Swing at 3-0...really??? Why work the count to 3-0, and THEN swing? The 3-1 pitch is just as good, and you won't feel like such a complete jackass if you mis-hit something that you shouldn't have swung at to begin with.
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Swinging on 3-0
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Swing at 3-0...really??? Why work the count to 3-0, and THEN swing? The 3-1 pitch is just as good, and you won't feel like such a complete jackass if you mis-hit something that you shouldn't have swung at to begin with.
In rare circumstances, sure. Runners at 2nd, your best hitter at the plate, pitcher groves a fastball. MLB hitters batted .382 last season when putting a 3-0 pitch in play.
If you trust the batter to swing only at her pitch - green light them 3-0
As for the HR swing with 2 strikes, depends on the batter. If she's a power hitter, grip it and rip it I say.
Unless it is late innings and a really tight game (and even then with some of our players), we give the green light to swing at 3-0 pitches all the time. We teach our girls to close the zone up and look for their favorite spot - and if they get it, then you drive through it.
We are teaching them to hit, not walk and at 3-0 the chances of getting a great pitch to hit is really high. And once you have hit a few meatballs, the pitcher then is really reluctant to throw that 3-0 strike and you get some really easy walks.
And the only reason you would feel like a jackass if you ground out on a 3-0 green light pitch is if your coach or parents makes you feel that way. Only question our coaching staff has is "Was it a good pitch to hit?" and if they say it was, then so be it.
We are taking our hacks. You don't get to sneak some middle zone strike on us just because it is 3-0. We have confidence that pitch is going to be dealt with by our batters more often than not.
And for the original question - we just open and close the strike zone based on count and situation (we basically call it green zone/yellow zone... we also have red zone for the occasional umpire with the really big zone)
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You are also teaching them to learn pitch selection and strike zone for themselves, rather than have a coach say 'don't swing no matter what.' Yes, they might make a poor choice at 3-0, but that's how they learn.
- Mar 28, 2013
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Even watching D1 ball the batter goes up 3-0 then stands there and watches a meatball go by. I just shake my head, most of the time they foul off the next one or watch it to go full. All I've ever seen watching pitches do is create more watching pitches. Like I tell them, You like it you drive it. don't try to be an umpire. When my DD is in the circle they love it when the opposing coach tells the batter "swing at strikes only". pretty much getting out the backwards K at that point.
- Jan 9, 2015
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Our girls are taught to be selectively aggressive. We are looking to jog around the bases, not walk to first.
We treat a 0-0, 1-0, 2-0 or 3-0 count similarly. We are looking for that one pitch, one mistake to hit. All other pitches we let go by. We widen our zone a little more with one strike. With two strikes were are still looking to drive the ball, but we are swinging at pitches on the edges. Every swing we take(exceptions in game winning/tying situations) we are looking to hit it as hard as we can.
I'd like to see your source. I've watched a ton of MLB, in person, including playoffs and a World Series. I have never seen a MLB player swing at a 3-0 pitch. I'm not saying it doesn't happen on occasion, but the list of HOF players who drew thousands of walks has plenty of well known long-ball hitters, and guys who made their living working the count. When a pitcher insists on letting you get to 1B, don't argue.
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Conventional wisdom on 3-0 counts may be wrong. | SportsonEarth.com : Chris Cwik Article
Here's 2005-2013. They don't swing a lot, but when they do, they do well.
- Jan 25, 2011
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Maybe RDbass can help me out. There is a gif of Miggy Cabrera hitting a pitch on a intentional walk. That was a big time free base, but he found a good pitch to hit. Dd has the green light on a 3-0, you win some and lose some, but you won't know if you leave the bat on your shoulder.
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