Who says if you can hit you can make the team?

[obbay]

I guess technically you might, but not necessarily in the way you might've hoped.

DD is an excellent hitter and has kind of developed a local reputation as a hitter. She's a junior in HS and looks like she will make the Varsity team as a DH this year. the only problem is, she is better at 1B and Catcher than the girls they are looking at to back-up those positions, but she is not even being considered.

so in practice, the DH doesn't get any more batting practice than anyone else and is turfed to the OF (a fine position and she has the arm for it but she doesn't really know how to play) In pre-season scrimmage games, she winds up hitting less than everyone else because they play positions and the coach is trying to get a read on where everyone is.

If your DD is a good hitter, beware this fate.

hopefully once the season starts and there are less players "on the bubble" she will get more time and maybe even get to play the field once in awhile. She is on enough other softball teams throughout the year and she is fine with the DH role, I'm just saying it's a penalty I didn't see coming.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

Since your daughter is "turfed to OF" during practice ... then why is it that "she doesn't really know how to play" in the OF?

Not quite understanding your warning. Defensive skills are a big part of this game. That shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. Often one of the differentiating factors between A-level and B-level is the player's defensive skills. If you want to play this game at a high level, then your defensive skills have to be there.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

Obbay, DH really isn't that bad and always remember the HS season is short.

Mine has been the DP ( designated player ) on varsity since she was a freshman, when she is not pitching. The DP, the DH, and the Flex are just ways to get more players........more playing time.

We have 3 pitchers ( 2 juniors and a senior ) the coach does his best to rotate. When mine is not pitching she will sometimes start RF, sometimes first base. But she really likes the DP overall, second to pitching of coarse.

 

[calgofo]

I guess technically you might, but not necessarily in the way you might've hoped.

DD is an excellent hitter and has kind of developed a local reputation as a hitter. She's a junior in HS and looks like she will make the Varsity team as a DH this year. the only problem is, she is better at 1B and Catcher than the girls they are looking at to back-up those positions, but she is not even being considered.

so in practice, the DH doesn't get any more batting practice than anyone else and is turfed to the OF (a fine position and she has the arm for it but she doesn't really know how to play) In pre-season scrimmage games, she winds up hitting less than everyone else because they play positions and the coach is trying to get a read on where everyone is.

If your DD is a good hitter, beware this fate.

hopefully once the season starts and there are less players "on the bubble" she will get more time and maybe even get to play the field once in awhile. She is on enough other softball teams throughout the year and she is fine with the DH role, I'm just saying it's a penalty I didn't see coming.

I'll take a hit for this one but it's HS softball. It's a joke and always has been. A friend of mine's DD was an All American and is still in the top 10 in stirkeouts all time. Her coach felt she wasn't quite up to par so they put her in left field.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

I'll take a hit for this one but it's HS softball. It's a joke and always has been. A friend of mine's DD was an All American and is still in the top 10 in stirkeouts all time. Her coach felt she wasn't quite up to par so they put her in left field.

Maybe they thought it was only fair if she pitched from the outfield??

 

[softballphreak]

I'll take a hit for this one but it's HS softball. It's a joke and always has been. A friend of mine's DD was an All American and is still in the top 10 in stirkeouts all time. Her coach felt she wasn't quite up to par so they put her in left field.

Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson were among the top 5 in strikeouts I believe.

 

[Ken Krause]

I have a student who is having that dilemma right now. Last year, as a freshman, she started pretty much every game at second base. With her summer team they only had her DH, and now on her HS team she's been doing the same thing. She's getting kind of down about it because she's a good fielder and wants to be in the field.

On the other hand, I have another who wasn't playing at all last season. But they had her start pinch hitting, she did well, and she started playing regularly at first base. She went on to be All Conference honorable mention. So it all depends on your situation. But yeah, if you can hit they'll find a place for you.

 

[softballphreak]

I'll take a hit for this one but it's HS softball. It's a joke and always has been. A friend of mine's DD was an All American and is still in the top 10 in stirkeouts all time. Her coach felt she wasn't quite up to par so they put her in left field.

If HS could select their players it might be a little different.

 

[JAD]

Most HS coaches want to win games, so if your DD is a better fielder than someone who is currently playing in the field, there is a good chance that situation will change during the season. You stated that in your opinion your DD was better than the back-ups at 1B and catcher, but what about the starters? How much playing time are the back-ups really getting? In HS ball you play one, maybe two games in a day. It is not like travel ball where you need 3 pitchers and 2 catchers just to survive 5 or 6 games in a day! How old are the current back-ups? If they are younger, he may be trying to 'coach them up' for next season.

 

[obbay]

I'll take a hit for this one but it's HS softball. It's a joke and always has been. A friend of mine's DD was an All American and is still in the top 10 in stirkeouts all time. Her coach felt she wasn't quite up to par so they put her in left field.

LOL sounds familiar!

don't get me wrong, I'm happy as long as she's happy and she's fine with being DH.

I figure she has another team in the spring where she is THE catcher, she has a Summer team and a fall team where she plays multiple positions and she has an indoor winter team where she also moves around but is primarily at 1B or C. so if she is on one politically dysfunctional team where she's the DH/DP, that's really not a big deal.

Another thing I want to make clear- I am not dissing the OF, I am dissing the use of it as a bin were you throw players you don't want to deal with but still expect them to know the position. DD has very little experience in the OF and gets rattled out there because she doesn't really know how to track balls correctly and, as she says, you make a mistake in the IF and the runner is safe. you make a mistake in the OF and they score runs.