Dumb strategies

[jaj23]

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.

What other dumb defensive or offensive strategies do you see?

 

[The BP Hero]

The 5 man playing right behind the bag and/or pitcher. What's the point....

 

[MarlSrSoftball]

If you have a good pitcher he is going to pitch inside/outside to the batter to get him to foul out especially if he is a pull hitter.

LSX Freak: I have been preaching that for years but it usually falls on deaf ears.

 

[Stretch19]

Batter hits a foul ball down the line and is down to his last strike. The next foul ball is an out. Why to 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.

What other dumb defensive or offensive strategies do you see?

sounds like a solid Rec ball strategy

 

[jaj23]

sounds like a solid Rec ball strategy

Definitely more prevalent in rec ball, but I see it in tourney ball too... I even hear people yelling "watch the line" after someone hits a ball barely foul...um, why?

 

[NorCal5150]

The 5 man playing right behind the bag and/or pitcher. What's the point....

I LOVE it when the 5man is right behind the pitcher!!!!!! When I'm hitting of course..haha

 

[freak98guy]

Depends on the hitter. Some guys are going to pull it regardless of the count. To you point tho, even on those guys, I'd come off the line a few steps further than I was with a 1-1 count.

 

[jbo911]

The 5 man playing right behind the bag and/or pitcher. What's the point....

Worse than that is the ss that plays where he normally would even if the mi is on his side.

 

[ddoubler]

Worse than that is the ss that plays where he normally would even if the mi is on his side.

I see what you're saying.... but I tend to think the 5 man directly behind 2nd base is worse

 

[NorCal5150]

Worse than that is the ss that plays where he normally would even if the mi is on his side.

I see what you're saying.... but I tend to think the 5 man directly behind 2nd base is worse

Either situation doesn't make much sense!

 

[ddoubler]

Just One of the many "strategies" I tend to hate is... "He is fast...he needs to lead off." Ill think of more later

 

[zuke 37]

The middle man is all visual.

Start in the middle, then move to the left or right as the pitcher starts his motion.

You want the batter to change his mind while the pitch is on the way.

Your pitcher can signal you as to where they are going inside or out.

This ain't a game, it's a science.

 

[The BP Hero]

The middle man is all visual.

Start in the middle, then move to the left or right as the pitcher starts his motion.

You want the batter to change his mind while the pitch is on the way.

Your pitcher can signal you as to where they are going inside or out.

This ain't a game, it's a science.

If they move that's one thing. But what I am referring to is them standing there with their thumb up their ass and not moving. If they moved, it wouldn't be a poor strategy.

 

[thesteve]

Splitting the power guys so "there will be people to drive in when you get up"...yeah...except when one of your power guys is a doubles machine and now gets 3 ABs instead of 4 because you put him in the 8 spot...

 

[The BP Hero]

LSX Freak: I have been preaching that for years but it usually falls on deaf ears.

Beating a dead horse. Between that and pitchers not moving to the opposite side of the bag, or moving in the way of the MIF. You're pissing in the wind at that point.

I LOVE it when the 5man is right behind the pitcher!!!!!! When I'm hitting of course..haha

Haha same here! So many gapssss

Worse than that is the ss that plays where he normally would even if the mi is on his side.

I can see where that would be an annoyance. But at least he's not blocked by someone and not standing right over the top of a bag.

I see what you're saying.... but I tend to think the 5 man directly behind 2nd base is worse

I agree. Hit it through the pitcher and the fielder can't see it coming and/or can't get a clean play on it because the pitcher deflected it.

Just One of the many "strategies" I tend to hate is... "He is fast...he needs to lead off." Ill think of more later

Dude I love hitting leadoff and am fairly decent at it. I am slower than molasses in January but my OBP is through the roof when I bat leadoff.

Watched some old conference games a while back and saw Lee Powers leading off for Backman. When I asked someone that played with them what the strategy was, his response was based around getting your best hitters the most AB's. Makes perfect sense.

 

[The BP Hero]

Splitting the power guys so "there will be people to drive in when you get up"...yeah...except when one of your power guys is a doubles machine and now gets 3 ABs instead of 4 because you put him in the 8 spot...

If he's a doubles machine then the two power guys need to switch.

 

[The BP Hero]

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.

 

[jbo911]

If the pitcher doesn't move, your situation is probably worse. IMO, even if the pitcher doesn't move, it's not as bad as leaving the 6 hole wide open.

That being said, I've played with some suspect MIs before. How you can be almost twice as far from the batter and not get to a ball between us that I almost get to, when it's on your glove side, is beyond me. At that point they're just a hood ornament. And I'll clarify, these guys weren't playing so far to the left that they had to range to get back to the middle. I'm talking 3 steps tops.

 

[jbo911]

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.

True, but they're going to hit gaps. You just have to live with it to an extent. If you're going to go back to a four man after 2 doubles you shouldn't ever play it to begin with.

 

[c.mathews23]

I may get roasted for this but playing a 5 man with 330 fences. IMO, that's too big of a field to be playing 5 man unless you have track stars in the outfield. On a shorter field with 290-300 fences, play a 5 man all day. Anyone agree/disagree?

 

[Donger73]

I may get roasted for this but playing a 5 man with 330 fences. IMO, that's too big of a field to be playing 5 man unless you have track stars in the outfield. On a shorter field with 290-300 fences, play a 5 man all day. Anyone agree/disagree?

Totally agree below C level

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

 

[jaj23]

I may get roasted for this but playing a 5 man with 330 fences. IMO, that's too big of a field to be playing 5 man unless you have track stars in the outfield. On a shorter field with 290-300 fences, play a 5 man all day. Anyone agree/disagree?

With a deeper fence, play 5 man with 2 strikes on the hitter because the OF gets smaller with no foul to give. Or choose the hitters you play 5 man against.

 

[jaj23]

Splitting the power guys so "there will be people to drive in when you get up"...yeah...except when one of your power guys is a doubles machine and now gets 3 ABs instead of 4 because you put him in the 8 spot...

...plus you have to assume that everyone is getting on in front of the power guys.

 

[c.mathews23]

Totally agree below C level

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

Exactly. I go oppo all the time so most team pull the "Papi" shift on me but the pitcher never throws it outside. So most of the time I just pull it down 3rd base line laughing all the way to 2nd lol.

 

[thesteve]

...plus you have to assume that everyone is getting on in front of the power guys.

Yeah...manager just...bleh. I was subbing and I didn't pay so I just followed orders, but there were some things done that I couldn't figure out. The line up was wonky and having your 1B, SS and LF rotate throughout the game didn't make a ton of sense to me either.

 

[ddoubler]

If the pitcher doesn't move, your situation is probably worse. IMO, even if the pitcher doesn't move, it's not as bad as leaving the 6 hole wide open.

That being said, I've played with some suspect MIs before. How you can be almost twice as far from the batter and not get to a ball between us that I almost get to, when it's on your glove side, is beyond me. At that point they're just a hood ornament. And I'll clarify, these guys weren't playing so far to the left that they had to range to get back to the middle. I'm talking 3 steps tops.

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.

 

[-Six-]

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.

 

[GOING 4 THIRD]

My favorite is when i get up, 1st at bat, opposing team hasn't even seen me yet, HOWEVER the team assumes kuz im lefty i deserve the giambi shift, leaving two fielders left of second on the entire field. I love it, The only time i ever talk smack rounding bases

 

[jaj23]

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.

Definitely a league thing...makes zero sense.

 

[stork]

Letting the other team score runs so you can get another AB when you are crushing them. Wait, is that a strategy? Carry on...