Question

Both - overall we try to scout and use what we can find and go with it but sometimes you just have to play it by ear and go with it.

One game in the playoffs is was a crucial situation - something like tying run on third and go ahead on second and I do believe a runner on first but not sure anymore. The guy at the plate was a bottom end lineup hitter and we had him struggling on fastballs but could hit curves / changes. We got the count on him to 3-2 and he was fouling off all the fastballs - good ones and bad ones.

I told my pitching coach to call a change up which on paper was throwing to his strength and to make matters worse my guy was really struggling with his change the whole night. My pitching coach debated with me on whether to throw it or not and I rationalized it that if we keep throwing fastballs he's going to get lucky and get a single somewhere. Plus he was tuned in to the fastball I figured he would swing at anything we threw up there.

I didn't want to call time and go out to tell my pitcher to take something off the fastball because that would be pretty obvious. I figured we would call the change and hope for the best and any blame would fall squarely on me.

My guy threw the pitch and it came in above the hitters head but he swung so early he could have almost reset and took another swing. Strike three and we were out of the inning. Went against the book and it worked out.

Binder for pre-game planning and HUNCH for in games adjustments.

I like to go by hunch because every game is a different as is every inning, as the game wears on.

I manage on the following:
a) Pitch by pitch basis.

b) Only as good as your last at bat.

c) I look into the whites of the kids eyes.

d) For pitching Pre-plan A, Plan B, Plan C, Plan D
and then maybe an ad-hoc approach with my
Capt Hook options.

e) Sure you can hack at 3-0, but the first one
is yours, and if successful, you get another

f) Won't see a 4th AB if taken hat trick

g) May move down line-up if taken collar

h) Some Game-Time decisions

We have never kept a binder, although we have looked at boxscores of games, but they do not tell nearly enough detail. I am glad this thread has been started, because I am looking for sheets were I can chart what we threw each hitter on a pitch by pitch basis and what got him out. I would like to also chart our hitters and the other teams pitcher(s) as well. I would like to divide them by individual games and keep all of them in one or two notebooks. Does anyone have a link or have some of these saved on a computer that they would like to share? Thank you.

What types of stuff do you keep in a binder? I have always coached by hunch but I am always looking to get better.

I go by hunch because of the reason TRHit gave (each game is different, etc.) and because the sample-size is much too small.

I'd do it differently if we played 162 games/season and the players had a number of years of data piled up.

A good binder helps the hunches be more educated.

I use my binder to go with an educated hunch!

As long as it's an accurate scouting report, start with that and go from there...here's another question...

do you pitch to your pitchers strength's or the hitters weakness? Not allowed to say both!

I believe that a pitcher should pitch to his strength. Do not let a hitter beat you because you did not give him your best pitch. That said, I am going to break your "don't say both, rule. I really look at the scouting report and how big are a hitters weaknesses. If a hitter has a glaring weakness we can exploit we will do so even if it is not necessarily our pitcher's best. It may be all that is needed to get him out. I contrast strength to weakness and go with the bigger of the two, but when in doubt go with the pitcher's strength.

It depends on how good my guy is on the hill and how good the hitter is in the box.

You both are cheaters...good answers though

Since you won't let me hedge or qualify my answer, I'll say pitcher's strength.