Team USA vs Japan

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Jun 8, 2016
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Don't think that slapping on a turf baseball field would be productive.
Turf fields DD plays on the ball bounces better than dirt. Baseball turf might be different I guess...they didn't have that on amateur fields when I played :LOL:
 
Apr 23, 2014
389
43
East Jabib
View attachment 23315
Stolen from another forum.

This requires no explanation.

And I’ll add that the price of my Howard Dobson instructional hitting video DVD I was going to put on EBay tanked in the last week.

I’ve been looking for this info. I was shocked when they noted that Spaulding had only one hit all tournament during the gold medal match. (Hoping I recalled that correctly).

I think the issue was with the coaching. It seemed like the type of coach that doesn’t change the lineup because he believes the next at bat will be the one that breaks the slump rather than give other kids opportunities off the bench to see if they can help the TEAM. The last pool play game vs Japan was the perfect opportunity to get your bench players time and he didn’t do it.

I hope for the next olympics there’s a new head of the coaching staff.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Dec 11, 2010
4,713
113
Not just the head coach.

I’m sorry if I offend anyone but Team USA hit like LSU always does.
 

radness

Possibilities & Opportunities!
Dec 13, 2019
7,270
113
Prefer a more aggresive approach in the box.
Because,
Great pitchers will pick batters apart.
imo
not the time for batters to be picky themselves.

Hit anything,
And everything is a great pitch to select ;)
 
Mar 4, 2015
526
93
New England
I’ve been looking for this info. I was shocked when they noted that Spaulding had only one hit all tournament during the gold medal match. (Hoping I recalled that correctly).

I think the issue was with the coaching. It seemed like the type of coach that doesn’t change the lineup because he believes the next at bat will be the one that breaks the slump rather than give other kids opportunities off the bench to see if they can help the TEAM. The last pool play game vs Japan was the perfect opportunity to get your bench players time and he didn’t do it.

That's a tough call. If you believe Player A is a better hitter than Player B, going 0-for-9 wouldn't necessarily change that opinion, especially when only 2 players in the lineup are hitting over .200. USA had only 3 non-pitchers on the bench. If you play those 3 in the last pool game, you're taking away hitting practice for 3 others who historically are better players.
 

Strike2

Allergic to BS
Nov 14, 2014
2,044
113
Prefer a more aggresive approach in the box.
Because,
Great pitchers will pick batters apart.
imo
not the time for batters to be picky themselves.

Hit anything,
And everything is a great pitch to select ;)

Drives me crazy at any level when an umpire has a large strike zone and batters are overly picky early in the count. These batters who stand there looking at a hittable first pitch strike themselves out.
 
May 30, 2013
1,442
83
Binghamton, NY
If you play those 3 in the last pool game, you're taking away hitting practice for 3 others who historically are better players.

I might disagree with this logic.

This was a VERY short tournament, with only a handful of games, pool through the championship,
not a 162-game MLB season...

You need to put batters in the box that are putting good swings on the ball TODAY.
With such a limited roster size, EVERYONE in that dugout is there because they can play.
Coach made the mistake of ranking age/experience over performance. Plain and simple.

and I agree that the meaningless pool game vs Japan should have been used to "feel out" all of the bats,
and formulate the best roster for the Championship game.

Invitational tryouts. Thats not a trial system

I also agree that the "tryout" system is rigged from the start.
How many ex-UCLA players on that roster of 15? <eye-roll>
 
Last edited:

radness

Possibilities & Opportunities!
Dec 13, 2019
7,270
113
Have held back on directly saying this...here goes.

Knowing the first olympic team was pretty much already selected, eventhough they still held tryouts...
'nuff said there...

here is my suggestion to grow Olympic softball yep I guess I'm stepping up on this.
👉should gather 80-100-200? players that train purposely for the next 4 years for the opportunity to be on that roster of 15.
We have some selected top head coaches instructors trainers facilitate the group.
These are broken into teams that play eachother to compete/tryout against eachother for a spot.

True there may still be some bias in the final selection.
Still there will be a 'compete to compete' on this stage approach.
The point here is...
If who ever is selecting the players has already pre-determined a team.
Then its not a competition to be on that team, its handing someone a spot.
imo
Players having to EARN A SPOT
Have more HEART !!!
...or rather, have put more behind the motivation into growing their skills sets against others at the highest levels.
 
Last edited:
Aug 13, 2020
29
3
View attachment 23315
Stolen from another forum.

This requires no explanation.

And I’ll add that the price of my Howard Dobson instructional hitting video DVD I was going to put on EBay tanked in the last week.
Wow... those stats are not great. It felt like McCleney was the only one who got on base consistently but I didn’t realize the gap between her and the rest of the team was that large. I found somewhere that the average overall batting average at the Olympics was a .206. That means we only had two players (reed and McCleney) who actually did above average... the USA offense just wasn’t what it used to be.
 
Mar 4, 2015
526
93
New England
I might disagree with this logic.

This was a VERY short tournament, with only a handful of games, pool through the championship,
not a 162-game MLB season...

You need to put batters in the box that are putting good swings on the ball TODAY.
With such a limited roster size, EVERYONE in that dugout is there because they can play.
Coach made the mistake of ranking age/experience over performance. Plain and simple.

and I agree that the meaningless pool game vs Japan should have been used to "feel out" all of the bats,
and formulate the best roster for the Championship game.

If you're saying that the hitters are all about the same (which I'm not conceding), then sure, let them all play and use those that appear to be performing the best. I doubt that's the case, but if so, then coach accordingly.

My stance is mainly that going 0-for-9 on a team that's hitting .200 isn't that alarming, and not typically enough to bench a player that you believe to be superior. Small sample size. You rarely see MLB teams bench players who aren't hitting well after 5 games of a 7-game series. But again, it all depends on your confidence in ranking your hitters.
 

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