How often should you be hitting a batter?

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Feb 7, 2013
3,188
48
This new season, DD has pitched 19 innings, 82 batters faced, 229 pitches thrown but does not have a HBP. I don't think this is a good thing as it says to me that she is not throwing tight and inside enough.

Thoughts on an appropriate number of hit batters per game?
 
Aug 21, 2008
2,359
113
Rocket, you have a knack for asking loaded questions!!! I'm going to answer in the politically incorrect way of saying, it depends. IF all goes well, then nobody should be hit. But there are times it becomes part of the game. These can be the "unwritten rules" like stealing and bunting when up by a lot of runs late in the game. When that happens, someone usually wears one. Then the coach is told that his players are put into jeapordy because hes stealing when up by 10 runs in the 6th. The coach SHOULD have a team meeting when destroying a team to say no more bunting, no more stealing, go base to base on hits (not taking doubles), don't score on passed balls, etc. Another factor on his batters is where he/she stands in the box. Hugging the plate can lead to HBP, intentional or not. The pitcher needs to let everyone know the plate is THEIRS and if someone hugs the plate, they are putting fate into their own hands. I can remember at a USA National camp, a lefty was up and I have had a habit of hitting him because I wanted to jam him and he's tight on the plate. A riseball up and in got him in the hand/wrist area, he slammed his bat down and said "Every G** D$$m time!!!!" And I yelled back "Get off the plate then!!!!!!"

Obviously putting people on base isn't ideal. But sometimes its a necessary evil.

Bill
 
Jul 26, 2016
108
18
are you talking about unintentional HBPs or revenge HBPs?

19 innings is not a lot. I would not say no HBP in that timeframe is not enough.
 
Jul 5, 2016
652
63
Rocket, you have a knack for asking loaded questions!!! I'm going to answer in the politically incorrect way of saying, it depends. IF all goes well, then nobody should be hit. But there are times it becomes part of the game. These can be the "unwritten rules" like stealing and bunting when up by a lot of runs late in the game. When that happens, someone usually wears one. Then the coach is told that his players are put into jeapordy because hes stealing when up by 10 runs in the 6th. The coach SHOULD have a team meeting when destroying a team to say no more bunting, no more stealing, go base to base on hits (not taking doubles), don't score on passed balls, etc. Another factor on his batters is where he/she stands in the box. Hugging the plate can lead to HBP, intentional or not. The pitcher needs to let everyone know the plate is THEIRS and if someone hugs the plate, they are putting fate into their own hands. I can remember at a USA National camp, a lefty was up and I have had a habit of hitting him because I wanted to jam him and he's tight on the plate. A riseball up and in got him in the hand/wrist area, he slammed his bat down and said "Every G** D$$m time!!!!" And I yelled back "Get off the plate then!!!!!!"

Obviously putting people on base isn't ideal. But sometimes its a necessary evil.

Bill

Even better is when a strike is called on a HBP because the ump sees that the batter was leaning in..
 
Jun 12, 2015
3,848
83
I checked my iScore for you. I think my DD is probably below average on hitting batters and part of that is definitely it took us awhile to get her really throwing inside, because she was afraid of hitting batters. We got her over it finally, which did lead to more hitting of batters. She's been pitching in games about a year, has pitched 52 games/129 innings (not counting pick ups, which I don't score) and hit 4 batters. I know she's hit 1 during one of our pickups this fall, and she may have hit 2. I can't remember for sure. In the spring the team we were on had a pitcher who was fast but wild. I remember her hitting 8 in one game once. So there seems to be a very very wide range of normal.
 
Feb 17, 2014
7,152
113
Orlando, FL
My DD averages 1 every 6 2/3 which is high, but she owns the inside of the zone. If your DD is throwing inside she should have 1 or 2 by now.
 
Jan 26, 2015
92
8
Southeast
I tell mine just don't hit someone with a changeup. That's worse than wasting a pitch. Make sure it's a high and tight fastball.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk
 
Jun 27, 2011
5,089
0
North Carolina
My DD averages 1 every 6 2/3 which is high, but she owns the inside of the zone. If your DD is throwing inside she should have 1 or 2 by now.

I'd point out, though, that your DD plays in a league where hitters are experts in the art of getting hit. So mileage may vary. Lots of TB players almost never get hit. They don't know how.
 
May 13, 2012
599
18
DD in little rec. Friend of hers, whack on the hip, same batter nxt time, whack lower back. Third time up steps in box calls time steps out looks at DD, big grin to DD "don't hit me this time it hurts" DD threw 4 straight balls outside while she was trying to keep her composer as everyone was chuckling . Now first time up I did call inside and yes she was hugging plate, second time 2-2 count so I wanted to jam her. None were intential, it happens. No one even considered it on purpose. So the younger/experience and pitch calls can have influence on it. Now she may hit one crowding the plate or one gets away once on avg every 2 games.
 
Jul 16, 2013
4,659
113
Pennsylvania
Just looked at Florida stats for 2016.

Gourley - 16 hbp in 157.2 innings
Ocasio - 4 hbp in 146.1 innings
Barnhill - 14 hbp in 108.1 innings
TOTAL - 34 hbp in 412.1 innings or 1 hbp every 12.1 innings.

By comparison, pitchers facing Florida are credited with 73 hbp in 383.2 innings for an average of 1 hbp 5.2 innings.

Personally I think a lot of it depends on the teams you face. In high school ball, DD faces very few teams that crowd the plate, so she can pitch inside without much chance of hitting anyone. Plus, many of the players will jump out of the way, instead of wearing it like the Florida players do. Travel ball is a different story. More hitters crowding the plate, and more hitters willing to be hit by the ball. So her HBP rate was much higher this year in TB than it was in HS.
 

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