0 - 2 Counts

JJsqueeze said:

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.

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slingnit said:

To each their own but you have to gauge the batter's weakness to your pitcher's strength. There is no one pitch. To a slapper probably go off speed and out, big hitter possible way up and in. The older they get and starting to swing 34" bats then your "waste" pitcher better be off the plate more than a couple of balls. I'm not a fan of a waste pitch either, I prefer to go after the batter as well.

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xygent1 said:

I couldn't agree more very rarely does my DD throw "strikes" per say, its the corners, in the ditch, in the corners of corners etc. always looking like its going to be a strike but actually its not unless they are way behind her in that case sometimes, its inside fbs.

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cuzmail said:

Wait just a second here..... You are implying that pitch callers should actually pay attention to the hitter and not just call pitches in a sequence? What a thought revelation!

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Arnival said:

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.

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RetiredCoach said:

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!

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cuzmail said:

Let's hear your thoughts and reasoning on pitch type and location for a 0-2 count.


DD has experienced three different scenarios in the past few years:
1) Old travel ball team: Pitch must be off the plate by 5 to 6 ball widths.
2) Current travel ball team: Use the pitch you can own that exposes the hitter's weakness.
3) Current HS team: Pitch must be unhittable. Their definition of unhittable is off the plate enough they can't reach it.

My thoughts are don't give them a fatty. Use a deceptive pitch that makes them think they have to swing, but can't make solid contact. A pop up or ground out is fine with me. This unhittable or 6 balls off the plate nonsense amounts to a waste pitch and gives the hitter one ball in the count working in their favor. Why help the hitter and use a pitch that won't likely result in an out? I don't get it.

Teach me something!

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Nunthia1914 said:

rarely throws strikes ? How does she get ahead of count.

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