by jwrunner » Thu Sep 29, 2016 8:43 am
I truly was looking for a discussion here. And so I apologize to the board for my last post. I resorted to the same type of attack that I would normally criticize other online participants for. It was a quick emotional response rather than a thoughtful one.
C77 - apologies to you for my last post as well - it was too easy to simply take a shot at you and it was juvenile. But at no time in any of my posts did I put myself forward as an expert in pitching. Re-read my original long post and you will find I used some form of the word "believe" 13 times. No claim of being an expert on the topic. What my education and experience has made me an expert in is understanding complex topics (far more complex than pitching), separating real data from opinion, evaluating evidence and coming to a conclusion. As more evidence presents itself, that evaluation necessarily might morph over time. I engaged you because it's clear you do have valuable experience and opinion that I was looking to add to that evaluation. But my hope was for actual substantive counterpoints that test my hypotheses. Change my mind - don't just give me your resume. Because, like it or not, there is debate and disagreement on pitching mechanics. When names like Hillhouse, Finch, Balswick, and Pauley still have disagreement even though they agree on much of the content, then clearly there is not consensus. Coaches like Amanda Scarborough realize that and actually adjust the teaching over time. They don't simply parrot what they were taught. They constantly question. I want to know what you believe and why - you're the one who was crying out for discussion. I'm not sure what more I could do to attempt conversation.
Below are two quotes from consecutive responses that you made to me on this string:
"For someone that has never coached or played softball, you seem to be well read and somewhat knowledgeable about the game, and that takes hard work, good for you!"
And just one post later:
"I calculated your wisdom by your statements, and there wasn't lot of knowledge there. I don't mean to sound mean, but I will not say something I don't believe."
The change in between was that I pointed out that the language of your post made assumptions about me without basis in fact. I hesitated to post the quote comparison because I don't want to have you simply respond in anger. You asked for conversation and opinion and I truly wanted to hear yours, but conversation is a two way street. I certainly could have stepped more carefully so as not to antagonize you. Reading back over my own posts, there are certainly moments of passive aggressive in there. But on your end of it, you have to be willing to be disagreed with in a "discussion" or it won't last long.
Again - apologies if I appeared antagonistic. Aside from my one juvenile reponse, that was never the intent. I hope we can have civil conversations in the future