Creating and explaining a batting line up

[KPower]

Ok - so I’m not a coach. Have tons of respect for coaches and am very grateful for all the time they devote to my kid and thousands of others!

So my question - how do you create a line up and do you explain to your girls what each players “role” is in that line up?

DD plays on a high-ish level 14U team (they do very well in state) She has always been the lead off batter on her TB team. She is a slapper who can also bunt and hit for power. She has by far the highest OBP of any girl on her team. She has really learned to read defenses and hit/slap/bunt accordingly. The problem? She is constantly stranded on base. Every girl behind her thinks they should be hitting HRs and swing for the fences - resulting more often than not in pop ups to the OF. And then they cry. It makes DD crazy!

Her HS coach is amazing at creating a line up and tells each girl what their role is. Last year as a freshman DD batted 2nd. The lead off was an amazing senior who was the fastest girl I have ever seen. DD was asked to be selfless and was told her job was to move the lead off around. Each batter was clearly told what their role was and was expected to play for the team.

So...do you just tell everyone swing for the fences no matter where you are in the line up or do you give each batter a role to play?


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[Rambler34]

A hitters role can change depending on the situation. There is a big difference between leading off the top of the first and coming up with 2 outs in the 7th with the winning run on base. To me the key is teach the importance of situational awareness and knowing your role for the AB happening now.

DD has moved to the leadoff spot for TB this summer. She understands he job is to get on base early in the game but switch to trying to drive in runs when needed.

 

[Greatdaytobeawildcat]

I could be all wet, but I think it's backwards to create a lineup and then assign a role. You take your hitters and then you create a lineup, based on top OBP batting first, then best 4 hitters in the 2-5 slots (various ways to distribute), then the rest in declining order of hitting ability. If you do something like take a girl and put her in 2 and tell her the role is to move the leadoff hitter you're training what should be one of your best hitters (who comes up a lot, often with runners on) and training her to give herself up. The role is to get on base....or whatever the situation might dictate (it could be a sac, but more often than not, it's not).

 

[marriard]

So my question - how do you create a line up and do you explain to your girls what each players “role” is in that line up?

It does depend on level, age group, pool play, bracket day, etc...

I am going to assume you are interested in what we do when we are playing to win (bracket days against quality opponents, HS against top teams & playoffs, etc)

I set my lineup to give us the greatest chance to score as many runs as possible. And that is going to depend on what skill sets I have and how they are performing at that time.

There is no point having your only 'slapper' bat first if she bats 0.200 for example. Give me a my highest OBP girl over that every day. Yes I have had my best power hitter hit first.

Your lineup is only going to come up as you expect in the first inning or so - if it goes longer than than you aren't hitting and you have bigger issues.

In the end I want my best batters to get as many bats as they can. High OBP is a big yes. Power hitters (with high OBP) after highest OBP where possible. Over the years I have had some players who just seem to come through when you need them - even f the stats didn't support that necessarily. And also the 'long term knowledge' - that slumps happen and you want them up in the lineup when it does end (or maybe they relax and get out of this when you move them down)

As for role - that changes a lot. In most cases it is use the skills you have to get on base or drive in runs.

 

[canyonjoe]

The spot in the lineup isn't a big deal after the first inning. I see so many teams fire up 2 slappers to start the game. Now if they are really good it's a nightmare for the defense but I've witnessed the opposite many times.

Put top hitters in the 1st 4 slots to give them a lot of AB's. On most teams it's really not that hard to figure who they are. If there is a logjam at the bottom put a fast runner at 9th so if you turn over the lineup you can go.

The only 2 positions that I think about the mentality is 1st and 4th. Some kids just don't like hitting there. 4th especially is tough as you often get pitched around.

One thing for certain is that if you have serious holes in your lineup you can be assured that those positions will come up with the game on the line.

 

[Hawk_]

I like to have speed and OB% at the top of the order, Second usually follows accordingly but more important that she can lay down a bunt. 3 have some more power still with speed. My DD is slow but a consistent with more power also helps that she bats left so she hits behind runners. 5 also has power and won't chase down DD. Then repeat the thinking the rest of the line up. second lead off hitter, run mover, power. Just make sure last batter isn't slow.
My thinking overall line ups. Nothing set in stone ever.

 

[bmakj]

a batters role depends on situation

example 1st inning, #2 batter, runner on, job is to reach base if possible, elsewise move runner (this is secondary to reaching safely because this early in game, no idea if you will need 3 runs or 10 runs to win game, so assume 10). same situation in 6th in close game, might be more important to move the runner than get on, so sac.

at lower age levels, especially in reg season or pool play, where development is key, having 2 or three 3-5 batter groups, and moving them around (ie ABC this game, BCA next, then CAB next) gets them all a good number of looks, and experience batting in different situations (but within a group, use highest OBP, etc., so the groups make sense, dont have your tiny speedster right after you power hitter).

and remember, your big innings normally start at the bottom of the order.

 

[sluggers]

So...do you just tell everyone swing for the fences no matter where you are in the line up or do you give each batter a role to play?

The problem is that the kids don't know how to hit.

It doesn't have anything to do with roles.

 

[canyonjoe]

I don't know about everyone else, but unlike baseball, every single team we played on the top hitters were also good bunters. We certainly didn't bunt our power hitters much, but they could all do it very well.

 

[uncdrew]

Here's a little wrinkle that came up.

At 10U we often run for our pitcher and catcher. Not always, but mostly when it's one of our pitchers who is especially slow. Big hitter though.

Rules state that we can have a courtesy runner, but it has to be the last completed batter. One game it played out that the person we had to use was also slow.

Do we factor that into our batting line-up? Probably not much, but it might be one of those tie-breaker things where we think "let's swap those two in case we need to run for Sally who is pitching this game."