When I began my coaching career, I took over for a guy that had just resigned his position as coach, but not as teacher. I had been his assistant the prior season. He came into my room and told me of his decision and that if I wanted it, "go tell the principal!" Before he let me out of my room, he told me a few things. "1) Baseball will be the hardest sport that you will ever coach!" and 2) Baseball parents are a crazy ass bunch of people!" My response was only to #1. I said that it couldn't be that hard. I had played it from the time I was 5 and that I had even turned down a couple of JUCO offers to pursue my dream in football. His rebuttal was simply, "every daddy has played the game and/or either coached it at the little league level and that "Little Johnny" was an All-Star all of those years too!" #2 didn't take long after I registered my first win as the HC! Literally as I was walking out of the dugout!! My first 3-4 games was spent trying to find the right lineup, so a lot of guys were rotating in the outfield. I had a rule that you don't talk to me after a game about playing time. We don't discuss that period. I will talk with you during school hours about what your son needs to do to improve. This dad comes onto the field fussing and cussing. I tried to talk him down nicely and explained my rule. He pressed and I told him that someone was about to get their feelings hurt and it wouldn't be mine. He kept on. I opened up the book and showed him his son's stats offensively and defensively thru those first 3-4 games. 0-9 with 9 Ks and 4 opportunities in the field with 4 errors. Dude just turned and walked away.