How important are stats?

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Nov 18, 2013
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Yeah, it's an interesting thought. MLB players are scouted because the sample size is huge and easily accessible (game footage).

For little girls, how can you scout?

However, I could easily give really good tips to opposing teams on how to pitch to my girls. Mary swings at high junk -- Sally jumps out of the way at inside stuff -- Betsy can't hit a change-up to save her life and swings at all of them.

So perhaps it can be done.


Oh it can be done. Trouble with stats is where you see Mary swinging away at high junk and Sally jumping out of the way of anything inside, a parent will see bias and favoritism because little Emma had a higher BA. It’s not common sense by what a coach and anybody other than the parent can see. It’s always politics or an incompetent coaching.
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
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Oh it can be done. Trouble with stats is where you see Mary swinging away at high junk and Sally jumping out of the way of anything inside, a parent will see bias and favoritism because little Emma had a higher BA. It’s not common sense by what a coach and anybody other than the parent can see. It’s always politics or an incompetent coaching.
At 10U the scouting report for 99% of hitters would be "Sally cannot hit an outside pitch and has problems with a changeup". Of course the scouting report for pitchers at 10U would be, "Cannot hit her spots consistently and gives away her changeup" so it usually washes out..
 
Jun 8, 2016
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113

Hopefully your DD isn't one of them. Too many kids get into engineering because they hear they can make good money when they get out...I see them all the time in my classes. They don't enjoy the subjects they are taking and are just trying to get by in order to earn the degree.

If one is only interested in making good money, a much easier path (and safer for all of humanity) is to get a degree in marketing and then after a few years in the workforce study hard for the GMAT and try and get into a good MBA program.
 
Last edited:
Nov 18, 2013
2,255
113
Hopefully your DD isn't one of them. Too many kids get into engineering because they hear they can make good money when they get out...I see them all the time in my classes. They don't enjoy the subjects they are taking and are just trying to get by in order to earn the degree.

If one is only interested in making good money, a much easier path (and safer for all of humanity) is to get a degree in marketing and then after a few years in the workforce study hard for the GMAT and try and get into a good MBA program.

I thought it was funny. I hope she isn’t one of them too!
 
Oct 4, 2018
4,611
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Oh it can be done. Trouble with stats is where you see Mary swinging away at high junk and Sally jumping out of the way of anything inside, a parent will see bias and favoritism because little Emma had a higher BA. It’s not common sense by what a coach and anybody other than the parent can see. It’s always politics or an incompetent coaching.

I so despise politics. Office politics, softball politics, you name it.
 
Dec 11, 2010
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I really think stats are less about identifying the top four hitters on the team (that everyone knows are doing well) and more about identifying a kid that gets on base more than you realized etc

Somebody probably already said that I bet
 
May 10, 2019
11
3
Last game's stats? Last tournament's stats? Last 2 tournament's stats? Last 2 months? Last year?....Stats
against similar caliber pitching you are going to be facing for the game you are setting the batting order for or
all stats? Which stats? OPS? BA? (assuming we are only talking about batting order)

Honest question, interested in your answer and your reasoning.
All stats. In most cases once the lineup is set along with batting order, it's pretty static as you might expect. However [parent's meddling aside], I might flip batters in the lineup based on pitcher, previous games, runners, bunters etc. Also, if a batter is on a recent "hot streak". Also keep in mind I know these players from year to year.....they are not one and done from year to year. Small ball can also play apart in my batting order. Remember, parent's see their own kids as "the best", obviously, but if she has ked 24/26 times....she's not in my lineup. My RF has to be able to catch everything, Why?, because my #1SP throws 68mph and batters can't get around, if #2SP is pitching with her "fluff" ball pitches, I better shore up the leftside. It's stats. My g-daughter is on my team, guess what?, she starts on the hill, at SS, at 1B, Why? Because her stats justify it! As I said, I've coached for 40+ years, never had a losing season, I swear by stats.
 
Nov 18, 2013
2,255
113
All stats. In most cases once the lineup is set along with batting order, it's pretty static as you might expect. However [parent's meddling aside], I might flip batters in the lineup based on pitcher, previous games, runners, bunters etc. Also, if a batter is on a recent "hot streak". Also keep in mind I know these players from year to year.....they are not one and done from year to year. Small ball can also play apart in my batting order. Remember, parent's see their own kids as "the best", obviously, but if she has ked 24/26 times....she's not in my lineup. My RF has to be able to catch everything, Why?, because my #1SP throws 68mph and batters can't get around, if #2SP is pitching with her "fluff" ball pitches, I better shore up the leftside. It's stats. My g-daughter is on my team, guess what?, she starts on the hill, at SS, at 1B, Why? Because her stats justify it! As I said, I've coached for 40+ years, never had a losing season, I swear by stats.

If you cared as much about a kids development as your own W/L record maybe they wouldn’t strike out 24/26 times!
 

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