Batting order

I think it makes a difference to the kids for the obvious ego-related reasons. But with that as a 'given', the traditional reasons for batting order slots might only apply at/above an age/talent level that's produced pitchers capable of bearing down on the heart of the order, being aware of who's on deck, etc.

Sometimes there are completely different reasons for batting order choices in youth ball. I had reliable-hitting guys who loved the 6 & 7 slots (high enough to not be insulted, low enough to not be pressured). With less talented teams, you may not want to offer too much of a chance to give up an inning's worth of outs at the end of the order. And there is something to be said for putting a power hitter in the #1 slot; starting off with a bang can put The Fear into the opposition as well as giving your biggest bat the most ABs. (Besides, after 8 years of watching hs & college ball.....does anyone teach Leadoff hitter anymore? Makes me crazy.)

In youth ball, you have to gauge the players' maturity along with their talent when you're making out the card.

I not understand why ego situations enter into the equation---as a coach you make out the lineup to give you the best shot at winning and being successful.

It seems a lot of focus is put on the lineup - matching the type of hitter to the lineup slot... But after the 1st inning it gets all scrambled up! In the second inning, you get a new "leadoff" guy and a new " 2 hole hitter, 3 hole hitter", etc....

Ego or recognition certainly has a lot to do with it. The guys in the top of the order will usually get an extra at bat compared to someone in the bottom of the order. Of course with substitutions, the number of at bats a player gets is also affected.

I think smart coaches distribute the good hitters so that in any given inning you have the potential to score some runs. Otherwise, it could cost you 1 or 2 innings to get through the weaker hitters so your top 3-4 hitters can hit in a row... It can be very effective to have a hitter with pop down in the 7-8 hole - maybe he'll get a fat pitch and do some damage!

Computer programs have been written to try and maximize these concepts. Here is one on the the net:

http://www.baseballmusings.com/cgi-bin/LineupAnalysis.py

TRhit,

regarding egos - I always see the kids hover around the lineup when it is posted in the dugout. Kids ego's (and parent's) get affected by where they bat on the lineup sheet. So often times, where you bat is used as a reward or recognition for performance. Kids seem to prefer this over what can be perceived as preferal treatment if it is not based on performance. Coaches usually never want to be questioned so they don't explain the lineup decisions. If they did, it could help in a lot of situations. By this, I mean they could say every at bat is important and every inning will have a "different set of hitters" trying to score runs. This could go a long way in helping to build up every hitter's ego.