Standing Close to the Plate to Draw Walks

IMO it's not unsportsmanlike at the HS level.

They're taking reasonable advantage of the low pitch speeds in your division.

Crowding the plate vs. 70+ pitching doesn't place batters at excessive risk.

After all, most of us encourage HS batters to wear 72mph curveballs.

From a rules standpoint, I assume they don't actually have their front toe almost touching the plate.  Umpires like strikes; strikes get them home sooner.  If they eyeballed a front foot closer than about 6" from the plate, I'd expect them to enforce the batters box rule.

Btw, for background, I value sportsmanship, and work hard to model it.

Hi Coach,

Putting specific playing level aside for a moment...
My son's college coach requires many of his hitters to get on top of the plate with two strikes.  We encourage the philosophy with our HS players as well.  Of course, most P's work down and away most of the time.  So, this takes away the primary out pitch and also puts pitcher at risk of HBP if he comes inside.  So, it really can level the playing field, particularly when the hitter is behind in the count.  Son's team actually uses a hitting drill where a pitching machine is targeted at the mid-section so they become proficient at protecting/turning on balls thrown on the inside edge when they are taking this approach.  I can appreciate the effectiveness of the philosophy.

At a lower level HS, this approach can be advantageous in other ways.  If you have kids that are decent pull hitters (as most are) and you get 'em close, they don't have to be proficient at going the other way.  Again, a way to even the playing field.  Now, that said, we do run across teams that get on top of the plate regularly with the intent of getting on base more via HBP.  I don't like that philosophy from a teaching/coaching standpoint.  But it does serve as a reminder that we need to get our P's comfortable working both sides of the plate.  Also, as a coach, before the start of the game with that team, I would certainly make it a point to let the home plate ump know that they are known for doing so and remind him that a pitch that strikes a batter that is in the strike zone is a strike, not a HBP.  Also ask periodically for the batters box line to be re-drawn.

You just have to use the knowledge of the situation in your favor.  Get your guys comfortable pitching middle/middle-in, knowing that middle will now be much more effective than it usually is.

My son is a freshman pitcher at college and I noticed from the first game on all batters get as close to the plate and the umpire will allow.  Our batters as well.  Also this weekend our high school team was in the playoffs.  Opposing team had a catcher who was up 9 times in 3 games and was hit 8 times.  Anytime a ball came inside he would turn into it.  I could not believe the umpires continued to let him get away from it.  By the way the one time he was not hit he walked.

If hitters want to crowd the plate pitchers have to come inside and saw them off on the handle. Hitters won't be able to drive the ball. Pitchers can't be afraid of hitting batters.

Pitching inside is becoming a lost art.  In part due to the fact that in MLB you get warned, and more so due to the lack of fear by the hitter due to the armor they sport at the plate.  This has eliminated 1/3 of the strike zone, making the middle pitch an inside pitch, and the outside pitch a middle out pitch.  It also accounts for the missiles hit up the middle at the pitchers head that were located on the outside corner.

Personally, I teach Jr., and all pitchers I work with to pound the inside corner.  They practice that location more than outside or any other location, so they have more confidence on that location than any other.  A high inside strike is just as effective when a K is needed, as the low and away off speed, only you don't see it as much.  I would propose taking away all the body armor away from the hitters, and I'd guess you'd eventually see the batters back off the plate.  The playing field is not even, the pitcher has lost 1/3 of the strike zone, add to that the ever increasingly small strike zone, and it has become a joke.

Thanks a lot for the discussion folks. Just my first few games...learning a lot! Ive never taken it into consideration as a hitter, ive always just dug in where i felt comfortable to hit strikes. and i was more of a push hitter for whatever reason. but i noticed its effect for sure. I like the 2 strike philosophy cabbagedad. Thanks again everyone. 

so, Ive had my 8 hole guy try this approach the last couple games because we have been up against pitchers with shotty control and he has struggled a bit at the plate. i gotta say, its worked well for him. Hes got his first couple hits, nice frozen rope line drives and hes been drawing walks like a champ, which is huge, because he is a good baserunner and my leadoff guy is worth having kids on base for haha! so, the approach, in my league anyways, can be quite effective. Kind of a bush league move i still feel, but, if other people are doing it to us, i gotta keep up. 

This post confuses me.  If the batter is up to the plate legally so be hit pitch to the inside corner and he will not hit it hard fair.  If it's illegal then the ump should call it.  There's nothing bush about it.

Why the whining?  You have the advantage when the hitter crowds the plate.  You should be happy.

If you throw it on the outside edge, that's in his wheelhouse.  Why do coaches/pitchers always throw there for these hitters?

If you throw on the inside edge, you will likely hit him.

Throw the ball down the middle of the plate (if you do some measuring, you'll see that that's a typical inside pitch.)

Crowd the plate as described in the OP around here... HS or summer ball... And prepare for sore wrists, bruised forearms, and crooked fingers.  As BFS wrote previously above, own the inner half as a pitcher.  Don't let your pitchers be even remotely intimidated to throw inside.

my post was not intended to seem "Whiny." 

