batting line up- having the best chance

[Itsabouttime]

Since when does getting on due to an error positively influence OBP? One stat I created and look at for 12U is strikeouts per Official AB. It tells me who is making contact when seeing good pitches. The difference between a hit and an error is somewhat subjective at this level so knowing who is making contact is important.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

I had to go back and read the thread to understand the comment on 'errors'.

It sounds like someone is including an 'RBOE' into the 'OBP computation' for slappers.

 

[Chris O'Leary]

Since when does getting on due to an error positively influence OBP? One stat I created and look at for 12U is strikeouts per Official AB. It tells me who is making contact when seeing good pitches. The difference between a hit and an error is somewhat subjective at this level so knowing who is making contact is important.

At the lower levels, I will count hard hit balls toward OBP (really a quality at bat).

What you want to know who's productive, if unlucky at times, and who is totally unproductive.

 

[druer]

Other things to think about when putting your lineup.

1. Goal is to score runs. With runners in scoring position ... which players on your team are able to look for outside pitches and hit behind the runners and produce the RBI's. Your leading RBI producer may not have the best batting average, but she is the one you likely want batting 3rd.

2. Girls batting averages are likely to fluctuate depending on their spot in the batting order. Often times (just a generality, not a rule) coaches/pitchers tend to not think to highly of batters 7-9 in the lineup lets say. So they don't have the same level of focus when pitching to those batters and often those batters get better pitches to hit. So their averages go up, and there is usually a rush then to move them higher in the order. They get moved and suddenly they are thrust into higher pressure situations, and facing better pitches and their averages go down.

3. Once you come up with a lineup it's important to communicate with each of the players what their role is for that position in the batting order. For example: Leadoffs primary job is to get to first base any way she can. Hit, Bunt, Walk, Hit by pitch, Dropped third strike, error, Steal first base when nobody is looking or whatever needs to be done. She needs to be someone who is confident and patient at the plate. She also needs to be a very smart baserunner. There could be a million different opinions on what your #2 batter should look like. Some would say "SELFLESS" and that her role is to ensure that the leadoff is advanced no matter what she does. Others might say there are too few outs to sacrifice in order to just move runners and that she should be in between a leadoff hitter and #3 hitter.

4. Being smart in the short game is something that is a key difference between softball and baseball. Having great baserunners on base as often as possible is something that also needs to be considered. Something I've seen a lot of in tournaments that allow courtesy runners for the pitchers and catchers is that they purposely have really speedy players batting just in front of their pitcher and catcher. That way they have 2 chances to have the great baserunner on base who can make something happen. If she makes an out, but the catcher/pitcher gets on, "courtesy runner." So if you have a few really great baserunners you may want to consider ways to get them on the bases above and beyond their OBP by creating the lineup in a way that takes advantages of the rules of the league/tournament you happen to be in.

5. When in doubt just put all of your .750+ hitters in spots 1-5 and then reserve your batters only batting .600 for spots 6-9. (That would sure be nice wouldin't it. )

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

At the lower levels, I will count hard hit balls toward OBP (really a quality at bat).

What you want to know who's productive, if unlucky at times, and who is totally unproductive.

I’m not trying to by coy with you CO … but what I’ve found that works at the lower levels is to reduce the degree of subjectivity, rather than increase the degree of subjectivity.

At the lower levels there tends to be a lower percentage of parents that have a sound knowledge of the game, ... and at the same time there tends to be a greater percentage of parents that tend to be more ‘active’ in terms of attempting to influence (or campaign for) their kid’s stats. What I’ve found that works is to collect stats that are less subjective, and yet still allow for proper ‘relative’ player comparisons.

More often than not, hard hit balls will be productive at the lower levels, ... and over the course of enough at-bats a player that consistently makes solid contact will be rewarded.

 

[SBFAMILY]

FFS: Couldn't agree more and yes we do include RBOE , when kids create the error. Many coaches see a big difference in an erorr that is a dropped ball in the OF, than someone that hits the ball hard and the speed of the runner causes an error on the play.

 

[Chris O'Leary]

I’m not trying to by coy with you CO … but what I’ve found that works at the lower levels is to reduce the degree of subjectivity, rather than increase the degree of subjectivity...More often than not, hard hit balls will be productive at the lower levels, ... and over the course of enough at-bats a player that consistently makes solid contact will be rewarded.

Isn't that what I said?

That's the whole point of going by OBP.

 

[stephanie]

elementary, I know, but in my league, there are no walks. Modified Coach Pitch.

I stack my good hitters at the top. I have too many games where the #12 hitter didn't get the number of hits as the 6th. Why waste the skill of a better hitter risking her getting fewer at bats than a weaker hitter?

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

Isn't that what I said?

That's the whole point of going by OBP.

I may have misinterpreted what you meant ... as that wasn't my understanding of what you wrote. You wrote that you include "hard hit balls" toward OBP. Here the word "hard" is subjective ... and could be interpreted differently by others keeping stats in parallel. On the other hand, if the ball is hit 'hard', 'medium', or 'soft', ... but is 'caught', ... then everyone given the same guidelines could agree that it was an 'out'. The degree of subjectivity is therefore lessened. These are "stats" ... as in "statistics" ... if a player consistently makes solid content then the odds are good that this will eventually show up positively in their stats.

 

[Chris O'Leary]

I may have misinterpreted what you meant ... as that wasn't my understanding of what you wrote. You wrote that you include "hard hit balls" toward OBP. Here the word "hard" is subjective ... and could be interpreted differently by others keeping stats in parallel. On the other hand, if the ball is hit 'hard', 'medium', or 'soft', ... but is 'caught', ... then everyone given the same guidelines could agree that it was an 'out'. The degree of subjectivity is therefore lessened. These are "stats" ... as in "statistics" ... if a player consistently makes solid content then the odds are good that this will eventually show up positively in their stats.

I'm talking about younger kids (e.g. 3rd grade rec).

I hope nobody is keeping hard stats at that age (but I'm sure some are).