"Losing pitcher"

[shotglass]

The e-mail included the obligatory "this is not the pros."
That's true, but it's not t-ball, either.
For whatever it's worth, the kids on a varsity team in a sport like softball are the best athletes in the community. They started playing the game several years before they got to high school and were good enough to stay with it and earn a spot on a varsity team while their less athletically gifted peers were weeded out.

Honestly ... you'd have been better off just deleting the e-mail.

The best answer. No matter how badly you want to, sp, you are never going to satisfy everyone. And you've got to stop beating yourself up because you can't.

I disagree. Return the damn email. It's the professional thing to do. Explain what "losing pitcher" means in terms of the rule book, and leave it at that. If you continue to get emails arguing back, delete THOSE.

But it's not good customer service to ignore an email just because one doesn't like what it says.

I understand your concern, but this isn't the best advice to be giving the original poster. He regularly gets his belly tied up in knots over what this singular reader or that singular reader thinks. And nobody can afford that.

If you want to return every E-mail, go for it. But my point is you can't be looking over your shoulder every minute.

 

[Stitch]

The e-mail included the obligatory "this is not the pros."
That's true, but it's not t-ball, either.
For whatever it's worth, the kids on a varsity team in a sport like softball are the best athletes in the community. They started playing the game several years before they got to high school and were good enough to stay with it and earn a spot on a varsity team while their less athletically gifted peers were weeded out.

Honestly ... you'd have been better off just deleting the e-mail.

The best answer. No matter how badly you want to, sp, you are never going to satisfy everyone. And you've got to stop beating yourself up because you can't.

I disagree. Return the damn email. It's the professional thing to do. Explain what "losing pitcher" means in terms of the rule book, and leave it at that. If you continue to get emails arguing back, delete THOSE.

But it's not good customer service to ignore an email just because one doesn't like what it says.

I understand your concern, but this isn't the best advice to be giving the original poster. He regularly gets his belly tied up in knots over what this singular reader or that singular reader thinks. And nobody can afford that.

If you want to return every E-mail, go for it. But my point is you can't be looking over your shoulder every minute.

Maybe a nice anti-anxiety pill, such as Ativan, might work too.

 

[Armchair_QB]

Quote from the rulebook.

If she still ******* about it, drop a bag of dog**** on her front porch and light it on fire.

 

[MidwestSportsGuy]

No. There's a winning pitcher and a losing pitcher. It's a stat; it's not about self-esteem. A variation of the advice my parents and coaches always told in me: If you're not happy about your performance, do something about it.

Amen.

I really wonder what these parents are trying to achieve by sheltering their kids so much. The real world doesn't give a damn about hurting your feelings (man I sound like a bitter old man).

Truthfully, the overwhelming majority of the high school athletes I have covered and interviewed were fantastic; the bitching and whining always comes from the adults who want Little Jimmy's name in the paper for the outfield assist he made in the sixth inning of a 13-1 ****fest. But when Little Jimmy makes a crucial error that costs his team the game, we best not write that because, you know, it will hurt his feelings and send him into a tailspin of depression. Sons of *******.

 

[Smallpotatoes]

The e-mail included the obligatory "this is not the pros."
That's true, but it's not t-ball, either.
For whatever it's worth, the kids on a varsity team in a sport like softball are the best athletes in the community. They started playing the game several years before they got to high school and were good enough to stay with it and earn a spot on a varsity team while their less athletically gifted peers were weeded out.

Honestly ... you'd have been better off just deleting the e-mail.

The best answer. No matter how badly you want to, sp, you are never going to satisfy everyone. And you've got to stop beating yourself up because you can't.

I disagree. Return the damn email. It's the professional thing to do. Explain what "losing pitcher" means in terms of the rule book, and leave it at that. If you continue to get emails arguing back, delete THOSE.

But it's not good customer service to ignore an email just because one doesn't like what it says.

I understand your concern, but this isn't the best advice to be giving the original poster. He regularly gets his belly tied up in knots over what this singular reader or that singular reader thinks. And nobody can afford that.