The thing is that the pitching talent in our league is very lackluster and not many pitchers are confident busting a guy inside. Im a new coach myself and never had a great coach that would have us do things like this as players. I was always a very no nonsense type of player. When i squared up at the plate, i stood in a way that assured that i would be able to hit anything over the plate/in the strike zone. I feel like this approach is exploiting a weakness, which im learning is a big part of a game. 

My "problem" (i dont really have a problem with this, im simply learning how to coach and trying to learn and develop/settle in to my own philosophy) is this. I would rather win games by simply being better than the other team than by exploiting weaknesses and taking advantage of them. I would like to simply out hit, field, and pitch my opponent. Ive always played the game this way. But im learning that coaching is different. Ive started learning that the latter is a huge part of the game, especially with a team like mine which is in a rebuilding phase right now. Ive been learning from things like this, as well as being overly aggressive on the base paths. Im starting to learn that i have to temper my ambition of simply being great and just try to get the most out of what i have to work with. 

CoachZ - I applaud your views here.  I know I will likely take some heat on this, as I have in the past on this board when I have made similar statements (remember "the butcher play with runner on 3rd?).  I also have always had the belief that teams I have coached, would rather either win, or lose based on who is the better team.  It always bothered me when coaches would start runners into intentional run downs at 9 years old, just to get the runner in from 3rd.  The "ole" hide the ball trick will only take you so far analogy.  If players are crowding the plate to intimidate lesser talented pitching, I guess that is a game strategy, however it will only take them so far.  How about the opposing coach that employs this tactic, teach his team to hit!

 That's the only way to really deal with it.  They are trying to intimidate the pitcher - return the favor - within reason.

I like what my son says about hitting guys who are crowding the plate... "I'm not trying to hit them - sometimes they just get between me and the catcher's mitt."

Ok, I would like to say something in regards to this.  My teams hit! I am not saying this to brag I am saying this because around the Southern Section part of California my teams have always been known for hitting.  Now, when we have a kid who is a soft thrower whom works on the outside corner, the first thing we do is tell the kids to get on the plate and take that pitch away from him.  This is not Bush league, this is not "teach your kids how to hit"  this is smart business.  A kid who throws below average that wants nothing to do with middle in what else are you supposed to do but get on the plate and take that away from him?  Further more I would say to the original poster that this is what is happening far more than them trying to walk or get hit by pitches.

I hear what you're saying CoachZ... You feel teams are tricking things up as opposed to playing it straight.  I appreciate your sentiment, but my point is that there are ways to combat these various tactics without fighting fire with fire.  For instance, if they're running wild on you... Then your pitchers need to learn to mix up looks, step off, develop better picks, 3rd-1st move, pitchout effectively... actually use the hidden ball trick!? -- Anything and everything to disrupt the oppositions aggressive tactics.  Likewise with crowding the plate.  I hear you that guys aren't able to locate inside and maybe don't have the velo needed to intimidate... But I would still instruct my pitchers to work inside... Not trying to hit batters, just work the inner half and not let them get their arms extended.  It's a mindset.  Even if your guys are not very successful at executing these things, at least they'll be getting better at the proper approach... ie playing the game right.

IEBSBL - your scenario I understand, and do not consider bush.  My comments were made interpreting the OP in that opposing coaches were crowding plate to get HBP, or draw walks, hence "teach your team to hit" comment.  A pitcher who lives away (never comes inside), and is not overpowering, deserves to have players crowd the plate to feast on the outer half of the plate......  Bad pitching strategy, and my comment there would be, " learn how to pitch". 

You have to establish the inside part of the plate to good hitting teams,.... you have to own that part of the plate.  BFS, Jr. would rather pitch against an aggressive swinging team, like you describe your team.  If you have a big hitting team which is aggressive, if you give them opportunity, they will get themselves out rather easily.  Now patient hitters, that is a different story, and different strategy altogether.

Good for Junior, however looking at our stats, record, and rankings I think you are getting ahead of yourself when you say teams like I describe get themselves out easy.  Apparently you know more that our opponents because they would disagree with you.  FYI.....We have more walks that strikeouts and only are striking out at a 9% rate.

IEBSL - I don't know more than your opponents,however if you are a big hitting team, and have a 9% strikeout rate, and draw a lot of walks, then you are indeed a very rare good hitting team with patience at the plate, not very common,... typically you have one or the other...free swinging, with not much plate discipline, or huge plate discipline without the big sluggers.  Few players exhibit both those traits, much less entire teams.  My statement was more to the fact that "typically" teams that are "big" hitters, are also free swingers, and when faced with quality pitchers who know how to pitch, many times are their own worst enemy.  Now in a few months when Jr. goes to Jupiter, East Cobb, or other summer events where he is pitching to some of the best 9 in a given State, the challenge increases.

I mainly meant the "You know more than my opponents" out of gist.  I do have a very rare team.  Most of my starters have be 3-4 yr varsity guys.  They are very aggressive but disciplined.  I am most fortunate.