A Hired Gun--Your Take On It??

[coachkev]

I have heard of teams bringing in a "Hired Gun" to pitch for them in Qualifiers and or National Tournaments. I would like to know the general feeling towards this discission from both parents and coaches that have experienced it in the past. How was it taken from your players and parents.

[Demonboy]

I have heard of teams bringing in a "Hired Gun" to pitch for them in Qualifiers and or National Tournaments. I would like to know the general feeling towards this discission from both parents and coaches that have experienced it in the past. How was it taken from your players and parents.

They paid her?

[coachkev]

Excuse the terminology it was how it passed to me. I don't believe you pay them with money you pay them with pitching time.

[DonnieS]

Terrible. A child should not be rewarded for hard work, diligence and talent.

[Skarp]

Terrible. A child should not be rewarded for hard work, diligence and talent.

Agreed. They should be rewarded for doing exactly what we want them to do at all times.

It is an interesting question though. You've got kids who (presumably) have worked hard all season within an organization, practiced, fund-raised, etc....only to have their spot taken by a last-minute addition to the team.

There are two contingently valid schools of thought, I would think.

1) You go with the horse what brung ya. Here you resign yourself to a less successful outcome (at least in terms of game results) at state/nationals, but in a sense you remain truer to the kids/families that put you where you are.

2) You bring in a kid who can help you be more competitive, and in a (different) sense are truer to the kids/families who put their faith in your ability to build a competitive team.

Which one applies probably depends on the perceptions of the kids/families involved, and what their legitimate expectations and tolerances are.

[Sam]

I have heard of teams bringing in a "Hired Gun" to pitch for them in Qualifiers and or National Tournaments. I would like to know the general feeling towards this discission from both parents and coaches that have experienced it in the past. How was it taken from your players and parents.

A manager does so at his/her own peril. It may have some minor short term benefits, but will kill you in the long run. Your team might win a couple of more games....might not...who knows how your team WOULD have played without the ringer. It will definitely cause dissencion on the team and with the parents...which will make the manager's life more miserable and possibly cause a team breakup.

Long term....how do you recruit in any following years? How do you sell yourself to top players/parents when they know you are constantly looking to replace their DD from outside sources?

That said....if I was down to 2 pitchers...or if I lost my SS...and a stud became available and wanted to play for me....done deal...I'd do it in a second.

[Demonboy]

Gold teams do it all the time with college players. Sooner or later you'll have
to deal with it.

[Sam]

Gold teams do it all the time with college players. Sooner or later you'll have
to deal with it.

Gold, at least, requires that college players be on the Championship Roster....so the players on that team know that they have ringers before they go to qualify....

[dallasfungo]

I think it depends on the age level. If you are running kids through showcases I think people understand the emphasis on marketing. Pulling a bunch of great players together garners attention for all of them. Great players on average teams will obtain more exposure if they are grouped with other great players on one team. My guess is that the #12-#15 players on OC Batbusters Gold get more attention than if they were starters on lesser known teams.

At younger ages, however, bringing in a couple of great players for championship play every year (while the kids who have been with you all season ride the bench) will erode your credibility as a coach. The coach becomes known as a recruiter and the community knows that the roster on October 1 and May 1 will not be the roster on July 27. Good players and families will learn to walk away from those teams to avoid all the drama.

[dumboldman]

Call me a dumb old guy but.. generally, I want to reward the kids that got me there. Now, if I have injuries, etc.. anything that effects my roster... I might bring an additional player due to need......