Would a high school baseball coach allow this?

Question

I see it all the time in Major League Baseball. A position player bats and get out. Instead of going all the way back to the dugout, he'll take off his hat and batting gloves and give it to the batboy or fellow teammate, assume his position on the field while the teammate or batboy returns with his cap and glove. It's a big timesaver for that player, but is that a common practice in high school/college baseball?

Answer 1

This answer might date me a bit, but when I played and batting gloves were not the rage that they are now, all there was to return to the dugout was the helmet, and it was generally given to the basecoach or batboy. It was then a matter of being a good teammate that someone would grab the player's hat and glove and bring it out to him so he didn't have to return all the way to the dugout, then go all the way back out to his position. It was simply being polite. I know I always appreciated someone grabbing my glove and hat, and I always tried to reciprocate whenever the chance arose.

As a coach, I actually instructed my players to do so if they had an opportunity because I thought part of my job was teaching the players how to be a good teammate, as well as a productive player. I also taught things like having my catcher pick up a bat and hand it to a batter who had fouled off a pitch and was returning to the batter's box, having my batters pick up a catcher's mask and hand it to him if he had thrown it down in pursuit of a ball or making a play, and having the on-deck hitter help his baserunner teammate know what to do at home by acting as an extra base coach, etc. The list of things to teach is long...

Let's face it: In this day and age, much of the simple courtesy, good sportsmanship and teamwork has disappeared in our sporting events in the name of "competition" and self-centeredness, and I think it is very, very sad....

Answer 2

Well I'm assuming that the batter has made the final out of the inning and isn't taking his helmet off and assuming his position while there is a live game going on.

Assuming that, the answer is YES this is common practice in HS school baseball.

It's called "picking up your teammate".

Once the final out is made the player will discard his helmet and batting gloves to either one of the coaches on the field and start walking to his position while a player on his team will collect his hat and glove and give it to him.

It doesn't happen all the time but most I'd say. Especially at the Varsity level.

The exclusions are if you have an underclassmen on the Varsity in which case they are usually on there own unless they are really good.

Answer 3

Yes...It is common for a fellow player to grab his teammates hat and glove and bring it out to him if he makes the third out or if he is on the basepaths at the time of the third out. When I played high school ball, it was encouraged by our coach. Most high school teams don't have regular bat boys, so it is up to the players teammates to "pick them up". In college it happens all the time. It is a time saving and helpful act. There is nothing wrong with it, and I even encourage my little leaguers that I coach to do it. Saves time, and keeps the player from having to go all the way to the dugout and back to his position.

Answer 4

Players do that all the time in high school baseball. The team doesn't necessarily have a "bat boy", but often times teammates do it for one another. There's nothing "bad" or "wrong" about it, in fact it's a good thing. It keeps the game moving along.

Answer 5

Anything that saves time involving a lot of people i.e. the fans in attendance the referee and the players and coaches all together saving time.. This is actually a huge time saver when extrapolated by the fans, the number of times done, and basically a win win for all. If you feel it makes you look bad you can always start acting like Coach Carter

Answer 6

It happens all the time in college games and Cape Cod League Baseball. I've seen it happen in high school games too, but not as often as college and the pros. I think that in high school players often don't ask their teammates to bring it out to them if they get out; they usually just hustle back to the dugout and get to their position.

Answer 7

Yeah it is allowed. When I played if I made the last out I would ususaly give my either first or third base coach my helmet and wait for a teammate to bring my glove and vice versa.

Answer 8

i havent seen it in high school baseball or even softball. Everyone is basically equal. There could be like the coach's younger son who might collect the bats, but not gloves or anything else.

Answer 9

Teammates could do it to help each other. Do you have batboys in high school?

Answer 10

I played high school baseball and this is common practice. It does save time. I have even seen it in Softball.