Blog posts of '2020' 'April'

Welcome to Custom Lineup Cards.  Formerly a part of the Kidz “n” Sports web site, I have made Custom Lineup Cards into a secure, stand-alone site.   

Most lineup card orders will be processed within 24 hours from the time you send me your information.   When I receive your information, I will design the lineup cards and email you a proof.  Please print that proof out on a black & white printer (unless you order color cards).  Make sure the information on the cards is what you wanted.  Especially check for correct spelling on coach’s names and player’s names if you ordered with Roster.  Once you approve the proof, I will print the cards.  25 card orders are usually shipped via USPS first class mail.  Larger orders are usually shipped via USPS Priority Mail.

If you are ordering for a League, you can save money by ordering the total number of cards for the league.  If you want individual team names on the cards, just tell me how many cards for each team, and provide me with the appropriate information.   For example, if you have 10 teams and your schedule is for 10 games each, you could order the 100 pack and instruct me to provide 10 cards for each team.  You can also just have the league information printed on all the cards too.

One last bonus.  If you are new to Custom Lineup Cards, once you place your order, if you LIKE the Custom Lineup Cards Facebook page and leave a review, I will add 10 extra cards to your initial order.   I appreciate your positive comments on the Facebook Page and on this web site.

After you have placed your order, and completed payment either with credit card or with Pay Pal, you will be redirected to the upload page where you can provide me with your information.

If at any time, you have a problem accessing this site, uploading team information, or for any other reasons that is hindering your order, please email me at coachmike@customlineupcards.com

Thank you.

Coach Mike

One of the simplest, yet most complicated (how’s that for a contradiction) chores in baseball and softball is that of the scorekeeper. Some people love to keep score and do it well. Others are glad to help out the team but could do better. And some do it because they’re asked but will repeatedly tell you "that they don’t know how to do it", "have never done it", "aren’t very good at it…". etc.

Problem solved!

If you are here in So Cal, I am available to provide live training sessions for your league. The session takes about 60-90 minutes depending upon how many people and how much fun we have. If you are away from So Cal, I can set up an online training session.

Call me at (877)554-5952 or email me at coachmike@kidznsports.com and let’s discuss your scorekeeping needs.

So, what is the most unfair rule in baseball and softball?

Not sure? I actually did not correctly keep score in my early years, probably because of the rule. I once had one of my daughter’s travel coaches ask me why my stats were off. He never told me why. But another friend pointed it out to me when I was keeping score.

The rule is Fielder’s Choice. Why is it unfair?

In my early scorekeeping days, I understood "fielder’s choice" as being any time a fielder chose to go after another runner instead of taking the easy out to first. While that part is correct, there is much more to "fielder’s choice" than an infielder choosing which runner to go after.

To paraphrase, a batter is credited with a "fielder’s choice" when a fielder attempts to put out a runner other than the batter, OR ANYTIME ANOTHER RUNNER IS FORCED OUT INSTEAD OF THE BATTER.

Where do we see this applied? How about when you have a runner on first. The batter hits a bloop fly just out of reach of the 2nd baseman or shortstop. The runner on first can’t get too far off the bag for fear of being forced out at first if the fielder catches the fly. But the fielder doesn’t quite get to the fly then that or another fielder (say a right fielder) picks up the ball on the hop and throws to 2B forcing the runner from 1st. Now the batter is credited with a "Fielder’s Choice." This actually lowers the batter’s batting average. Had the runner not been on first base, the batter would have easily been safe and credited with a hit, thereby raising his/her batting average.

It can be worse than that!

One time my daughter’s team had bases loaded, one out. The batter hit a bloop fly ball down the 3rd base line. Third and Short couldn’t quite get to the ball. But the left fielder picked up the ball on a hop and threw the ball to 3rd base, forcing the runner from 2B. Again, had there not been that force out, the batter gets a hit all day long.

Several years back, I wrote to several of the governing bodies, including MLB. Someone had told me that the reason the rule was like that was because they had to account for the out, and the batter being safe at 1st. Why couldn’t the batter be credited with a hit and the out recorded if in the mind of the scorekeeper there is no way the batter would have been put out otherwise? A couple of the organizations said they would take it up at their next rules meeting. I never heard any more. I’m guessing that it’s been recorded a certain way for so long, they wouldn’t want to go back and change it.

If you need some more scorekeeping help for yourself, your league, or a group of coaches or parents, send an email to coachmike@kidznsports.com. I do single or group training. Scorekeeping is not that difficult. But it can be a little intimidating for those who haven’t done it before. Plus, I usually share a few tricks to make even experienced scorekeepers better.

Teach first, win later.

Coach Mike