just to be up front when I coached we had no designated hitter or for that matter re entry etc etc. So yes I am one of those "traditionalist" I was at a game to watch a friends kid play and he did not hit. played the field but somebody hit in his place. Thoughts???
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I've seen it happen a lot. Kinda stinks for the kid who doesn't hit, but at least he's getting to contribute somehow. Keep working on hitting and take advantage of your opportunities.
Honestly, not much to think about. DH strategies vary by Coach depending on the makeup of his team. In high school some of the best athletes are pitchers, so they typically hit for themselves which gives the Coach some options offensively and defensively.
Your friend's Coach elected to play a better fielder in the field (not hit) and send a better hitter (DH...not play the field) to the plate in an attempt to win the game. High school coaches do this all the time, as they want their best 9 glove defenders in the field and their best 9 hitters at the plate.
Pretty much always at our school. Kids were usually made POs by sophomore year.
Happens routinely for my son's Varsity team in SE PA; DH will either hit for pitcher or hit for a positional player every game. PIAA Rules allow for Free Substitution and a Flexible Lineups. "players may enter and leave the game, at will, on offense and defense as long as the number of players in the original batting order does not change".
Our school always used a DH, as fenwaysouth said, usually NOT for the pitcher. It allowed the coach greater flexibility in using offensive and defensive players, also allowed him to give younger players experience in the field, when they might not have been ready to face senior pitching. We did not have free re-entry, though.
I will say that it was very frustrating for the players who were DHed for, but, in hindsight, they saw the point.
My take is that in HS anything that allows more kids to take part is a good thing.
My son is DH'ing for the pitcher this season. Before him one of the pitchers was the DH. It gets him an opportunity to play and participate.
Our starting CF this year hit in 15 of our games, in those 15 games he hit .091 with 19 Ks in 22 ABs. The kids we DH'ed for him for most of the later part of the year can't really play anywhere in the field (in large part due to the fact that he is a very good wrestler who gets to us late every year and is banged up from wrestling season) but the ball jumps off his bat. CF had one error all year and literally came back to the dugout Thursday in our playoff game against the #1 team in the state apologizing for not robbing a HR (playing balls at the wall is not something we have worked on ever, but he was still upset that he didn't catch it, I will also note that he recorded 5 putouts in that game including a diving catch to take away a sure double and tracking down another ball in the gap).
Our team has a kid who had elbow surgery in the offseason & can't throw. He's one of the best hitters, so he DHs for somebody every game. Coach has also thrown a bone to a few seniors who rarely play and gave them a game at DH in non-conference play.
"players may enter and leave the game, at will, on offense and defense as long as the number of players in the original batting order does not change".......Baseball?
So in high school you can be a good hitter and not play the field and on the other hand you are not too much with the bat but are good defensively so we will let another player be designated to hit in your place. Well following that logic maybe in basketball you are not a good foul shooter so we will have somebody shoot foul shots in your place? Maybe being sarcastic (no I am
there but just thinking out loud. ) I happened to coach in the neanthedral era. Many times situations dictated "thinking" about pinch hitting, Here is a situation tie game bottom of the last inning runner in scoring position your catcher is due up . Light with the bat . Good defensively.do you pinch hit and remove him from the game.?with the re entry no brainer pinch hit and if need be he can re enter. Might have won a couple more games over the years????
@Will posted:"players may enter and leave the game, at will, on offense and defense as long as the number of players in the original batting order does not change".......Baseball?
In our section there is one re-entry per game for starters. With it, coaches can put in subs in the mid-late innings when they have a good, but not double-digit, lead, then bring the starters back to calm things down if the subs start kicking the ball around. Pitchers are not allowed to reenter as pitchers.
It's a great rule. It gets innings and at-bats to kids who would otherwise get very little.
John; you recall SRHS?
During our 1st years of Northern California Summer League, I selected a OF from this HS. Mac played LF and was removed as a hitter during the HS season and felt "depressed". Of course I agreed.
Our first games were in Yuba City and I placed Mac in LF and he hit 6th in the lineup. He had 6 hits in 8 AB and the local PD made a great story.
Mac clipped the story, relined the results and placed it on the Coach's office desk. He hit .340 during the summer and continued at SRJC.
Bob
