if you're not going to swing at strikes...

[ChaosCoordinator16]

I really gotta wonder if people who think getting ready on deck and actually standing in the box are the same have done either.

Yes, it helps some. But there's really no comparison. The brain registers the speed different from the side vs coming at you (hence one of the reasons why Major Leaguers get as close to directly behind the catcher as umpires will allow). You can't get the same sense of break on pitches. You miss out on late movement, a pitch getting on you quicker than expected (taller pitcher releasing two feet closer).

Players should absolutely prepare while on deck, and I'm not saying you should always take the first pitch, but it's silly to act as if you should have it all figured out just from being on deck.

I haven't so that's good to know.

 

[radness]

Simple question~

Is anyone advocating
NEVER swing at first pitch?

Or

Is it BETTER to be READY to swing at first pitch!

 

[_MIA_]

Simple question~

Is anyone advocating
NEVER swing at first pitch?

Yes, if your coach gives you the take sign

 

[justanotherguy]

Simple question~

Is anyone advocating
NEVER swing at first pitch?

Or

Is it BETTER to be READY to swing at first pitch!

I HOPE they're advocating for, "Swing if it's your pitch". However, I've known coaches that advocated never swinging at the first strike. My DD always exempted herself from that rule.

 

[Tango]

I hit leadoff and my HS coach made me take a strike each at bat (the rule not called). Played at a small school and hit leadoff from 8th grade until college. Normally 6 hole in college and I couldn't swing without having a strike on me. College coach would go banana's every strike, which was every at bat.

 

[_MIA_]

I hit leadoff and my HS coach made me take a strike each at bat (the rule not called).

This not unusual in baseball..not saying it is right, only not unusual.

 

[Rolling Hard]

There are coaches/orgs that remove player from the game for taking strike one.

I think if a pitcher struggling to find the zone or as I said before, a pitcher that is much slower (43-46 mph) than what you are use to seeing it OK to take until she throws a strike. But 90 percent of the time looking to drive the ball on first pitch, especially your first AB against good pitching. May be the best pitch you will see.

 

[eddieq]

As an umpire, I've had pitchers who walked two in a row to have a third batter come up and go after the first pitch. Maybe they are expecting a first pitch meatball. Usually it's something out of the zone because they are struggling and can't hit the strike zone. Dunno. I often hear coaches saying, "That's 8 out of 10" after the second walk is issued - probably reminding their batter that not a lot of strikes are being sent in.

 

[CoachJD]

Simple question~

Is anyone advocating
NEVER swing at first pitch?

Or

Is it BETTER to be READY to swing at first pitch!

I'm advocating for players to have a plan, and sometimes that plan involves taking the first pitch. Sometimes it involves being ready to swing at the first pitch. And it can also depend on the player. I rarely tell every player in the lineup to take the first pitch unless the pitcher is incredibly wild (we're not waiting for walks, but teaching players to not help pitchers out by being over-aggressive is important).

 

[dbronstein]

This not unusual in baseball..not saying it is right, only not unusual.

Yes, it's a baseball thing. The idea is to get the pitcher to throw more pitches to tire them out earlier, or if it's a league using pitch counts to get them to their limit sooner. I've mostly seen it at younger ages where pitchers can't throw strikes consistently.