Dumb strategies

[jbo911]

While what you say is very good reasoning and brings validity to the conversation I must say I think we give hitters to much credit sometimes... In my experience most hitters aren't good enough to hit it at a certain hole with Much consistency or effectively enough to warrant any kind of movement by the pitcher falling to one side or the other. Although a good pitcher knows how to fill a hole I tend to think stepping back and setting up for a ball to come right at you does just as good as falling to the hole your 5 man is not.

I always fall to the side my 5 man is not on because I will never set up right behind the rubber. Seen too many bad hops off the rubber, and have even seen a few guys trip over it.

The 6 hole is the only one I feel is a big gimmie after middle. It's pull, where most of us hit if we came over from baseball, etc. If your SS isn't playing more towards third with a 5 man it's basically just trying to cover middle.

Similarly, I've played with several 2B that shade the middle in a 5 man and leave a huge 4 hole. I've never understood that. Especially when I'm falling that way.

 

[smarkley3]

I love to walk up and pretend I am going to go a particular way or look out and pretend to pick where I am going to hit it. I walked up to the plate and was gonna try to pull it and stood very obviously like that (opened up). The fielders yelled out, he gonna go to the left side ( I had hit opo my last two at bats). After they yelled (he is gonna pull!) I change my stance back, but as the ball came to the plate adjusted. Now I dont pull well but this was hit semi hard at the left side. I put my head down and beat the throw by two or three steps. Funniest thing is they were playing almost at the cut, I even thought about a swinging bunt but for a minute. Sometimes over thinking is just as bad as not, LOL.

 

[etnstudios]

that's one of the things i love. guys that think they're sneaky with hitting backside. if you have to change your stance, you aren't fooling anybody above rec

 

[smarkley3]

that's one of the things i love. guys that think they're sneaky with hitting backside. if you have to change your stance, you aren't fooling anybody above rec

Thats the point bro, I am a rec player and I did the double entendre. I was going, they bit, I changed, but they did move, just yelled. The guys seen me hit, I have no pull power, but they were right in front of the cut. Should I mention this is single wall 55+ Senior and the bases are close?
Same thing, a few years ago I played against my work team. They shifted for me to but, played IF up on the right side (where I do have power) and I blew it past the IF for three hit. IJS, before you do any kind of shift or defensive move THINK!

 

[RC#13]

So what you're saying is you go both ways?? You really needed to type that out for us to know that about you?? Thanks Captain Obvious!!!!

 

[zuke 37]

Don't be the judge, be the exicutioner. With people on base you must hit to right, behind the runners.

A while back I posted on when and why you hit behind the runners.

Someone suguested it should be a stickey.

BRAGG POINT: Once in a game that was already decided, the other team put 9 guys on the right side
of second base and challanged me the hit to right, I still got a hit.

I don't know how to bring up old posts, but if you do look that one up. It's a good read.

 

[FishBrat]

Ok, so, let me get this straight here, it's a "rec ball" thing to do to take away the line if they hit a foul ball in that direction. If they are trying to drop on down the line or are a known hitter that loves putting one down the line, how is it a "rec league" thing to take it away from him or her?

 

[MarlSrSoftball]

Ok, so, let me get this straight here, it's a "rec ball" thing to do to take away the line if they hit a foul ball in that direction. If they are trying to drop on down the line or are a known hitter that loves putting one down the line, how is it a "rec league" thing to take it away from him or her?

I don't understand it either. What is the difference you play to win in either or what is the sense of playing. I play both and play just as hard in either though will admit there is more pressure in tournament ball but I don't play it any different.

 

[jbo911]

Ok, so, let me get this straight here, it's a "rec ball" thing to do to take away the line if they hit a foul ball in that direction. If they are trying to drop on down the line or are a known hitter that loves putting one down the line, how is it a "rec league" thing to take it away from him or her?

It's a rec thing to do if they have hit a foul ball there, but they have 2 strikes with no courtesy foul left. It's gotta be fair, so most smart ball players aren't trying to hit it down the line when it'll be an out if they're a hair early or slice it just a tad.

