Why do we demonize hitting batters so much?

[TheRogue]

I know this one always turns ugly, so hopefully it can stay civil.

Why is it somewhat acceptable to throw a curveball that drifts outside 6-8 inches.....but if a fastball/screwball comes inside that far and hits someone, it's taboo?

Camp on the outside, and the good hitters will adjust....but many coaches, and most pitchers nowadays, have a tough time throwing inside. And by inside, not "inner half" but at least a ball width. The curveball that's 1-2 ball widths outside is a purpose pitch; the same needs to occur on the inner part of the plate.

So many of today's hitters are coached to stand on the white line to hit the outside pitch; and many younger ones bail on anything coming inside.

Just my musings...

 

[Bucketrider]

That's why my dds second pitch was a screwball. Sometimes it really breaks hard inside. Due to batters standing so close they sometimes get hit. Dd says they shouldn't stand there, that's her space now she throws a decent curve that keeps them guessing!

 

[RubberBiscuit]

Right now with everyone crowding the plate and "taking one for the team" it really puts the pitcher at an additional disadvantage. Watching Michigan the other day beat L'ville it was apparent that pitchers are getting squeezed into working the zone of the outside edge of the plate to whatever the ump will give further outside. Not much given if you go inside a batter will lean into the fuzzy space between the box and the black of the plate. I think the up/down pitcher is going to get more & more effective with this trend.

 

[Jojo]

My young pitchers always announce to me when they hit batters.

I always say, "So". You are going to hit batters. Work on your control and don't fret the hit batters.

My own DD was a screwball pitcher and she hit many batters, but I'll say about 85% were not true hit batters, just batters leaned too far over the plate.

 

[SoftSocDad]

My DD was wild when she was learning, but didn't hit that many opponents at all. When she did, it was ouch city for a few moments. Only one player ever had to leave the game and couldn't return, though.

I think it depends a lot on the coaches and how they react and treat the pitchers. Letting them get through the learning process will include failures along the way. Most of the coaches I've seen in 8u, 10u, and 12u haven't given the pitchers a hard time at all and our softball is pretty competitive out here. The coaches I have seen get bent out of shape about it tend to be those coaches who tell their pitchers to do things like "just throw strikes" as in "throw it down the middle".

 

[Greenmonsters]

You can't live on the outside corner if you don't defend the inside corner. IMO, a HBP isn't any bigger issue than walk.

 

[sluggers]

My DD#3 broke a batter's ankle once. The batter went to the hospital. We went for ice cream.

Hitting a kid on purpose is bad. Throwing inside to a batter is an absolute necessity.

 

[JAD]

I would bet that 70% of the first pitches my DD throws are screwballs! Nothing better than setting the tone early in the at bat! LOL

 

[shockcoach]

IMO, a HBP isn't any bigger issue than walk.

Less of an issue if you ask me. It can take less pitches and it's a dead ball. I prefer it to an IBB.

 

[nanotech14]

My dd says she likes the way it sounds when she hits someone,she doesnt hit anyone on purpose,but she says it happens. She has to be able to throw it all zones,if she gets hit batting,no big deal it happens.