All Out?

[CoogansBluff]

What inevitably happens when you ask pitchers to slow down to throw strikes? IMO, use the same swing with 2 strikes that you've practiced 10,000 plus - smooth and controlled, hit it where its pitched. If you've got a power hitter who has an above average tendency to swing and miss, have them use the same swing but choke up a little to improve bat control and increase the potential for contact. Protective swings that put the ball weakly in play are worse than good hard swings that result in a strikeout because there is limited upside potential IMO.

I agree. I'm not convinced that the goal of putting the ball in play is that valuable against good defenses, or outweighs the need to be able to drive the ball w/ 2 strikes on you. I'm looking at team stats in the SEC from 2012. National champ Alabama led the conference in runs scored by 100 runs -- 433 to second-place Tennessee's 321. That's almost 2 runs per game more. Alabama had the 7th most strikeouts out of 11 teams. The team w/ the fewest strikeouts, Ole Miss, was 8th in runs scored.