If you want to return every E-mail, go for it. But my point is you can't be looking over your shoulder every minute.

Shot, if the e-mail went directly to me, I might agree with you. It was forwarded to me by the news editor. The reader thinks the news editor is my supervisor, regardless of whether she is or not. That means I have to deal with it.

 

[RickStain]

Quote from the rulebook.

If she still ******* about it, drop a bag of dog**** on her front porch and light <b>her</b> on fire.

FYP.

 

[zeke12]

Lord, this isn't hard.

Short reply email, saying losing pitcher is a statistical reference, thanks for reading.

Ignore any other correspondence on this point.

 

[expendable]

Lord, this isn't hard.

Short reply email, saying losing pitcher is a statistical reference, thanks for reading.

Ignore any other correspondence on this point.

What Zeke said.

 

[Stitch]

What if we gave everyone ICE CREAM! Would that make it better?

Yes it would. It always makes me feel better.

 

[Bubbler]

Hugh "Losing Pitcher" Mulcahy says this thread is 60 years too late.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Mulcahy

 

[Some Guy]

The e-mail included the obligatory "this is not the pros."
That's true, but it's not t-ball, either.
For whatever it's worth, the kids on a varsity team in a sport like softball are the best athletes in the community. They started playing the game several years before they got to high school and were good enough to stay with it and earn a spot on a varsity team while their less athletically gifted peers were weeded out.

Honestly ... you'd have been better off just deleting the e-mail.

The best answer. No matter how badly you want to, sp, you are never going to satisfy everyone. And you've got to stop beating yourself up because you can't.

I disagree. Return the damn email. It's the professional thing to do. Explain what "losing pitcher" means in terms of the rule book, and leave it at that. If you continue to get emails arguing back, delete THOSE.

But it's not good customer service to ignore an email just because one doesn't like what it says.

I understand your concern, but this isn't the best advice to be giving the original poster. He regularly gets his belly tied up in knots over what this singular reader or that singular reader thinks. And nobody can afford that.

If you want to return every E-mail, go for it. But my point is you can't be looking over your shoulder every minute.

Oh, I agree with you. You shouldn't let this junk consume you. But you should make an attempt to return every email, even if it's just a "thanks for reading." This is company policy at our place, and it is one area where I think the wonks have it right.

It's not good business to simply ignore your customers.

If the original poster is too thin-skinned, that sounds like a personal problem. That's why I recommend one (1) response, and be done with it.

 

[SoCalDude]

We had a football parent get pissed because the coach named the positions "strong linebacker" and "weak linebacker." His kid was the weak linebacker.

 

[Ace]

I think instead of using a cold, hard phrase like "losing pitcher" you could soften it thuslyand still be accurate:

Jane Doe was credited with the loss, despite scattering 32 hits and 14 walks over seven innings.

 

[Mark2010]

If you don't want a loser, don't keep score.

I know a certain coach who would second that opinion.

They do that five days per week. Unfortunately,once a week, some bullies from other schools show up at the park and demand they keep score.

 

[Mark2010]

Quote from the rulebook.

If she still ******* about it, drop a bag of dog**** on her front porch and light it on fire.

In certain jurisdictions, that would constitute a felony.

 

[armageddon]

Woefully late to the party but I can add that the NCAA seems to agree with the reader/parent who scoffs at the term losing pitcher.

Why?

During the announcement of the DIII softball field today the guy reading off the names would note that in the seven-team regionals the top-seeded teams would receive the bye and then face the "non-winning" team in the second round.

I **** you not.

 

[forever_town]

The day we started placating parents and their children's fragile self-esteem was the day the terrorists won.

 

[Inky_Wretch]

I believe Will Smith said it best when he rapped "Take it from me, parents just don't understand."

Zeke nailed it. A short reply saying it's a statistical category and thanking them for reading.

 

[Barsuk]

I just covered a softball game in which a girl threw a no-hitter and lost 1-0. Can I call her a hard-luck loser?

 

[Point of Order]

Did anyone ***** about your writer misspelling "loosing" pitcher?