Taking pitches

KCPRK said:

What if you pop out on a 3-0 pitch that wasn't grooved and "may or may not" be a strike? Then how do you feel?

I say while your ahead in the count your only looking for your pitch. So a 3-0 better be your homerun pitch or your taking it. I don't have to give the take sign for that.

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Not sure if this was addressed to me, but I think i was pretty clear in discussing 'hot zones' and 'cold zones'. Maybe you are directing this towards someone else...

The mental approach we have taught for the past two years...
0 strikes - Looking for your favorite pitch. Know where that spot is, and be ready to kill it if they give it to you, but taking a strike that isn't in your hot zone is okay.
1 strikes - Expand your hitting zone. Now, you're pretty much looking to hit anything in the strike zone.
2 strikes - Get your bat on anything near the plate. If you can foul off a borderline pitch, it gives you another chance to get a pitch you can hit hard.

My DD used this approach very successfully in 12U TB. Very low Ks, good amount of walks, and best AVG & OBP on the team. New team, new coach for 14U. He wants her to be more aggressive with 0 strikes.

As for coach-instructed takes, it can be a situational thing. A story...

Runners at 1B and 3B. 0 outs. Down by 1 run in the final inning of a tournament game. Lead-off batter in the box. Runner at 1B given the sign to steal on the pitch. Batter given the sign to take. Pitch comes, runner goes....batter swings. Fly ball to RF is caught (1 out). Throw to 1B doubles off the runner (2 outs). Ball comes back to the circle. Runner at 3B steps off the base on accident (3 outs). Game over.

Sometimes, when the coach asks for a take, it's really important to actually take.

It depends on the situation and the hitter. If I have my best hitter up 2nd and 3rd I want her swinging at a 3-0 pitch. If I have my slapper up leading off an inning in a tie game there is almost nothing you can say to convince me that a walk isn't as good as a hit.

FP26 said:

Not sure if this was addressed to me, but I think i was pretty clear in discussing 'hot zones' and 'cold zones'. Maybe you are directing this towards someone else...

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Just my opinion. Not aimed at anyone.

I do agree with your hot and cold zones approach as well.

Cyder517 said:

Do you consider a player who gets walked a bad hitter?

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DD is in conversation for best hitter on Team, I think she is, walks a lot.

The problem with walking a lot is that it doesn't look like you did much. One hitter got 4-12 with no walks the other goes 2-6 with 6 walks but people remember all the hits the other one had.

canyonjoe said:

The problem with walking a lot is that it doesn't look like you did much. One hitter got 4-12 with no walks the other goes 2-6 with 6 walks but people remember all the hits the other one had.

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Depends on the player. This past spring and summer, my DD had the most walks on the team and the highest AVG.

DD always has both.

Sometimes she will wait for a strick before she swings, other times not. Conscious decision.

Same as 3 and 0.

I have asked her, no rhyme or reason what she does so I can not extent it to other players.

If a pitcher gets to 3-0 when they're not intentionally trying to pitch around a hitter, chances are that the 3-0 pitch isn't going to be grooved middle even if that is the pitcher's intent! Seen many good hitters get over excited and get themselves out chasing a borderline 3-0 pitch. Giving a 3-0 take sign prevents that from happening, but it doesn't give the hitter the experienced-based confidence that they need to make a good decision under pressure either!

canyonjoe said:

The problem with walking a lot is that it doesn't look like you did much. One hitter got 4-12 with no walks the other goes 2-6 with 6 walks but people remember all the hits the other one had.

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Thank you for your feedback- your thoughts are very similar to my husband's. In all honesty, his only concern is for our dd's performance, not the team's. DD is 14u, was always a natural hitter. Somewhere last season started to slump. She walked a lot but also had a high batting avg. To him, a walk is not a good thing. He'd rather see her strikeout swinging. He called her the walk queen. I believe that helped rattle the confidence in herself. New season and she is striking out swinging at bad pitches. You can tell that she is nervous. So when coach signals her to take a pitch, husband is convinced it is because there is no faith that she can hit. Frustrating situation all around. Want her to find her groove.


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