coaches interfering with players

[obbay]

DD is on a U18 rec team this fall that is coached by some dads. these guys have developed their own belief systems and as long as they don't interfere with DD I figure it's rec ball-let 'em play and have fun.

Now I find out that they are aggressively telling DD to swing at the first good pitch she sees and that as she gets older and plays against more skilled players, she can't always take the first strike.

DD was an excellent hitter and is still a good hitter. she works the count and is an excellent two-strike hitter. this really p*sses me off!

am I wrong? I'm thinking Ted Williams said to take as many pitches as you can to see what the pitcher has. Don Mattingly says something similar. DD's "coaches" don't seem to think there's anything wrong with popping up in the infield on the first pitch.

just like to hear your thoughts.

 

[quincy]

I would not push the girl against what she wants to do at the plate, but I am OK with their philosophy. Actually it is my philosophy too. It is a strike; the batter swings and hits it unless the P is really struggling.

Should be easy to unwind after the season.

 

[marriard]

Unless situationally you need something special (as quincy says - struggling pitcher who has walked a couple of batter in a tight game) - hell yeah - if you get a good pitch to hit - HIT IT.

You may not get another one.

When my DD pitches she loves batters who are known to take the first pitch. As far as she is concerned she is already 0-1 up and that gives her the green light to try and really move the ball and hit the corners.

 

[Chris O'Leary]

Am I wrong? I'm thinking Ted Williams said to take as many pitches as you can to see what the pitcher has. Don Mattingly says something similar. DD's "coaches" don't seem to think there's anything wrong with popping up in the infield on the first pitch.

just like to hear your thoughts.

I don't know, but I'm inclined to go with Ted Williams on this.

BTW, Ted said to never swing at a pitch until you've seen at least one. That meant that, on occasion, he'd reserve the right to swing at a first strike against a pitcher he'd seen before in an earlier at bat.

 

[CoogansBluff]

I think the coach is right -

I absolutely encourage a batter ''to swing at the first good pitch she sees.'' Unless I have the take sign on.

By ''good pitch,'' I mean a good pitch to HIT, not necessarily any pitch that would be called a STRIKE. And I think Ted Williams would agree. When the count is 0-0, you are waiting for a ''good pitch,'' maybe even a fat pitch, not a strike on the corner. If it's not a pitch you like, take it for a strike if necessary. But if it's a good pitch, go for it.

You say your daughter is a good two-strike hitter. That's great. But you're never as good a hitter w/ two strikes as with one strike or no strikes.

Let's look at Albert Pujols' career numbers - If you can get two strikes on him, he becomes a .262 hitter. But when he puts the first pitch in play, he's a .367 hitter with 60 HR in the 651 times he's put the first pitch into play in his career.

But the key is that you have to swing at GOOD first pitches.

 

[PA SB Dad]

Personally, it drives me crazy to see a batter watch the first pitch go down the middle and then swing/miss at two pitches out of the strike zone. As pitchers get older and their control is better, the first pitch is probably the best one you'll see. I don't have a problem encouraging a batter to look for a first pitch down the middle and hammer it. Given that it's fall ball, why not try a different approach at the plate? It's not like they are changing her mechanics - just asking her to be more aggressive at the plate and look for more opportunities to hit the ball hard.

 

[Greenmonsters]

A hitter's "go" or swing zone should vary based on situation and count. The pitch you have to swing at 0-2 is probably not the pitch you want to go after 0-0. I've found that some inexperienced hitters initially are better 2 strike hitters because they know they have to swing if its close whereas before 2 strikes they have to make a decision. For some, that decision can be made simpler if you can teach them to visualize the go zone for each count (it will vary by hitter) and GO if its in the zone. FWIW, first at bat against an unfamiliar pitcher, I like to see what the pitcher has and often will take the first pitch, but after that, first pitch is in play but that's just me.

 

[SoftSocDad]

I'm trying to develop a mental picture of 18u rec. It ain't pretty.

 

[CoogansBluff]

There are two issues here. The first is the soundness of the strategy to be aggressive on the first pitch. The other is how much freedom we give coaches to coach our daughters. Both are great questions.

IMO, if it's a question of strategy, it's the coach's call all the way. I might disagree w/ the strategy, but that's irrelevant. It's the coach's job to make those decisions, not mine. He is not interfering, but coaching.

 

[PAPitch]

Working the Count

IMO, the idea of looking at the first pitch is for the batter to be able to get a read on how the pitcher releases the ball and helps the timing of the swing. And Yes, as the girls get older, the pitchers are now throwing the ball to areas of the plate and not just trying to throw a strke so the first pitch might be the best to hit but can the batter hit it.

An issue with swinging at the first pitch is that it is usually popped up or grounded out. If you have your first 3 batters up and make weak outs and the pitcher only pitches 4-5 pitches in the inning, that pitcher is going to be strong throughout the game. If your pitcher just came off the field after throwing 15-20 pitches (or more) and has to go back to the mound with very short resting time, she will not be as strong.

One of the main reasons to work the count is to tire out the opposing pitcher. A tired pitcher gives up many more hits than trying to swing at the first pitch.

If you "Have To Swing at a First Pitch", it works better later in the game after the batter has had a few at bats with the pitcher. That's why many teams switch out their starting pitcher after 4-5 inning. The more pitches the batter sees from a pitcher, the easier it is to hit.

Softball is a team sport and needs to be played with all parts of the game in mind. It's not just about the batter swinging away.