Taking the first pitch

Not kidding at all......w/ an L-screen.....ball put in play more often and used for situations only.....remember I said once a week....not every game......all I meant was I would worry about other things more....rather than worry about taking a first pitch.....

Putting the cart before the horse in most cases by worrying about:

taking the first pitch
hitting a curve ball
throwing a curve ball
freaking out about mechanics (hitting/pitching)

Keep things simple when they are younger that is all....and by younger I mean below 18 or so.........

LOW

I see you are from Indiana---I think you might want to stick to basketball

Really.....No need to get personal TRhit.....

Just giving my thoughts to a thought provoking question......

And the thoughts are more than eduacated.....

LOW

Not personal at all


Just address the question that was posed---no need for the other stuff you brought in---thats for another time and another day in a different thread

I addressed the question and gave my thoughts on the topic just as the original poster said that he/she would like to hear.......

I feel you did get personal and made an assumption that you had no right to make.....you don't know me, don't know what I do, don't know anything about me......only where I am from.....

so would it be fair for me to tell you that you should stick to blue collar work and promoting your business of taking money from players who can't play????....solely based on me reading your profile.........Of course it would not be fair.......no place for that stuff in this forum or on this board.......

TRhit, why must you upset old Low?

He's just trying to educate us.......I think

quote:

Not kidding at all......w/ an L-screen.....ball put in play more often and used for situations only.....

Did you ever stop to think that Low's teams just might need coach's pitch to put the ball in play?

I have no problem believing that.....But, maybe I've been reading his posts longer than you have.....

I have not coached at the little league level, but at the high school and college level taking the first pitch does necessarily mean a high pitch count. To the contrary, we try to get our players to attack the first fastball that catches too much of the plate. Lay off the curve and look fastball and expect a strike. It makes the game very easy for the hitter and they look to put their best swing on the ball. It causes the pitcher to be leary of throwing the first pitch fastball over the plate. They begin to nibble, try to pitch backward (some can do this to some extent but few can do this extensively throughout a game) and end up with big pitch counts very quickly. If you take 3 swings that inning and make three outs, then were they your best swings? If they were and you hit three hard hit balls right at someone and got out...so be it.

All this talk about raising the pitchers pitch count by taking the first pitch is a passive approach that will not work against quality competition. How about this theory. Hit the first good pitch you see. Be aggressive and attack the pitcher when he throws over the plate. Look to hit. Take a walk if you dont get anything good to hit. We must be talking about LL baseball here. Im talking HS baseball. And the idea about the L screen , please be real.

Maybe I am oversimplifying things here but the same approach should be taught at all levels - little league to pros.

1. Know the zone - pay attention to what the umpire calls for strikes
2. Know your zone - know which balls you can drive and which you struggle with
3. Attack fastballs early - they are the easiest to hit and most pitchers want to use them to get ahead so it only makes sense
4. Be disciplined - tied in with number one in that you don't swing at stuff out of the zone
5. Lay off the junk until have to - work hard in practice in deep counts so you can handle the junk if you get there

The game is simple - hit strikes and if they aren't strikes then take your base. If you are a pitcher get them out with good strikes and if you can't then you are going to have an early night.

Regardless of what the rules are in Little League they should be teaching the game and not trying to figure out ways to win. If you force a kid in Little League to take the first pitch guess what he is going to do when he gets older?? He is going take it and now you have to break him of this bad habit.

I know it will take more effort and more mistakes will be made by players in the lower levels but they are there to learn. If they were good at that age then they would be moved up to a higher level.

As for the "L" screen stuff I have my team do it on occassion in practice to make sure my guys aren't "forgetting" what to do. In a game with another team - not really feeling that. If you have to do it then you might need to get a new coach.

Guys let's get real.....I was not saying that we should pop the L-screen out and play other teams......

I was referring to a controlled scrimmage with your own team.....done once a week......

and just pointing out that very simple things like coach may and coach2709 pointed out.....

Worry about teaching the game more than getting worked up trivial things.......

I would much rather have a young player know where everyone on the field is supposed to be in a given situation rather than taking a first pitch or worrying about where my elbow is or how the umpire screwed up that call ball/strike on me.....

How many camps have you worked and asked a kid to play a certain position only to hear him say he can't do it, doesn't know where to be etc.....in sane......Teach the game, teach where to be, teach baserunning.....all of the other little things are important but not at the expense of teaching the game and rules of the game.......

How come most kids out of HS don't know what a Wheel is, why don't kids know that if the guy in front of me tags so should I, why don't they know the rules of the game (INF FLY, Detatched players equipment etc...) Do they know how to make appeals properly while the ball is in play and while it is not in play??.....do they understand where to be when you Intentionally Walk someone....I know you just tell the umpire to put him on but that doesn't mean you cannot prepare him for the next level.....

Why are we even worrying about telling a kid to take the first pitch??????......If you like it, hit it.....Let the Coach/Manager decide on weather to take or not as the situation presents itself......

I really don't like players being instructed to take the first pitch. However, my son takes the first pitch most of the time. This comes from him working with two former MLB players that convinced him to:

1) Watch the pitcher and approach each at bat with a plan.

2) Look for a particular pitch in a particular area for the first pitch. In other words look for your pitch. If it ain't there, pass. If it is, attack it. What happens is that in reality, many times that first pitch isn't what you want. I think this is where most coaches get that "don't swing at the first pitch" thing particularly at the younger ages where many batters aren't real good at judging the strike zone.

3) If the first pitch is a ball. Repeat #2 above. If it is a strike, expand the strike zone and pitch selection that you will swing at.

4) For every subsequent pitch, repeat the prior if a ball, expand if a strike. After you get to two strikes you have to protect.

That always made sense to me.

Michaels Dad.....Perfect......Exactly.....

Sit on a location depending on the situation....moving runners, inf in/back etc...

You can take a pitch with a purpose and if you tell a kid to just take the pitch for what ever reason you must also stress the importance of taking it with a purpose......track the ball, be prepared to hit it even if you know you are taking as this will only prepare you for subsequent pitches or most importantly the NEXT ONE.......

I love it Michaels Dad....Perfect......Solid

The one deck hitters should be watching the pitcher to see his pattern(S)--our guys talk to each other about what they were thrown and a pattern can be developed in very short order

Well, if there is one thing we are all in agreement on, it's we don't agree with the coach that instructs his team to automatically take the first pitch.

quote:

Originally posted by LOW337:
Take the first pitch?????.....Well, how good is the hitter?????...very relative question (sorry)..does he miss hit more than he centers balls?????........How good is the pitcher????....can he throw the ball over the plate??????.....and that question is very relative........Too many if's to flat out ask if a hitter should across the board take the first pitch........You never did mention the situation.....things obviously change with the situation....do you need baserunners??????? or are you up by 10 runs???????......too many variables..........too general of a question.....

Sorry, I may seem very sarcastic....and partially so.......but come on......I would be worried about teaching many more aspects of the game other than taking first pitches........

If I had it my way I would require a controlled game once a week at all levels below College to teach kids how play the game......IMO the two things that are messed up most often are cut-offs/relays and baserunning......have a coach pitch game w/ an L-screen and teach kids situations and beeing the right spot as well as baserunning......

Actually, all too often none of this matters. We all know coaches who have batters take the first strike regardless of anything else. That's what my original question was asking about.....the idea of always taking the first pitch.

There is no "always" in baseball

Sure there is.....
Always play hard
Always Hustle (you never know who is watching)

Sorry couldn't help it.....I do know what you mean TRhit......Even though I'm from a hoops state......

Those "always"are not situations


And I am from a hoops college, St John's