Stats4Gnats posted:CollegeParentNoMore,
I agree. That may well have worked for Ted Williams, but I daresay there aren’t a lot of players with ability equal to his running around out there.
Didn't Ted Williams write something in his hitting book about the incredibly low statistics that accompanied swinging at the first pitch? Seems he noted that hitters had a very high likelihood of not reaching safely. Has something changed? Was it just a difference in competition level, i.e. at the MLB level it's a bad idea, but not at lower levels?
I think it is somewhat worth noting that often at PG events guys are playing to showcase, as opposed so much to winning. What I mean is that when a high school team plays there is a commanding coach telling everyone what they are to do to help the team win. In showcase ball, guys are often playing, to a degree, for themselves.
There has been a bit of a change at even the little league level in coaches telling 10 y/os to look "Dead red" on the first pitch.
Kid's learn a lot more strategy than I ever got from the old cigarette smoking, salty talking, slightly better than Buttermaker, auto mechanic who told me to keep my back elbow up and swing level. The game keeps getting better in many ways.