Pitching & Hitting In College

[55dad]

Nobody said she couldn't hit. What if she gets injured base running? Is it easier to replace her hitting or pitching?

If your job was in the line what's in your best interest.

Again, Coach Allister has her hit. Philosophy...

 

[29dad]

oh my - I had no idea that hitting and running the bases were so dangerous.

 

[Greenmonsters]

oh my - I had no idea that hitting and running the bases were so dangerous.

The kids you see on college campuses wearing bubble wrap suits likely are FP pitchers.

 

[29dad]

Nobody said she couldn't hit. What if she gets injured base running? Is it easier to replace her hitting or pitching?

If your job was in the line what's in your best interest.

If my job was on the line, I would recruit the best players, and if that means finding a great pitcher who is also a great hitter, I'd sign her up in a heartbeat. Patty Gasso and Tim Walton (among MANY others) seem to understand this. Apparently a few less successful coaches have a different philosophy, which is why they lose out on some of the best recruits, resulting in LESS job security. Any coach who has an absolute rigid philosophy that pitchers don't hit is an idiot loser. Period. End of story.

 

[ArmyStrong]

At the D-II level, I saw a lot of pitchers who also played another position and hit. I know on my dd's them, they had a couple early on. As an FYI, when some of the staff was struggling BB went to coach and told him she could pitch and do really well. He responded that out of the 18 girls on the team, BB was 19th on the pitching chart. LOL

I think the Yankees said essentially the same thing about Babe Ruth.

 

[Fastpitch86]

If my job was on the line, I would recruit the best players, and if that means finding a great pitcher who is also a great hitter, I'd sign her up in a heartbeat. Patty Gasso and Tim Walton (among MANY others) seem to understand this. Apparently a few less successful coaches have a different philosophy, which is why they lose out on some of the best recruits, resulting in LESS job security. Any coach who has an absolute rigid philosophy that pitchers don't hit is an idiot loser. Period. End of story.

That is what we are hoping for!

 

[29dad]

That is what we are hoping for!

We lived in Sioux Falls, SD and went to many Augustana softball games. Augustana (Augie) is a D2 powerhouse with numerous WCWS appearances. Anyway, for 4 years we watched Jenelle Trautmann (she graduated two years ago). 4 time All-American. Ace pitcher with one of the best earned run averages in the country, and she finished her career #2 on the all time homerun list for D2. Look up her stats. Incredible pitcher. Even better hitter. Laughable and moronic to think that some coaches would have demanded that she give up hitting. Positively insane, actually.

 

[GunnerShotgun]

We lived in Sioux Falls, SD and went to many Augustana softball games. Augustana (Augie) is a D2 powerhouse with numerous WCWS appearances. Anyway, for 4 years we watched Jenelle Trautmann (she graduated two years ago). 4 time All-American. Ace pitcher with one of the best earned run averages in the country, and she finished her career #2 on the all time homerun list for D2. Look up her stats. Incredible pitcher. Even better hitter. Laughable and moronic to think that some coaches would have demanded that she give up hitting. Positively insane, actually.

You are quoting outliers. Surely you understand that there are very few starting pitchers available. By exposing them to hitting and playing other positions you are exposing them to unessacary risk of injury?

I would consider a coach negligent if they had their number one pitcher injured by running the bases.

Now if you have a generational once in a lifetime talent then you could argue that. Those a rare.

It's simply a risk based judgement on the business you are running. If you think that's "insane" then there is no starting point for a discussion.

 

[29dad]

Now if you have a generational once in a lifetime talent then you could argue that. Those a rare.

I categorically disagree with this. Once a lifetime? Sare Groenwagen, Lauren Hauger, Keilanni Ricketts, Jenelle Trautmann... I mean these are just a few off the very top of my head. Rare?? Not even close. Quite often pitchers are exceptional hitters. Nothing rare about it.

The "insane" comment is a reference to an absolute, rigid philosophy that pitchers shall not hit. I do not disagree with the opinion that pitchers better be very good hitters in order to hit. That's a no brainer. But I don't believe they have to be "once in a lifetime" types of hitters in order to crack the lineup.

And the "risk of injury" by "being exposed" to hitting and playing the field is negligible. You can probably come up with two or three cases in the last 25 years, which is statistically zero. Bigger risk of injury by lifting weights in the off season. Or running sprints. Or getting out of bed. Holy cow how many National League pitchers have been injured hitting or running the bases over the last 100 years? It's part of the game. Play ball.

 

[Greenmonsters]

You are quoting outliers. Surely you understand that there are very few starting pitchers available. By exposing them to hitting and playing other positions you are exposing them to unessacary risk of injury?

I would consider a coach negligent if they had their number one pitcher injured by running the bases.

Now if you have a generational once in a lifetime talent then you could argue that. Those a rare.

It's simply a risk based judgement on the business you are running. If you think that's "insane" then there is no starting point for a discussion.

Yes, it is a business and a career for coaches; however, it's a game for all D3 players and the majority of D2and D1 players who don't have substantial athletic scholarships and won't ever play professionally. The very few ace pitcher/stud hitter who can command a full ride are likely in such demand that they can shop their talents and negotiate their pitching/hitting terms in advance. I say damn the torpedos and let them pitch and hit, YOLO