other team after a rebound if they were close. I never did that, because it didn't make sense to me how that is a safe or legal play.
     
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  3. murphree_hall

    murphree_hall VIP Member

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    Agreed. Who doesn't know that throwing a ball at someone's head is dangerous? If the coach said to stab the batter with a knife and she does it, does that make her a victim? The player went out of their way to throw a hard ball at another kid at full speed. Inexcusable and probably should be banned from the sport.
     
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  4. johnny_cakes

    johnny_cakes GC Hall of Fame

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    Coach, please hold out your wrist so we can slap it:
     
  5. apkgator

    apkgator GC Hall of Fame

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    HIGHLY underrated movie by the way
     
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  6. QGator2414

    QGator2414 VIP Member

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    This is fair.

    The point of using the term victim is I am infuriated this very young catcher has been led by adults in this manner. She deserved better!

    And yes. She should have been thrown out of the game. Possibly suspended.
     
  7. gatorstevelp

    gatorstevelp Premium Member

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    Possible the catcher acted on her own as it looks as though the coach denied any responsibility. Have not seen any response from the catcher after being suspended and the coaches statement.
     
  8. QGator2414

    QGator2414 VIP Member

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    Certainly possible and if that is the case…the catcher should be suspended indefinitely. And I certainly take back the idea of being a victim in that case. I definitely gave the benefit of the doubt due to age that the catcher was likely being taught by awful parents and supervisors/coaches. But with all the facts it certainly could be different.

    The coach is still in the wrong as there is no way he should not have immediate gone on the field and removed his catcher from the game if he had no idea. Now considering you hear a parent yell she should be out…that tells me the parents and coach knew what the catcher was doing and that the catcher was taught to do it. Is there some middle ground? Maybe if the video was not so obvious and the fact she literally lit her up in the head after missing one earlier in the game. Hard to believe the coach did not coach this up and they certainly did not seem to be concerned with what happened.
     
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  9. GatorRade

    GatorRade Rad Scientist

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  10. apkgator

    apkgator GC Hall of Fame

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  11. GatorLurker

    GatorLurker GC Hall of Fame

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    Just rewatched Dazed and Confused today.
     
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  12. johnny_cakes

    johnny_cakes GC Hall of Fame

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    Justice has been served! The coach can’t return to a job he already quit before the incident. That seems almost too harsh a punishment. And no wonder the coach didn’t realize that it was intentional — it had only happened in four other games that season and twice in the game that went viral. How was he supposed to know it wasn’t just an accidental play? This coach got a raw deal.

    =============

    This week, the UIL decided to put both the McCamey Independent School District and the head softball coach softball coach Michael Woodard (who is also the district’s football coach and athletic director) on a two-year probation. UIL will also publicly reprimand Woodard and the district.

    The decision came after Woodard was questioned by the State Executive Committee. During that testimony, Woodard confirmed that his catcher had done this in four total games this season. The McCamey team had earned five batter interference calls — which resulted in outs — prior to the Cisco incidents that went viral on social media, Woodard said.

    The committee strongly emphasized the lack of action and concern shown by Woodard. Committee chairwoman Johanna Denson told Woodard that this lack of action contributed to the appearance that he was condoning the behavior.

    Woodard, however, maintained that he did not condone the behavior, claiming the footage that went viral is “not how he remembers” the incident occurring. Woodard told the committee that after the second batter was hit and the Cisco crowd erupted, he initially defended his catcher, but now regrets not taking her out of the game.

    In hindsight, he admitted that he now believes his catcher intentionally hit the batters. He also admitted that he never reached out to Cisco to find out the condition of the batter that was hit in the face.

    McCamey ISD Superintendent Michael Valencia announced to the committee that Woodard would not return to coaching softball at McCamey High, though that had been decided before these incidents, as Woodard was only coaching because of a staffing shortage.

    Woodard will continue his service as the head football coach and athletic director of McCamey ISD during his probation. UIL has said that if any similar incidents take place at McCamey ISD athletic events during this two-year probation, the punishment will be more severe.
     
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  13. grant1

    grant1 GC Hall of Fame

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    ”Suspended”? Expelled from school is more appropriate. Lucky she doesn’t get criminal charges filed
     
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  14. 2oldgator

    2oldgator GC Hall of Fame

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    Impossible to prove 100% the coach called the play or knew it was intentional but, to me it’s obvious he was at very least aware his catcher was capable, even likely to do something like this.
    Also, the fact that the coach didn’t reach out or check on the batter that was hit throws a red flag up and certainly doesn’t set a good example for the young players in his charge.
    I’ve played, coached and watched a lot of baseball and softball in my lifetime and this incident is as bad as it gets. The consequences should be severe. Anything less is condoning bad and very dangerous, I might add, behavior.
     
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  15. johnny_cakes

    johnny_cakes GC Hall of Fame

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    My post above (#32) was supposed to be sarcastic. Personally, I've never seen a batter get hit with a throw to 3B. So the fact that it happened four times in the same season with the same catcher suggests to me that the coach was on board.
     
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  16. 2oldgator

    2oldgator GC Hall of Fame

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    I’m with you Johnny_cakes.
     
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  17. grant1

    grant1 GC Hall of Fame

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    since the coach is also the football coach, I would bet that he teaches to hit the QB to the "echo of the whistle"
     
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  18. chuikov

    chuikov VIP Member

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    My kind of thinking!