What kind of player is your daughter?

[CoogansBluff]

One of my best friends asked me this question awhile back.

It occurred to me that there is no better question that anyone could ask. But I'm never going to bore anyone with that unless they are genuinely interested.

So what kind of player is your daughter?

I don't mean mean ''How good is your daughter?" But rather, what kind of player is she in the context of the team/level that she plays? So the answer for a 10U rec player might sound similar to that of a D-1 college player. What are the strengths/weaknesses relative to the level she is playing? If she were picking up with my team and I had never seen her play, what could I expect?

 

[chinamigarden]

Where do you need help with only one limitation (third) she can and will play anywhere for you. If it makes the team better she is good with it. Want her to lead off? She will work the pitcher. Bat second she wil bunt or try to hit behind the runner. Need a 4 or 5 batter she will hit the ball hard knows when to try to drive in a run. Need a base stealer well you need to look elsewhere.

Yeah I have a high opinion of my dds ability. But I do understand her limits. She is a great fielder with a plus arm and knows the game. She is a good hitter. But not a ton of HR power. Runs average.

 

[CoogansBluff]

Where do you need help with only one limitation (third) she can and will play anywhere for you. If it makes the team better she is good with it. Want her to lead off? She will work the pitcher. Bat second she wil bunt or try to hit behind the runner. Need a 4 or 5 batter she will hit the ball hard knows when to try to drive in a run. Need a base stealer well you need to look elsewhere.

Yeah I have a high opinion of my dds ability. But I do understand her limits. She is a great fielder with a plus arm and knows the game. She is a good hitter. But not a ton of HR power. Runs average.

Good assessment! ... For all the criticism they get for wearing rose-colored glasses, I think most parents have a pretty accurate sense of their daughter's strengths and weaknesses. They might overrated the strengths and minimize the weaknesses, but they know what they are.

Here is what I'd say about my DD --

Strength is hitting. Typically has batted 3-5 on her teams and often leads them in extra-base hits. Also high OPS. HR threat. Can have patches of unproductive outs (popups, strikeouts). Poor bunter. Pretty good speed, aggressive base-runner, but not a big threat on a straight steal vs. good teams, and occasionally will make an aggressive base-running blunder. Good range as an outfielder and typically plays center field. Solid and experienced at 1B, but not a good option at other positions (SS, 3B, C). Strong but sometimes erratic arm. Very good attitude. Confident. Usually first out of the dugout to take position on the field. Gets on the fence and cheers.

 

[Rocketech1]

My DDs strengths are she is a contact hitter with some decent power but still has a tendency to drop the barrel. She is aggressive at the plate and has very few walks or strikeouts and always leads her team in fewest pitches seen per at bat. Not saying this is a good thing, just her batting style. Trying to get her to be more selective. Good bunter with above average speed.

Has a pretty strong arm, and has played most every position at some point over the years. Fielding ground balls front the middle infield position is her Achilles heal, she just never seems 100% comfortable when she has time to think about it. She is a much better fielder when pitching because she just reacts and doesn't have to think about it. Covers the bunt well and can pretty much catch any line drive hit near her. Great reaction time.

Her primary position is pitcher. Not overpowering but has good, 12-6 spin on her drop and is very accurate. Her flip change is her best pitch but lately her current coaches don't see the importance of a change up with any of our pitchers. I don't get it..she has pitched in many big games and performed well, including state and nationals. She has a competitive fire that is hard to teach. But once the game is over she doesn't dwell on the past and moves on quickly.

In summary, with DD you get a competitive pitcher that can play several secondary positions, above average contact hitter, not a great fielder of ground balls but knows the game, where to make the play. Is a good teammate who enjoys the game.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

If she were picking up with my team and I had never seen her play, what could I expect?

If it is a morning game, you can expect my DD to be late, no matter if we get to the fields 30 mins early. She would have slept during the drive, and put her jersey on in the parking lot. Her walk from the truck to the field was always long, old ladies on walkers would lap her. Heaven forbid the concession stand be along the way ( cost us even more time ) always wanted a RED Gatorade.

