Friendly Fodder

[Skarp]

I'm not as concerned about the prevalence of weak travel teams as are some on this board, but I do find the mix of teams at various friendlies somewhat interesting. Even friendlies with very strong teams participating typically seem to have one or two teams that are much, much weaker and that get pounded badly by all of the other teams.

I'm not really sure how I should feel about that. On one hand, it gets a little old beating up on teams by double-digit margins, and then having to re-focus and perform well against completely different pitching (and hitting, and defense) than we've seen all day. On the other, the participation of (i.e., the $$ contributed by) these teams may be the difference between having friendlies and not having them at all in many instances.

So what say you all: would it be better if teams tried harder to organize friendlies with relatively more even competition, or would that lead to a decline in opportunities to play at all?

[slapper]

From what I have seen it's a double edge sword. Many of the better teams are not available at the same time or do not get along with each other(too much who's the best ego) to play friendlies against each other. Some even feel like they shouldn't give the teams they will have to beat in qualifiers any chance to learn more about them for free. So the weaker teams who actually benifit more want to play the better teams. For the better teams its better to play a weaker team than to play nobody. Its least its full speed practice.

[Dog20]

Have to agree that Friendlies, for the most part, are "practice games". Yeah, we'd like to win them all, but their purpose for my team is to try different girls at various positions and mess with the lineup and so on. Work out the kinks before hitting elimination tournaments in May and June.

I think most "high end" travel teams avoid them thinking they will either have to play down, or, run into travel teams from their area. It is kind of a "Why drive 2 hours and pay $$$ to play the team I could call and set a practice game up with for next to nothing in the next town?"

[Dog20]

"High end" was the best term I could think of at the time. In our area we play, Friendlies are harder to find into May and through summer. The "high end" I referred to are the teams that consider themselves "Gold" or similar and do not want to "play down" to us regular folk.

I try to find as many Friendlies as I can, but unlike your area as you describe, once school is out most of the tournaments are 4 game guarantee, 2 pool play and then 2 elimination games. And the norm this year seems to be heading to 3 game guarantee, 2 pool, single elim.

[hotwheels]

I agree with Spazsdad completely. There are times that you go into games with an obviously weaker team and in your mind you know that you are going to beat them pretty good. Then at the end of the ballgame "IF" you win you had to scrape by and eek out a victory. Each game is always it's own entity and you should never be so certain that victory is ever guaranteed. I think here in So Cal mosts friendlies (That we've entered) the competition is made of pretty level competition for the most part but there isn't anything anybody can do about a team that is obviously not as good as you entering. They pay too!!! It is always good to have your team hit against teams at times with substandard pitching. It can be tougher than you think!!

[Sam]

Weaker teams play to get better and quite often do get much better by the end of the year as a direct result of playing better teams.

Teams that will qualify for ASA Nationals had better play a lot of weaker teams during the year because they will certainly see some at Nationals. They have to learn to hit weaker pitching and great pitching on the same day. It teaches the kids to adjust and being in a 2-1 game against an obviously weaker team in the 5th inning allows the manager to actually show what can happen when their team doesn't take an opponent seriously. It will also tell the manager whether or not his/her team plays down to opponents.

Note: If you are playing a weaker team and destroying them, ask if you can run the last two innings as ITB. That way you both get something out of the game. Your team will need to know how to execute in ITB...but most importantly your manager will need to know how to manage an ITB situation...if you screw it up, you will likely be going home.

[Skarp]

Great points all. Sometimes you can lose sight of opportunites for instruction and improvement (and hence why you even showed up) when you win by 15+ runs in each of your first two games. I especially like the ITB suggestion (thanks Sam).

[tai2000]

I thought one of the main points of playing friendlies is to help improve your team and especially some of the "weaker" players without the pressure of tournament play? Maybe I am wrong, but isn't a FRIENDLY called a FRIENDLY so it is just that? A game that doesn't really count for anything except experience.

[Sftbll4ever]

I thought one of the main points of playing friendlies is to help improve your team and especially some of the "weaker" players without the pressure of tournament play? Maybe I am wrong, but isn't a FRIENDLY called a FRIENDLY so it is just that? A game that doesn't really count for anything except experience.

I agree. Too bad there are coaches out there who forget it is just a friendly. I have seen too many coaches get thrown out of friendlies.

[Skarp]

I thought one of the main points of playing friendlies is to help improve your team and especially some of the "weaker" players without the pressure of tournament play? Maybe I am wrong, but isn't a FRIENDLY called a FRIENDLY so it is just that? A game that doesn't really count for anything except experience.

I agree, but that's not really what I was getting at. My question was whether such a large caliber differential essentially undermines the purpose of a friendly (which you correctly identify). Obviously there is a point beyond which neither team can really expect to benefit. But as others have pointed out, value can be had even when the caliber difference is fairly large.