Thank you for this post. And I agree, it's a quirk that does make the game interesting.
I didn't see how far this coach went on Twitter. I'm only aware of the first Tweet that he made in response to the Administrator from Bishop Neumann. I liked that Tweet because he was trying to protect his player by shifting the accountability to himself.
would like to know what he said as well because all though I dont agree with the strategy It was far from the issue everyone is making it, might be bigger if they would have won but they didnt and I dont think I have every seen this much crying over something has I have on this issue
It's a very "unusual" play that we just don't see very often. It's unusual because it is such a low reward play. To trade a base runner standing on 3rd base for a trick play that SHOULD never work...that's why we almost never see this play.
I think, at the end there, we were making progress. You're trying to argue the inarguable. Everyone knows the rules. Everyone knows that the rules forbid missing bases. You're desperately trying to conflate enforcement with legality. The enforcement of that rule never made any sense to me, but that does not change the illegality of missing bases intentionally as this scummy program did or inadvertently. If it wasn't "against the rules" zero controversy. You're intentionally, for whatever motive, trying to muddy the waters. You're wrong. it's cheating.
If it was cheating, the 3 umpires (that all admitted seeing it happen in real time) would have called the base runner out.
It was 100% intentional and 100% cheating. You can blah blah all you want, it's still cheating. Coach with some integrity
Why didn't the 3 umpires (all admitted that they saw it happen) do something about it? You can blah blah all you want, just answer that question while you are at it.
Excellent explanation. Ethically shaky, sure.
anyone have those be interested to see if what he said is why he got fired
Again, you're arguing (and showing your character) about enforcement. The cheating and illegality isn't in question. It is, flat out, cheating, and quite illegal. It isn't a "loophole". It's cheating. I'm glad he got fired.
Softball and Baseball are unique sports in that the opposing team is responsible for upholding some of the rules. Illegal substitution is another example. If you want to send your #5 hitter to the plate instead of your #9 hitter, it's my responsibility as a coach to uphold the rule by appealing to the home plate umpire when this happens. If I don't catch it, play goes on.
Some "point". 🙄 I can't wait until I violate a traffic law and the pursuit policies of some jurisdiction prevent pursuit...I can just scream "it ain't illegal". In your time not arguing your...point, you may wish to study up on vocabulary. Maybe start with "cheating" ? With your attitude towards rules, I'm certainly glad I'm not in business with you, or that you aren't anywhere near a classroom. Dude taught cheating, rightfully lost his job. Makes me happy.
Like others have said, it was the attitude and demeanor of this coach that made his firing inevitable, and, imo, richly justitified. Cheating happens. Everybody looks for an "edge". Generally, though it's done by skirting the rules, not intentionally full out breaking of them. But to gloat about it, to pretend it isn't cheating, to basically give integrity, honesty, sportsmanship, etc. a "screw you, I got away with it and I'll do it again" shout out...yeah, glad he's done. It isn't mortal combat, not life or death. It's HS sports. To cheat is unsavory, to wallow in the cheating is not allowable. I'm glad Malcolm did the right thing.
Nobody agrees with what the coach did and maybe he didn't handle it well. They lost the game, the takeaway is cheating does not win/pay off. Firing is not always the answer but in today's society you are not entitles to a mistake, you have to be canceled. Malcolm probably didn't want to deal with the backlash from private school cancel culture.
Malcolm will be just fine in finding a new coach with their history of success and proximity to Lincoln. In speaking to a buddy his comment was, prior to this none of you paid attention the program, or you'd have an idea that the whole thing was a lot more than 1 play, 1 response, ect. It had very very little to do with cancel culture from a private school that Malcolm plays in several activities. It also had nothing to do with Malcolm's "ties" to the NSAA...did the "ties" to the NSAA have anything to do with things at Gretna, Norfolk Catholic, or any of the other schools where employees have family?
Gretna and Norfolk Catholic used a legal play that was not protested by coaches?Not sure what you are referring to? But maybe your “buddy” told you something. I love how everyone wants to throw the coach under the bus for all kinds of things prior to this play, he made a decision in a game that was not good, but let’s not make it worse than it is.
But also could be a learning opportunity, not everyone has to be fired, give some time to pass and people can be reasonable and realize a mistake was made,
Totally agree. The problem in this case was that no learning was done, nor was it conceivable that any would take place. Bragging about how smart you are when you get away breaking the rules, at best, is completely tone deaf. Dude cheated. Intentionally. Then because he wasn't caught, tried to brag. Pay stupid games, get stupid prizes...
Spot on. If he doesn't spout off on social media he still has a job. It's that simple. He dug his own grave. Further, if he doesn't go on social media most of us never even hear about this. The reason it blew up was because of his posts.
People say this all the time, but I think today's society is more dominated by people AGGRESSIVELY doing stupid shit and then bitching about being canceled when called on it. I hear "canceled", I instantly think "excuse." This coach had zero contrition, zero remorse, zero common sense in his actions or response. Didn't show one iota of willingness to learn or modify his behavior. How can it be a learning experience if the individual refuses to acknowledge there was an issue in the first place? All he demonstrated was that he'd absolutely do it again if presented with the same opportunity.
Those schools have NSAA employees with children or family in them. Schools don't make decisions based on "closeness" to the NSAA was the point. Remember the NSAA is a governing body that is operated and run by the member schools.
Excellent point. The schools are making the decisions, the NSAA is simply carrying out their wishes.
Absolutely. This coach could have saved his job if he had stayed away from Twitter.
Exactly. Unless of course, there are things we don't know, the proverbial straw that broke the camels back. If that were the case he simply gave his enemies the rope...
because nobody asked for a appeal, i'm a softball umpire, i have to wait until the coach asks for a appeal before i can do anything about the situation.
That is exactly my point! This play does not become an illegal play until the missed base appeal is granted by an umpire.
You are splitting hairs. Given the fact that you would never try this play, I'm not really sure why you want to die on the hill of saying it's not an illegal play. Who cares? I think the results speak for themselves. The guy is LITERALLY fired and you're still over here with your rule book arguing that its a legal play. What would be the "correct" way to use this play since its "technically" legal? Do it and then show the correct amount of remorse and contrition later even though it's legal (because you know you'll be ID'd as a cheating scumbag and you don't want to get fired)? No. The takeaway here is that NO coach EVER should teach or use this play.
I wonder if this is the difference in club or summer ball and a paid position and the expectations of a school job ? I think it is
Interpretation of rules IS splitting hairs.
You misunderstand - I absolutely care when someone is making a ridiculous hair-splitting argument. It's hilarious to me that your argument is 100% the same as the fired coach whose statement said the play "breaks zero rules." He doesn't get it, and neither do you. So to clarify, what I don't care about is whether the play is technically legal or not. If the only reason you wouldn't use the play is because you don't like the odds of success then you probably shouldn't be coaching either.
To do something like this on purpose and hoping to not get caught is wrong. In my opinion it is also wrong to not teach your infielders to keep an eye on baserunners to ensure that they touch the base. It is also wrong to not educate your players how to appeal when a baserunner misses a base.
