IS AND OUT AN OUT?

[eagle6]

To piggy back on another thread about different types of hits and how they should be tracked, which camp do you guys fall into on strikeouts? I listened to a podcast the other day where they were adamant that a strikeout is just an out. Same swing on any count and trust that you have good mechanics and that the good results outweigh the bad. What do you think?

 

[mmeece]

I'm still in the old-school camp of "good things happen more often with the ball in play".

 

[Eric F]

A strikeout does not move runners. A strikeout doesn't give you the chance to benefit from a mistake by the defense. That said, I'm not big on making radical changes to swing mechanics on a 2-strike count.

 

[radness]

Strikeouts are a dominating out.
Because of that, if needed,
would bunt every batter
to put the ball in play!

Outs on the field remove potential runs.

Equally important.

*Depending on the teams defense and their pitcher~
One type of out will be the answer over the other.
Is it just an out?
Or it stood OUT!



Swing question?
Pitches often force batters to make an adjustment.
So not certain if that was a question about using SAME swing???

Put the ball in play camp.
Yet not necessarily change or shorten because of count.
But yes adjust because of pitch.
Not changing mechanics...just utilizing attacking the pitch location.

 

[tim_s]

i don't want drastic changes in swing, i want change in philosophy

fight off a close pitch that is hard to work with.......a more aggressive sense of the zone and knowledge that you know need a pitch you can do something with.....what that something is might be situational.....is it a pitch you can put a ground ball to the right side with and move a runner? my better hitters i want them to keep fighting to get a pitch they can do something positive with

i've always hated the term 'protect with 2' - i want attack with 2 (just not to the point at swinging at something out of the zone, but.....)

with all that in mind, i think a K looking in most situations IS a "bad" out

 

[tim_s]

and with that being said, i think the QAB stat becomes relevant at some point in the discussion, also......was the K after the batter worked to see 7 pitchers, and the pitcher was just that good......or was it 3 overmatched pitches?

the more data you can track, the better picture you get

 

[murphdog]

A player who puts the ball in play is more valuable than a player who strikes out at every at bat.
Like others have said, a strikeout isn’t going to move runners but a ball put in play might.

 

[tim_s]

A player who puts the ball in play is more valuable than a player who strikes out at every at bat.
Like others have said, a strikeout isn’t going to move runners but a ball put in play might.

agreed, but not all K's are created equally

 

[MNDad]

I’ve seen Fastpitch Preps post that dribble several places. Not sure if he came up with it or stole it. I wouldn’t take advice from a guy who makes Clint Meyers look like a saint.

 

[Strike2]

A strikeout does not move runners. A strikeout doesn't give you the chance to benefit from a mistake by the defense. That said, I'm not big on making radical changes to swing mechanics on a 2-strike count.

Yep...strike outs are the best outs for the defense, so they are obviously the least desirable for the offense.

The swing should not change. With the right timing, a mechanically sound swing allows the hitter to get a piece of anything near the plate. What does adjust is the hitter's perspective on what to swing at. Ideally, it matches what the umpire will call as strike 3 if the hitter stands there.