Dugout chatter.... when is it too much?

Recently experienced a new level of chatter and was curious if this is more common than I thought, as well as a question to the group as to what you feel is acceptable/sportsman like?

I am used to what I would call typical dugout chatter... yelling let’s go, good eye, and other game applicable comments.

Yesterday a high school team had a structured chatter going. Set chants with each throw to first or any stoppage of play. Additionally they would be yelling random comments constantly (3-4 boys always yelling at any time). The volume was always high when they were batting.

The coach would even give them topics for the next inning. This ranged from restaurants to yell to fruit and vegetables. One time the coach was heard telling the boys to look up random comments on their phones to yell.

It definitely raised the tension level in the air. Communication by players in the field was hard and even the umpires were having issues... losing track of count on multiple occasions.

What are your thoughts on this tactic in high school baseball?

Recently experienced a new level of chatter and was curious if this is more common than I thought, as well as a question to the group as to what you feel is acceptable/sportsman like?

 

I am used to what I would call typical dugout chatter... yelling let’s go, good eye, and other game applicable comments.

 

Yesterday a high school team had a structured chatter going. Set chants with each throw to first or any stoppage of play. Additionally they would be yelling random comments constantly (3-4 boys always yelling at any time). The volume was always high when they were batting.

 

The coach would even give them topics for the next inning. This ranged from restaurants to yell to fruit and vegetables. One time the coach was heard telling the boys to look up random comments on their phones to yell.

 

It definitely raised the tension level in the air. Communication by players in the field was hard and even the umpires were having issues... losing track of count on multiple occasions.

 

What are your thoughts on this tactic in high school baseball?

Bush league, plain and simple. At first I thought this was going to be about some of the chants that, from what I've been told, is quite prevalent in girls softball. But, to just be yelling out random words/phrases for the sole purpose of trying to be a distraction to the other team? Bush league.

I would think that an umpire has the authority to clean this up based on something similar to "unsportsmanlike conduct" in football or the decorum required when a player is shooting a free throw. If the coach has to resort to these tactics to get a win, then it is time for a change at the helm.

I don’t like a lot of the things that are said.

When did baseball become tennis and golf. Sure if comments are out of bounds they need to be addressed, but whats a little noise. Parents can make it but the players cant?

Softball has had organized chants from the dugout like these for years.

My theory, answer them with your bat and glove, that usually shuts it down.

I’m not a big fan of intentionally obnoxious chatter as is being described by the original poster. Especially if it is completely unrelated to the game, or if it becomes personal. That being said, doing your job...throwing strikes, making the plays on defense, hitting the baseball etc., tends to shut that stuff down pretty quickly.

I’m not a big fan of intentionally obnoxious chatter as is being described by the original poster. Especially if it is completely unrelated to the game, or if it becomes personal. That being said, doing your job...throwing strikes, making the plays on defense, hitting the baseball etc., tends to shut that stuff down pretty quickly.

I agree, but was curious as to others thoughts and experiences.

In this case, however, the team was down 7-3 and it didn’t quiet them down one bit. They ended up losing by a close score in the end.

It’s not the chatter that is the issue. You want your players to be involved and active in the dugout while your team is at the plate, it’s yelling stupid stuff that is the issue. It’s a bad representation of the players, the coach, and the program. As to what kind of stuff is stupid, most of the stuff in the OP is stupid. The purpose of being active in the dugout is so you stay engaged in the game when you are not in the field or up to bat. Yelling stuff that isn’t related to baseball isn’t staying engaged in the game, it’s creating a whole new side show for the players in the dugout and can distract from the game. Again yell as loud as you want, but keep it related to the game.

It’s not the chatter that is the issue. You want your players to be involved and active in the dugout while your team is at the plate, it’s yelling stupid stuff that is the issue. It’s a bad representation of the players, the coach, and the program. As to what kind of stuff is stupid, most of the stuff in the OP is stupid. The purpose of being active in the dugout is so you stay engaged in the game when you are not in the field or up to bat. Yelling stuff that isn’t related to baseball isn’t staying engaged in the game, it’s creating a whole new side show for the players in the dugout and can distract from the game. Again yell as loud as you want, but keep it related to the game.

I definitely get what you are saying. However in other sports players have to play while dealing with student sections chanting and saying things non stop. People don't seem to be bothered by that. In baseball you don't see rowdy student sections though lol so usually the chatter from the dug out is the best you can get. So I'm curious why people would feel that shouldn't happen in baseball?

I love baseball it was my second favorite sport growing up and coached it for 8 years. My teams never did what was described in that first post. However just thinking about it, why do we think of baseball so different than other sports. Personally I always hate when people talk about the unwritten rules of baseball and how it should be done.

Back to the student section thing I mentioned. I think it would be awesome to see student sections at baseball games jumping up and down chanting. To steal something from Covcath student section in basektball. To have a rowdy student section jumping up and down at the end of a close game saying something like "Look he's shaking, he knows he ain't going to hit it" I think that would be very fun to see lol.

Again, chatter is fine. Cheering is fine. Stuff done strictly to distract, annoy, or bother the other team, is the problem. And for what it's worth, I hate that stuff in basketball games as well. Rowdy cheering is fine. The other junk is tasteless.

I definitely get what you are saying. However in other sports players have to play while dealing with student sections chanting and saying things non stop. People don't seem to be bothered by that. In baseball you don't see rowdy student sections though lol so usually the chatter from the dug out is the best you can get. So I'm curious why people would feel that shouldn't happen in baseball?

 

I love baseball it was my second favorite sport growing up and coached it for 8 years. My teams never did what was described in that first post. However just thinking about it, why do we think of baseball so different than other sports. Personally I always hate when people talk about the unwritten rules of baseball and how it should be done.

 

Back to the student section thing I mentioned. I think it would be awesome to see student sections at baseball games jumping up and down chanting. To steal something from Covcath student section in basektball. To have a rowdy student section jumping up and down at the end of a close game saying something like "Look he's shaking, he knows he ain't going to hit it" I think that would be very fun to see lol.

If a student section wants to come a cheer and make up chants designed to distract the other team I’m fine with that. I just think it’s a bad look for a team to be doing it in the dugout. I think it can become distracting to the players. I get the coach’s thought process. He’s trying to keep his team engaged in the game, but I don’t think what that team is doing is staying engaged in the game on the field, it’s creating a new game inside the dugout. The chatter is artificial to me. It’s not real.

It's really

bush league

REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY

bush league

or

That's alright, that's OK

Most cheers are stupid anyways

I've always wondered why certain conduct is allowed in high school sports but not others.

Can you imagine three guys at the free throw line yelling for the free throw shooter to miss it, but they can yell for the batter to swing?

What about basketball players meeting in the circle and hugging after every point like they do in volleyball?

Or basketball players yelling at the refs the way soccer players are allowed in soccer.