Barreling The Second Strike

someone would like a word

A Hall of Fame hitter would hardly be the norm. But his two strike average is still 36 points below his career average.

@russinfortworth posted:

someone would like a word

There's always a rare exception.

Yes if it is a fastball, but some pitchers can paint the 2nd strike with some filthy stuff and sometimes the ump helps by stretching the zone to little league levels. 

@russinfortworth posted:

someone would like a word

Have you seen the video of John Smoltz talking about Tony Gwynn? It’s amazing. He said that the combination of Smoltz, Glavine, Maddux, & Pedro Martinez (who had a collective career strikeout total of over 10,000 hitters) only struck out Tony Gwynn 3 times in his career. 3 times! 3!! That is one of the most incredible stats I have ever heard. A lot of people don’t know that Gwynn also played basketball at San Diego State.

Become proficient in hitting 1st pitch. It may be the only cookie pitch you get.

@2022NYC posted:

Yes if it is a fastball, but some pitchers can paint the 2nd strike with some filthy stuff and sometimes the ump helps by stretching the zone to little league levels.

If a pitcher can paint the 2nd strike with filth, you just have to tip your cap and fight like he'll with 2 strikes...and realize that you're already in a hole and probably not going to win.

On the ump thing, my kid works DEEP counts in almost every AB. He routinely leads his team in P per PA...including his current summer team...and my wife and I have a patented "another full count" head shake. That said, we've lost count on how many times he's been rung up looking on 3-2. He ALWAYS says the same thing "That last pitch was a ball."

Maybe he's right and the umpire was wrong? But, still goes down as a K in the ledger forever. (He's very head strong on it and I have given up talking about it.)

@BaseballBUDDY posted:

Become proficient in hitting 1st pitch. It may be the only cookie pitch you get.

This is why I hate coaches who mandate take a strike.

@Francis7 posted:

On the ump thing, my kid works DEEP counts in almost every AB. He routinely leads his team in P per PA...including his current summer team...and my wife and I have a patented "another full count" head shake. That said, we've lost count on how many times he's been rung up looking on 3-2. He ALWAYS says the same thing "That last pitch was a ball."

Maybe he's right and the umpire was wrong? But, still goes down as a K in the ledger forever. (He's very head strong on it and I have given up talking about it.)

We have a kid on our summer team who's approach is exactly this.  He sees SO many pitches.  He's leading the team in walks, K's and K's looking obviously.

Earlier this summer a mid major coach came to watch him play, he's an amazing middle infielder.  After the game the coach said to him, "I know you have a glove, I came to watch you hit.  Watching you Walk and K looking doesn't tell me anything."  His approach has been different the last two tournaments but its still hard for him to break.  He looks at more 0-0 fastballs grooved than any player I've ever seen.

Francis:

During our Area Code games in Long Beach/Blair Field, I created an instructional clinic before the 1st game. My hitting  instructors were Tony Gwynn, Dusty Baker and Eric Davis. Eric was "outstanding". He told his group that the AC pitchers were showcasing their "fastball" not their change up.

"TURN THE BAT LOOSE"!!!      Dusty and Tony were smiling & nodding.

BOB

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vi2h0g5GeXA

@Master P posted:

We have a kid on our summer team who's approach is exactly this.  He sees SO many pitches.  He's leading the team in walks, K's and K's looking obviously.

Earlier this summer a mid major coach came to watch him play, he's an amazing middle infielder.  After the game the coach said to him, "I know you have a glove, I came to watch you hit.  Watching you Walk and K looking doesn't tell me anything."  His approach has been different the last two tournaments but its still hard for him to break.  He looks at more 0-0 fastballs grooved than any player I've ever seen.

When my son got to 17u the coaches had a talk with him about showing college coaches how hard he hit the ball, not what a great eye he had. He was told he wasn’t going to walk his way to the next level.

Through 14u he was the undersized, fast, lead off or #2 hitter. He worked pitchers. The number of times he started off 0-2 or 1-2, fouled off a few pitches and ultimately walked was amazing. It’s great if the lead off hitter in a game makes a pitcher throw ten pitches. But it doesn’t get a player to college ball.

Like the Dominicans say....."You can't walk your way off the island."

I agree with the Peloteros. My son is also often in full count situations. He is more picky with the first strike and the second one is a mix of fouls, nasty stuff and whiffs but he still has success with the full count so he hasn't changed his approach .