Once "Speedy Gonzales" actually got to the field, she'd always ask if she needed to warm up ( for pitching ). Mostly they said no, in lieu of waiting to use her for brackets, which she'd reply "awesome, I'm sleepy anyway".

Walking onto the dirt to take infield she looked like she was dragging a train behind her, I've seen cars rust faster. Bending over for grounders she looked like a 90 year old woman with arthritis, throwing the ball looked like she had battleship anchors tied around her wrists. Hitting soft toss, her bat must of weighed 100 pounds, cause it sure looked like it.

BUT, once the ump declared the start of the game, she lights up. She'll be cheering her teammates on, chatting it up with the coaches on strategy, playing her position like she was born there. By the afternoon, she's running at 110%, and her "game" is peaking, you'll be glad you picked her up.

Unfortunately she got that from me, I'm NOT a morning person. Grrrrrrrrrrr!

 

[coach james]

My dd is a typical #3 batter. Very consistent line drives to the outfield, or can lay down a sac bunt if needed. She leads the team in BA, RBI's, and Extra base hits. She has a cannon arm that is pinpoint accurate. Good field smarts and always calls out the next play. Her pitching is just average. Where she lacks in speed she can typically make up with location and spin. Primary position is pitcher but plays a lot at 1B, 2B and 3rd. Has great reflexes and reacts to balls well. Her Achilles heel is her base running... painful to watch. Slow isn't a strong enough word. The fact the #4 hitter hits a ton of bombs is probably the only reason dd crosses the plate as much as she does.
Her attitude is usually up and positive and demonstrates a lot of leadership. I think she's lazy when it comes to practice. She wants to get through it as quickly as poss. Instead of embracing the opportunity to improve.

 

[Doug Romrell]

My daughter was blessed with a very athletic body! She's slender, leggy, fast, and quick thinking. However, she's not quite as into softball as she could be. What I mean by that is that she could actually be an exceptional player in about any position, but her interest is watered down a bit by her social interests as a sixteen-year-old who loves driving here and there and everywhere to do about everything socially.

Good grief! If I were female with her potential and my current mind, I'd be all over softball like flies to a dead carcass. As it is, my daughter wants to play, but isn't all that interested in pursuing college ball. Oh well. It's her life. And, like my older daughter, she'll later regret that she didn't do more now.

 

[CoogansBluff]

My daughter was blessed with a very athletic body! She's slender, leggy, fast, and quick thinking. However, she's not quite as into softball as she could be. What I mean by that is that she could actually be an exceptional player in about any position, but her interest is watered down a bit by her social interests as a sixteen-year-old who loves driving here and there and everywhere to do about everything socially.

Good grief! If I were female with her potential and my current mind, I'd be all over softball like flies to a dead carcass. As it is, my daughter wants to play, but isn't all that interested in pursuing college ball. Oh well. It's her life. And, like my older daughter, she'll later regret that she didn't do more now.

Very interesting, but what kind of player is she? What's the scouting report? The good, bad, ugly of her skill set? I love answering that question about any player, not just my daughter. I guess I should've been a scout.

 

[CoogansBluff]

Where do you need help with only one limitation (third) she can and will play anywhere for you.

I'd consider third base to be the position that you would ''least'' want to put my daughter. But for some reason, her TB coach sticks her there in the occasional pool game, or when we're leading 15-0. She literally hadn't played or even practiced there since she was 8, some 6 years ago. Her level of alertness when she hears ''I need you to play third'' is extremely high. Her eyes get wide. She's running back to cover third after every pitch, even if nobody's on base. Maybe that's why the coach puts her there. It's better than a cup of coffee to get you going in the morning.

 

[NEF]

Oldest DD, Above avg speed, contact hitter/can bunt, Pitches, above avg velocity, hits spots, moves ball in/out up/down, movement pitches could use more spin. Good change of speed, Will make routine catches outfield/second, Weak overhand throw.

Youngest DD, knows game well, especially for age group, can bunt, good swing, best positions 2nd and right, Pitches below avg velocity, throws strikes, weak overhand throw, undersized and not very fast. Still young, hoping for a growth spurt.

Both enjoy playing, can't play enough, and are very competitive