In rec it's a catch 22 because a rec hitter probably doesn't know it'll be an out if he hits it foul again so it's not necessarily a dumb play for the defense to do it. :wtf2:

 

[thesteve]

I think the point was that if some is unsuccessful at punching the line early in their AB and they have no fouls left to give, odds are they aren't going to try to punch line and risk fouling out. If we assume this to be true, then there's no reason to play the line tight if you believe that the odds are in favor of them going for a safer hit. It's "Rec League" because a lot of the players at that level don't think about the fact that when you're down to your last pitch you're probably not going to punch the line and risk fouling out.

EDIT: Damn...jbo beat me.

 

[pontiacfb78]

Batter hits a foul ball down the line and is down to his last strike. The next foul ball is an out. Why do guys (especially outfielders) move toward the line to "guard" against another ball down the line? I see it all the time. IMO, give him the line. If he's brave enough to try that again with no foul to give, he's earned his double. A better strategy would be to pinch in toward CF and take away the gap when there is no foul to give.

Some players just can't hit away from the line. Usually you get to know the people you play against, which helps.

We played a team twice in two weeks in league. They had a new guy that couldn't get his timing right, and kept fouling it off on the 3B side with a range of 120-230ft. Without a 3rd foul out rule, it got ridiculous. By his second AB of the second game, we had 4 people set on the line at different depths. It kind of felt cheap, but in a competitive league where he couldn't manage to get it more than 10ft inside the line, it worked.

 

[ddoubler]

IMO... Most guys who are playing true Rec aren't worried or have a clue when to switch or move defensively on a certain hitter

 

[Superstar555]

They had a new guy that couldn't get his timing right, and kept fouling it off on the 3B side with a range of 120-2300ft.

Definitely a cut stick.

 

[TonyB]

This one may be argued, but I hate the misconception that you need a bunch of 5 star athletes to run a 5 man. If anything, you can afford to have infielders with a little less range. And as long as the routine plays get made in the OF there's no reason it shouldn't work. So many people bite off more than they can chew with a 5 man as well. If you're getting gapped then your pitcher needs to work it around some more, and bottom line of it is you have to hit with them or you won't win. No matter how many fielders you have where.

The routine plays have to be made in the infield, too.

I've always wondered why teams put a shift on for left handed hitters but no one does it for right handed hitters. Are left handed hitters bad at going opposite field or what.

Because you still have to have somebody to cover first base.

 

[jaj23]

Because you still have to have somebody to cover first base.

Not if you have a shift on...

 

[jaj23]

Some players just can't hit away from the line. Usually you get to know the people you play against, which helps.

We played a team twice in two weeks in league. They had a new guy that couldn't get his timing right, and kept fouling it off on the 3B side with a range of 120-2300ft. Without a 3rd foul out rule, it got ridiculous. By his second AB of the second game, we had 4 people set on the line at different depths. It kind of felt cheap, but in a competitive league where he couldn't manage to get it more than 10ft inside the line, it worked.

True, but once there's no foul to give, you don't have to cover foul ground. You can still afford to move away from the line as long as you can get to the ball if it's hit fair down the line.

 

[thesteve]

True, but once there's no foul to give, you don't have to cover foul ground. You can still afford to move away from the line as long as you can get to the ball if it's hit fair down the line.

This is along the same lines as the guy that plays on the warning track with power hitters up to the plate...because being three feet from the fence is a huge advantage over 15 feet from the fence when you've got a couple seconds to react.

 

[GOING 4 THIRD]

I've always wondered why teams put a shift on for left handed hitters but no one does it for right handed hitters. Are left handed hitters bad at going opposite field or what.

MOre than likely b/c thats what you see on T.V.

 

[jaj23]

This is along the same lines as the guy that plays on the warning track with power hitters up to the plate...because being three feet from the fence is a huge advantage over 15 feet from the fence when you've got a couple seconds to react.

