Depends on the situation. When DD #3 was struggling to find the strike zone, I greatly preferred a HR to a BB. At least with the HR she was able to get the ball in the strike zone.
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Depends on the situation. When DD #3 was struggling to find the strike zone, I greatly preferred a HR to a BB. At least with the HR she was able to get the ball in the strike zone.
- Dec 20, 2011
- 36
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Attack, attack, attack. I hate coaches that are too cute with 0-2 counts. I think a lot has to do with hitters weaknesses and/or pitchers strengths when it comes to pitch selection. If you really want to keep it simple, how many girls are really geared up to crush a 0-2 fastball down Broadway.
Variety....
Lately we have been attacking early in games on pitchers counts... so trying to throw corners hard and spinning away or in. Looking to catch a corner or get a bad swing. My DD likes to throw hard, up and inside when she is being aggressive with a batter she knows she has in a bad spot.
Once we get a batter or two that way, then we start throwing in the off-plate/change up junk - and then going back to hard, up and in. All about keeping the batters off balance.
Occasionally the batter will get you - those are the chances you take on any pitch. As my DD says "travel pitchers, travel hitters - sometimes I get them and sometimes they get me"
What I can't stand is a complete waste pitch - the one SO far off the plate there isn't even a chance the batter is going after it. If you do that all the time, then the batters will just watch it go by.
Lately we have been attacking early in games on pitchers counts... so trying to throw corners hard and spinning away or in. Looking to catch a corner or get a bad swing. My DD likes to throw hard, up and inside when she is being aggressive with a batter she knows she has in a bad spot.
Once we get a batter or two that way, then we start throwing in the off-plate/change up junk - and then going back to hard, up and in. All about keeping the batters off balance.
Occasionally the batter will get you - those are the chances you take on any pitch. As my DD says "travel pitchers, travel hitters - sometimes I get them and sometimes they get me"
What I can't stand is a complete waste pitch - the one SO far off the plate there isn't even a chance the batter is going after it. If you do that all the time, then the batters will just watch it go by.
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Exactly, that's the whole key to pitching success.
Again, Exactly. Not to mention that after a couple of hitters they pick the pitch call for 0-2 and never take the bat off their shoulders.
FiveFrameSwing
Banned
One team I was on would have the catcher and pitcher running flags if a big hit was given up on an 0-2 count.
FiveFrameSwing
Banned
Having a pitcher serve them up probably works well at the lower levels. Wouldn't recommend it at the higher levels.
JJsqueeze
Dad, Husband....legend
Waste pitches are for coaches that don't really know how to call a game or that don't trust their pitchers. No reason to use them if you have a pitcher with a little stuff and some control.
However, I do prefer a waste pitch to an 0-2 CU in the zone. Put a Riseball at the shoulders, drop a CU on the plate, throw one on the inside river-lots of low risk options that are far more productive than the stereotypical ball a foot off the plate outside.
My kids coaches have historically loved called 0-2 waste pitches. They never seem to work. I think that outside ball is the easiest one for a hitter to lay off of. Now that dropping change up that bounces on the plate, that one is hard to lay off of and almost impossible to hit well.
However, I do prefer a waste pitch to an 0-2 CU in the zone. Put a Riseball at the shoulders, drop a CU on the plate, throw one on the inside river-lots of low risk options that are far more productive than the stereotypical ball a foot off the plate outside.
My kids coaches have historically loved called 0-2 waste pitches. They never seem to work. I think that outside ball is the easiest one for a hitter to lay off of. Now that dropping change up that bounces on the plate, that one is hard to lay off of and almost impossible to hit well.
The rule should be: Never *NOT* throw a WAIST pitch on an 0-2 count.
My experience has been that as long as the pitcher throws a *GOOD* pitch on 0-2, she is fine. The real issue is getting your pitcher to make that good 0-2 pitch.
A young kid on the mound has trouble maintaining focus for 120 pitches. She goes "up and down" mentally during a batter. When she is up 0-2, she can easily lose focus and put a pitch down the middle of the plate. In varsity HS and TB, almost every hitter can hit a fastball down the middle of the plate.
In the MLB, statistics show that the "waste pitch" on 0-2 count is missed opportunity. The statistics suggest that umpire is biased toward calling a strike on 0-2. The batter is more likely to swing and miss the pitch. However, we aren't dealing with 24YOA MLB millionaires. We are dealing with 14YOA girls with a $10 per week allowance.
My experience has been that as long as the pitcher throws a *GOOD* pitch on 0-2, she is fine. The real issue is getting your pitcher to make that good 0-2 pitch.
A young kid on the mound has trouble maintaining focus for 120 pitches. She goes "up and down" mentally during a batter. When she is up 0-2, she can easily lose focus and put a pitch down the middle of the plate. In varsity HS and TB, almost every hitter can hit a fastball down the middle of the plate.
In the MLB, statistics show that the "waste pitch" on 0-2 count is missed opportunity. The statistics suggest that umpire is biased toward calling a strike on 0-2. The batter is more likely to swing and miss the pitch. However, we aren't dealing with 24YOA MLB millionaires. We are dealing with 14YOA girls with a $10 per week allowance.
- Jun 7, 2013
- 984
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I am really against throwing a foot or so outside on a 0-2 count. At least 9 out of 10 times (probably 99 out of 100 times) it just results in a 1-2 count. A pitch totally wasted. When she was up 0-2, my youngest DD would throw a drop ball a few inches off the outside corner of the plate that would end up below the knees. This often got a hitter waving at it and an occasional called strikeout. This also setup a FB on the outside corner where the hitter may let it go thinking that it will drop below the knees. In short, I'd say use every pitch for something!
it all depends on age range that's playing and pitcher abilities and batter abilities. Free swingers get the ball way out of the zone. Good hitters ya gotta play different. What's their history been, do they like the rise, can they drive the drop ball, you have to track the hitters play the percentages.
