Platooning Righty/Lefty

I am much more likely to "buckle" on a bb that starts at me than one that starts away from me.

Easy choice for most (not all) hitters....face the opposite hand.

quote:

Originally posted by bsballfan:
I am much more likely to "buckle" on a bb that starts at me than one that starts away from me.

Easy choice for most (not all) hitters....face the opposite hand.

^ this... in another thread there is talk about FPsoftball. I often wondered why the curve was not as effective a pitch as it is in baseball. As the father of a pitcher in both sports I realized one day the fear of being hit in the head only presents itself on the baseball side. The fear of a ball coming at your head is a powerful weapon. This only presents itself in a righty/righty or lefty/lefty matchup with the curve ball.

I don't agree with the percentage match-ups (so-called). I think it's a strategy based upon the predominance of the curve ball favored by pitchers in the 60's - 70's. It is easier to "see" and hit that pitch breaking towards you rather than away.

But, curveballs have given way to the hard slider. No hitter likes being jammed by the fastball. All good hitters hit the fastball from either arm. The hard slider breaking in is entirely different than the curve. More like the fastball. Hitters don't like it breaking in on them and being jammed. Back to another thread, switch-hitting; I believe this is one reason (prevalence of the slider) it's not a true advantage any longer.

My son a righty, grew up hitting regularly against his lefty dad. He much prefers righty pitchers though as they naturally throw more to their glove side (all pitchers prefer this) thus the ball, more often, will be middle-away where he prefers it. Lefties, with good stuff can and will come "in."

As a manager, I'd stay with the hot pitcher, regardless of side the hitter was using!

quote:

Originally posted by Prime9:
I don't agree with the percentage match-ups (so-called). I think it's a strategy based upon the predominance of the curve ball favored by pitchers in the 60's - 70's. It is easier to "see" and hit that pitch breaking towards you rather than away.

But, curveballs have given way to the hard slider. No hitter likes being jammed by the fastball. All good hitters hit the fastball from either arm. The hard slider breaking in is entirely different than the curve. More like the fastball. Hitters don't like it breaking in on them and being jammed. Back to another thread, switch-hitting; I believe this is one reason (prevalence of the slider) it's not a true advantage any longer.

My son a righty, grew up hitting regularly against his lefty dad. He much prefers righty pitchers though as they naturally throw more to their glove side (all pitchers prefer this) thus the ball, more often, will be middle-away where he prefers it. Lefties, with good stuff can and will come "in."

As a manager, I'd stay with the hot pitcher, regardless of side the hitter was using!

Aside from the fear, when a pitch is off-speed a hitter will be out in front, his hips and front shoulder fly open early making it near impossible for him to make contact with an off-speed pitch on the outer 1/3 of the plate.

That is why a bb moving away from a hitter is the better pitch.

Good hitters are good hitters---good pitchers are good pitchers---I have never worried or played by the so called percentages---in a tough situation with a RH up do you remove Sabathia ??

You will rarely see the teams better hitters taken out to take advantage of a match up. Just like you will rarely see the teams better pitchers taken out as well. Late in a game you will see situational hitters and pitchers. But your not going to see a top of the order middle of the order guy taken out. There is a reason they are there and its because they can hit. Now if its a 6-9 guy and you have a better option on the bench to take advantage of the match up and its late in the game thats why the guy is on the team.

Your not going to sit your 3 hole hitter because your facing a lhp that day just because he hits from the ls. But you may start a rhh against that lhp if the guy is a 789 hitter and the rhh is a better option.

The best hitters are going to hit regardless.

TR and Coach May - good stuff. Great hitters can hit and great pitchers can pitch. You have to know your personnel. Know if your guy can hit the guy pitching or if the guy pitching has the stuff to get a guy out. If you don't think they can and it's a key moment in the game - make a substitution.

quote:

Originally posted by TRhit:
Good hitters are good hitters---good pitchers are good pitchers---I have never worried or played by the so called percentages---in a tough situation with a RH up do you remove Sabathia ??

If I Mariano Rivera in the pen vs. a RH hitter then yes I do.....All things being close to equal the percentages are the percentages for a reason it works more times that way!!

quote:

Originally posted by bsballfan:

quote:

Originally posted by TRhit:
Good hitters are good hitters---good pitchers are good pitchers---I have never worried or played by the so called percentages---in a tough situation with a RH up do you remove Sabathia ??

If I Mariano Rivera in the pen vs. a RH hitter then yes I do.....All things being close to equal the percentages are the percentages for a reason it works more times that way!!

This is a unique situation in that not every team has a Sabathia on the mound with Rivera in the pen. Most teams will have a good / great starter but the rest of the staff is around average roughly. If you got Zach Greinke of the Royals on the mound with someone like Joe Mauer coming up do you go to the pen or do you stick with your best?

Playing the percentages is valuable throughout the season but sometimes you can depend on them a little too much. Know your people and what they can do and let them do their job. Best thing managers / coaches can do is let their people do their job. Worst thing managers / coaches can do is try to think too much for their players.

quote:

Originally posted by coach2709:

quote:

Originally posted by bsballfan:

quote:

Originally posted by TRhit:
Good hitters are good hitters---good pitchers are good pitchers---I have never worried or played by the so called percentages---in a tough situation with a RH up do you remove Sabathia ??

If I Mariano Rivera in the pen vs. a RH hitter then yes I do.....All things being close to equal the percentages are the percentages for a reason it works more times that way!!

This is a unique situation in that not every team has a Sabathia on the mound with Rivera in the pen. Most teams will have a good / great starter but the rest of the staff is around average roughly. If you got Zach Greinke of the Royals on the mound with someone like Joe Mauer coming up do you go to the pen or do you stick with your best?

Playing the percentages is valuable throughout the season but sometimes you can depend on them a little too much. Know your people and what they can do and let them do their job. Best thing managers / coaches can do is let their people do their job. Worst thing managers / coaches can do is try to think too much for their players.

So, know my players but ignore the percentages?

Please explain.

Well I thought I did so let me try it this way.

Zack Greineke is a starting RHP for the Roayals and they only have one LHP in the pen - Dusty Hughes.

Greinke against LHH is giving up a .271 avg and Hughes is giving up a .259 to LHH

Hughes is giving up a .303 against RHH while Greinke is giving up a .237 against RHH.

Ok using that info alone you would want Mauer to face Hughes because he is giving up a lower avg to LHH. But overall - Greinke is the Royals best pitcher and he is a pretty good pitcher for MLB overall. I would rather have my best against their best because a .271 is still pretty good. Plus Hughes .259 isn't significantly better than what Greinke is doing with LHH. In this case I think you are better off going against the averages and let the RHP face the LHH.

Plus there are TONS of factors involved with pitching decisions. Point of the game, is the pitcher tired / fresh, has his good stuff or not, grass or turf, night or day and things like that. I just feel that sometimes you make more mistakes trying to go with the stats / averages than just relying on your best against their best.

Now if the Twins are sending up Jason Kubel then I think the percentages hold some water IF you feel Greinke cannot get it done for some reason.

When we played the Japan National HS Team, Jason Kubel a great young hitter was platooned against the slider throwing LHP Japanese pitchers, however his left handed bat was most effective against the RHP.

Delmon Young in the same Goodwill Series was neutralized by the Japanese side arm RHP's.

In the Australia Goodwill Series/December, 80% of the best pitchers are right handed, sinker/slider and throwing from the same arm angle.

We will "stack" with as many left handed hitters as possible.

Bob Williams