Yes. That's a good one. A lot of guys have a hard time going back on a ball, so they almost stand on the track when a power hitter is up. I got news...if you don't have the fundamentals to go back on a ball, you're not likely going to rob any HRs.

 

[jaj23]

SS or 3B on the grass with a speedy guy at the plate...see it all the time...no way he's getting the ball to first before the runner.

 

[sjury]

How about thinking anything you do in any slowpitch game is actually a strategy? Everything is a guess. You can play everything right and pitch whatever pitch you want, and a good hitter will get on base. Outs are hitters mistakes, not because someone came up with some new strategy.

Best Strategy is to play the game, have fun, and drink beer.

 

[stork]

Hitting to right can be very advantageous most of the time, at least in comparison to left.

And yes to the comment above that many in rec don't know strategy from a hole in the wall much less study hitters tendencies.

 

[Beauner]

I think its funny when teams will full on Papi shift and the pitcher makes no effort to pitch to the set defense

As a hitter this is my favorite thing. I often had pitchers shift their defense around for me early in the year because I used to rarely push the ball. I spent all offseason working on using the whole field. Pitchers still shifted their defense over and the pitcher would then float one on the outer half. Thanks for the free hits.:bigok:

 

[stork]

If you don't have a pitcher to pitch to the shift, why bother.

 

[MaMaLuLu]

SS or 3B on the grass with a speedy guy at the plate...see it all the time...no way he's getting the ball to first before the runner.

totally agree with this. smart hitters will half swing intentional grounders and beat these guys to first every single time, which is a little bit why I advocate longer baselenghts in slowpitch

 

[vahntitrio]

I've always wondered why teams put a shift on for left handed hitters but no one does it for right handed hitters. Are left handed hitters bad at going opposite field or what.

So as a left-hander, rec league guys seem to think I should always hit pull because the weaker fielders are there. It really doesn't make sense though, as from a right handed pitcher a left-handed batters point of contact will be further away from them due to the angle a ball comes in (especially if he leans toward third to throw it). In rec league fall ball in the bottom of the 7th with 2 outs, runners on 2nd and 3rd in a tie game the opposing team's shortstop shifted me all the way to where a normal MI would play. Easiest walk-off I've ever had hitting a routine ground ball to where he should have been playing.

 

[billvp]

I've always wondered why teams put a shift on for left handed hitters but no one does it for right handed hitters. Are left handed hitters bad at going opposite field or what.

they do, it's why the normal position for a 2nd baseman is fairly near the bag - you just don't see them shifting because they are there most of the time

 

[corndiggity]

Yes. That's a good one. A lot of guys have a hard time going back on a ball, so they almost stand on the track when a power hitter is up. I got news...if you don't have the fundamentals to go back on a ball, you're not likely going to rob any HRs.

This entirely. I've played outfield my whole career and used to play deep but the longer I played, the shallower I started to play.

I always try to convince guys I play with to move in. Especially cause our diamonds are 275ish. I'm fine getting the ball in quick and holding runners to singles, while giving up a few extra base hits of the fence. If I can't track it close to the fence, it was either a rope, or a bomb. Or I missed it.


Outfielders trying to gun guys on the base paths. Or even worse, the pump fake while running in.

The BEST thing an outfielder can do, is consistently get to the ball, quickly, and get it to an infielder. Nothing stops base runners better than an infielder with the ball.

 

[thesteve]

Outfielders trying to gun guys on the base paths. Or even worse, the pump fake while running in.

The BEST thing an outfielder can do, is consistently get to the ball, quickly, and get it to an infielder. Nothing stops base runners better than an infielder with the ball.

Oh man...the pump fake. I play with a guy who pump fakes constantly. I wish I played against him. I'd force that damn throw every time.

 

[MaMaLuLu]

putting your best power hitter batting 1st (because he'll have more at bats). lol worst strategy ever unless its an open bomb tournament. Guy always ends up hitting a solo homer first AB