Batting averages

[CoogansBluff]

In her case, she got up with two outs, hit a sizzler between F3 and F4 and then the RF bobbled it and she wound up on 2B.

If it's between two infielders, then it's a hit no matter what level it is. Not sure I get the thinking on that. ...

Friend of mine was telling me this season that his team's unofficial scorekeeper (some dad in the stands) - upon watching a similar play but to the other side of the infield - charged TWO errors, one to the SS, one to the 3B. He felt either should've made the play.

I'm just curious if anyone knows what is considered a good batting average at the 18u level. Coach said he'll be posting them for the players. I think my DD wishes he wouldn't!

There are two questions to ask - How does her average compare to other players on the team, or the team average? How is your team doing compared to the teams that it plays (W-L record, runs scored vs. runs allowed, your team's average runs/game vs. average runs per all teams in tournaments you've played). As someone said, it's relative. If your team's average is .250 and your DD is hitting .295 and your team is winning most of its games, then that's probably a pretty good hitter for the level that she's playing. But if the team's average is .350 but you're hitting .300 on a losing team, then that's probably not such a good a good hitter.

That said, if you don't want an ''it depends'' answer, I'll make a wild stab and say that TB teams on average tend to hit around .300-325. A good hitter is .375+.

Also, the most valuable single statistic in showing a player's worth as a hitter, IMO, is on-base average + slugging percentage. It's called OPS.

I don't always agree that OBA is more important than batting average. I agree that OBA has been underrated historically, and batting average historically has been overrated, but a hit is still better than a walk. Especially at younger ages when they're developing I'd rather see players hit .400 and never walk than hit .150 w/ a .500 OBA. It's easier to teach girls how to be more patient than how to hit.

 

[iMlearning]

After 8 games she was .333 hitting in the 5th spot. The first couple up at bats she was pretty nervous and struck out looking but then came on strong with most hits being stand up doubles. Coach mentioned she would probably benefit from playing on fields with fences because it seemed like they were playing back well beyond the 200 ft area, but it helped her when she hit to the gap. Our #4 batter was .450 with several home runs.

 

[mgardner]

In our "coaches book" it is an error. While I have no problem "padding" my DD batting average on a play like that, the same rules have to apply when my DD is pitching, and if one of our outfielders pulls a "bone headed" play like that, I do not want my DD to be charged with giving up a hit and potentially an earned run!!!!

My DD is a pitcher as well and I know how difficult it is to ding her with a hit that "shouldn't have been", but the fact of the matter is it is a hit. The scoring guidelines are there to help us be as objective as possible. The statistics should be meaningful and should not reflect the bias of the scorekeeper.

 

[JAD]

My DD is a pitcher as well and I know how difficult it is to ding her with a hit that "shouldn't have been", but the fact of the matter is it is a hit. The scoring guidelines are there to help us be as objective as possible. The statistics should be meaningful and should not reflect the bias of the scorekeeper.

I am not an expert on the rules or how a play should "officially" be scored, but as a coaching staff if we think a play should have been made with a reasonable effort, we will give them an error. We are not publishing our stats to anyone outside the team, so we do not care if they are "officially correct" or not. We want our stats to aid in coaching decisions, not to make a parent feel "warm and fuzzy" because their DD is batting .470 with a .950 fielding percentage!

 

[SBFAMILY]

Sad but as Greenmonster posted anyone keeping the books needs to read the rules, because if I ask someone what DI means they have no idea. The player for example that just set the state record in stolen bases in Ohio had no DI's all year, because the person keeping the books has no idea what it means. Back to your question. As college coaches will tell you, it depends on who you play and why they don't look at BA? DD plays on an very good 18U travel team last year and had a 323. She played on a good high school team playing some very good teams and hit 495. So you get an idea of the spread. Books are kept using NFCA NCAA rules. Those that have posted over 600 for the most part play a very weak schedule in our area. We played againstsome of those players hitting over 600 and they never seem to get a hit. One got on via a FC, but next day in paper the team we played scored it as a hit. JAD that is not how the rule book scores an error.
otherwise
good throw hits a runner, umpire or bat.
SECTION 22—NO ERROR IS CHARGED
No error is charged to a fielder in the following situations:
14.22.1 When a ball is misplayed because of being lost in the
sun or lights, blown by the wind, or if the fielder slips and falls
— even if contact is made with the ball.
14.22.2 When there is a mental mistake. Throwing to the
wrong base is considered a mental mistake.
14.22.3 When a catcher attempts a pick-off, unless the runner
advances an additional base.
14.22.4 When a runner returns safely to her original

 

[SBFAMILY]

fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/Stats_Manuals/Softball/softball%20easy%20print%20s If you google the subject this is just one of many manuals you can print out that covers keeping score.

 

[mgardner]

Sad but as Greenmonster posted anyone keeping the books needs to read the rules, because if I ask someone what DI means they have no idea. The player for example that just set the state record in stolen bases in Ohio had no DI's all year, because the person keeping the books has no idea what it means. Back to your question. As college coaches will tell you, it depends on who you play and why they don't look at BA? DD plays on an very good 18U travel team last year and had a 323. She played on a good high school team playing some very good teams and hit 495. So you get an idea of the spread. Books are kept using NFCA NCAA rules. Those that have posted over 600 for the most part play a very weak schedule in our area. We played againstsome of those players hitting over 600 and they never seem to get a hit. One got on via a FC, but next day in paper the team we played scored it as a hit. JAD that is not how the rule book scores an error.
otherwise
good throw hits a runner, umpire or bat.
SECTION 22—NO ERROR IS CHARGED
No error is charged to a fielder in the following situations:
14.22.1 When a ball is misplayed because of being lost in the
sun or lights, blown by the wind, or if the fielder slips and falls
— even if contact is made with the ball.
14.22.2 When there is a mental mistake. Throwing to the
wrong base is considered a mental mistake.
14.22.3 When a catcher attempts a pick-off, unless the runner
advances an additional base.
14.22.4 When a runner returns safely to her original

And further,

14.22.7 When a fly ball is misjudged and the fielder cannot recover in time to make the play.

 

[JAD]

And further,

14.22.7 When a fly ball is misjudged and the fielder cannot recover in time to make the play.

So when DOES an outfielder get charged with an error? It sounds like Timmy Lupus would have a 1.000 fielding percentage.....LMAO

 

[SBFAMILY]

There is a section that covers what are errors.

 

[mgardner]

So when DOES an outfielder get charged with an error? It sounds like Timmy Lupus would have a 1.000 fielding percentage.....LMAO

I feel your pain. DD was pitching in a close game and batter hits a bloop fly to right field, the right fielder decides to dive for a ball she doesn't have a snowballs chance of catching or even stopping with the dive. The ball drops and gets by her allowing two runs to score and the batter gets credit for a triple. Should she have taken an angle to get behind it and hold the batter to a single and prevent runs from scoring? Yep, in Dad's opinion, but the guidelines take the emotion out of the scoring decision.