Taking pitches

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Jul 14, 2017
181
28
Looking for brutal honesty here. A coach is signaling your dd to "take" pitches more and more. Is it part of an overall game strategy or do they have no faith that dd can hit? Do you consider a player who gets walked a bad hitter?


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May 15, 2016
926
18
I can't answer your question from the perspective of a coach, but I will mention something I noticed about my DD2. She doesn't have a lot of power, but she has a really great eye. She will often walk on 5 or 6 pitches. She is usually in the bottom third of the order, but seems to have a great OBP. I assume her coach is happy with that.
 
Apr 5, 2013
2,130
83
Back on the dirt...
I really dislike it at 12u. DD's age. If they are 3-0 PR 3-1 they need to expect a great pitch and hit it hard, not watch it. Taking pitches teaches them to look for a walk IMO. I hate going form 3-0 to 3-2.

I dont know the stats though. Some one here probably does.
 

JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,231
38
Georgia
My opinion would vary depending on the situation. Play some games to get better and some games to win. In games you're playing to get better swing the bat and work on offensive skillsets. Game you're playing to win get on base any way you can, walking or HBP are both acceptable!

Too many coaches, especially at the younger age groups, play games to win that they should be playing to get better...if your teams winning percentage is much above .600 you need to be playing up a division or age bracket. Play to win qualifiers and nationals, just about everything else, play to get better.
 
Last edited:
Jun 11, 2013
2,619
113
The only time I would give a young kid the take sign is on 3-0 or I might do it on a 1st and 3rd to set up a 2nd and 3rd. If he is doing it early in the count I would be concerned.
 

Strike2

Allergic to BS
Nov 14, 2014
2,044
113
Add to all that the consideration about how the opposing pitcher is doing. If I see one struggling, or the umpire is calling a small strike zone, I advise hitters to make sure that the first pitch is exactly what they want, otherwise let it go by. If a pitcher is throwing a bunch of first-pitch strikes and hitting her spots, I tell them that first pitch may well be the best one you get, so be ready to get on it. Sometimes we'll give a take sign to allow a runner to move. Allow a swing on 3-0 only if it's a really good hitter with runners in scoring position and less than two outs, or desperation time.

Is a batter who draws a walk "considered" a bad hitter? You've got to be joking. It may not be what you want in some situations, but sometimes you have to accept what the pitcher is offering. Like Bob516, my DD has an excellent perception of the strike zone. If I tell her that we need a baserunner, it will typically happen one way or the other. How it happens is unimportant.
 
May 16, 2016
1,024
113
Illinois
What age level?

My daughter is playing 10u. It is very common to take the first pitch when a runner is on 1st base to allow the base runner to steal 2nd. Usually the coach will call a number on the wrist band that tells the girl to show bunt and pull the bat back. As the girls get older and the catchers get better arm strength showing bunt and pulling back does not work quite as well.

Close games with nobody on base I am more likely to tell a batter to take a pitch. In blowouts I want the girls to be swinging at good pitches. With base runners on there is so much that depends on the quality of batter at bat.
 
Aug 10, 2016
686
63
Georgia
I feel like every time the count is 3-0, the next sign is a take. Gets annoying when the pitch is right down the middle but you know the coach told them to do it.
The biggest issue we have with our coaches is when they make girls bunt all the time. I get it with runner on 1 and no outs. But 2 outs and slow runner, no one on - especially when it's a good strong hitter. Did it a lot against a really fast pitcher and if the team doesn't appear to field bunts properly, I can see how it can work but when our best hitters are being told to bunt... (But there's a reason we aren't the coaches so I tend to let it go...)
 
Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
Current coach has DD doing everything, his DD is the other one they "pick" on.

He has both of them taking, bunting and who knows what.

IMO it would be nice if they left them both alone but both can bunt and are very comfortable with 2 strikes so needs to earn paycheck I quess. DD and us like current coach.

Neither has hit it over the fenence but both have bonced it of a few times, so close. :)
 
Last edited:
May 17, 2012
2,804
113
As a coach I would never give a take sign in a "hitters count", that includes 3-0.

I gave one take sign last year to a batter that was intentionally being walked. It wasn't clear if the hitter knew that she was being walked (based on the current game situation).
 

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