Clean up curse?

[GOINGDEEP]

Since it is so hot in our area we take off the month of August. It gives us time to prepare for fall and go back over the books of summer. We will tweak the batting order from time to time based on BA and OBP.
I have noticed over the last 2 years that a batter in the 2,3,5,6 slot may catch my eye hitting .500+. So we move her into the clean up. My records show each batter I have done this with her BA goes down, sometimes way down. I'm thinking being clean up your not going to get ANY MEAT PITCHES? Maybe even more prone to a walk? Specially if there is a runner in scoring position.

After I noticed this last year I decided to experiment with it this year on purpose.

I know this is a pretty lame topic, just bored waiting on the heat to subside and wondered if anyone else had this problem or any opinions.

 

[livingontheroad]

Hitters often perform in spurts and slumps. Theres a chance that once you notice the spurt, it will be over. Just like in the stock market. It very well may come again, after a slump.

Also, depends on the pitching they are seeing. They might do well against easy pitching, but poor against tougher. OR they can do well against faster pitching, and struggle to get well hit balls against slower pitching.

And some are unfortunately just plain psyched out when hitting in in certain lineup spots. Some girls may have the highest slugging percent on the team in a higher spot, but bat them at 3 or 4 and they choke.

 

[Ken Krause]

I remember as a player I liked hitting 3 or 5. Couldn't function in the 4 spot.

I wonder if the cleanup hitter feels extra pressure to try to hit homeruns/extra base hits, and perhaps over-swings instead of just doing what she's been doing to get into the 4 spot?

 

[Bishop]

I'd bet a little bit of all of the above. Spurts and slumps are a fact of softball and chasing the hot bats and moving them around the line up seems to throw water on the fire. I'd bet that is the pressure factor coming into play. Moving a player who's crushing the ball in the 6 - 9 spots into 3 - 5 and most especially to the 4 hole and thier hitting streak comes to a screaching halt. As a coach, I know when helping with pitch selection we approach 3 -5 with a whole different level of respect than the rest of the line up.

4 hitters have more preasure and should be getting fewer decient pitches which would definitely effect her stats.

 

[starsnuffer]

How are her RBI's? The point here is not that she's getting on base or not, but if she's scoring the runners that are on before she gets up to bat. Sure, home runs are nice, but they're not always going to happen. With runners on a batter has to be much more careful about "where" they hit the ball, so it's natural their average would suffer vs. a batter who usually gets up with no one on base and a clear field of play.

-W

 

[wild man]

I have found that it is often a mental thing that really makes no sense. I had a girl that in the 9 spot really tore it up ANY other spot she really blew it. I acually do my batting order a little different than most. I prefer the girl that would be in the 4 spot on most teams in the 3 slot, I then put a lead off type in 4 with power in 5.

I started doing this because I kept track one year and found that the no 4 hitter will lead off an inning more than any one except the no 1 slot.

But I also think that your Batting order should be set up according to your personel on a given team. I for one rarley follow the "Traditional Order". Not for every one but works for me.

 

[mad hornet]

That is funny. Our four stick was also tops in average so I left it alone. Our 2 slot was cursed however. All season long it didn't matter who I batted second that person would not get on base (so it seemed anyway).