Hitting up the Middle

[BigWhiffa]

Disclaimer alert! Not defending the OP.

Funny thing is there are much larger gaps in LC and RC with a 3 man OF. Just a matter of getting the liner over the infield instead of trying to crush it. Would seem to be a much higher percentage of success than trying to pound groundballs and low liners thru 6 people.

i don't play high enough level ball when i'm facing teams playing 5 man. most of the time its e ball where a homerun is an out or inning ender. or its d and there aren't many and are usually gone pretty early. around this area most fences are 280/290 so ball get out quick. i'm pounding infield gaps all day usually. my mi****s are good liners and my super mi****s might find a guy but otherwise most times i'm pounding middle late in games.

once again, church, super rec, most play straight up i go 5-6 / 3-4

 

[blackbeasst]

Sorry op but I gotta agree with mostly everyone else here. If you see it's going outside and you don't at least take a couple steps back and get your glove up, you're just asking for it and have no right to *****. Intentional or not.

 

[TWmccoy]

I don't hit middle myself, even when we're out of HRs. I figure you get 90 degrees to work with. Hitting middle is needless and is a cop out for guys who make excuses.

If you're a good hitter, show it and spray the ball around. Blowing balls up the middle at top speed doesn't make anyone a good hitter. It makes them a coward. It takes no poise to smash a ball at or near a pitcher who's only 50-55' away with a hot composite bat.

And I'm getting really tired of the line "if you can't field the middle, don't pitch". That may have been valid a long time ago, but batted ball speed is out of control and even the best pitchers in the nation routinely get dotted seriously..... that despite armoring up.

I have no respect for big swingers who continually piss the middle claiming they're "just trying to get a hit".

 

[Kevw45]

That's the dumbest thing you could have said. Assuming "spilling" in this scenario is "pitching outside", and getting "burnt" is getting the ball hit up the middle, hot coffee burning you would be inevitable, not something you can control. Last time I checked, you can control hitting. Or at least some people can, I'm guessing not you if that was your response.

Also, in the league I play in it's an automatic out if you hit it up the middle with a "pitcher zone" that is 4 ft wide. So trying to get it a hit up the middle would be irrelevant, and even a 2nd way the hitter is being an idiot because he's giving himself no chance to get a hit.

I don't think you understand what's going on here... It's because of pantiwaists like you, that rule even exists. Majority of players wish people like you wouldn't play period. You stifle the competition because of your lack of athleticism. Furthermore, it's the sole purpose why I don't play ASA. U-trip, the ball has to actually come in contact with the pitcher... At least for now until girlymen like you start switching over... Then a new association will have to be invented. You're just like a bunch of liberal Democrats, and us normal people can't ever run far enough to get away from you.

 

[jbo911]

I only get mad when I don't catch it. And when people think voting for one group of people that doesn't care about them makes them tougher/cooler than another.

 

[Kodiak1]

We should just pay a ten year old $5 a game to sit behind a screen and feed a pitching machine...

 

[jbo911]

I don't care if you're trying to hit me on purpose or not. It doesn't hurt any more.

If you're intentionally using a shaved bat that's different, but it applies to every fielder on the field as much as the pitcher. You're a douchebag for doing it.

There is no other position similar. You can stand anywhere you want. I have to stand in a certain area and abide by rules for each pitch.

All that being said, don't act like it was an accident. I don't care if it was, I don't want to hear about it. I don't give a **** that you did it, but don't insult my intelligence with that I'm sorry **** either. If you didn't want to risk hitting me, you'd have pulled it or gone oppo. I'm throwing it underhanded, the jackass behind the plate is making me drop it in a coffee cup 99% of the time, don't act like I give a **** about you unloading your guilt on me. Choke on it, because I'm not crying about you doing it and I'm not going to forget either.

 

[blakcherry329]

I don't think you understand what's going on here... It's because of pantiwaists like you, that rule even exists. Majority of players wish people like you wouldn't play period. You stifle the competition because of your lack of athleticism. Furthermore, it's the sole purpose why I don't play ASA. U-trip, the ball has to actually come in contact with the pitcher... At least for now until girlymen like you start switching over... Then a new association will have to be invented. You're just like a bunch of liberal Democrats, and us normal people can't ever run far enough to get away from you.[/QUOTE]
Spoken like a true 'Murican.

 

[stork]

Make that 45-46' if they're doing the Happy Gilmore ball-whacker dude BS of running up in the box.

If youre really scared...run backwards when the pitch is in the air...

This. Not necessarily run, but back up 3-5 steps. And it might make that hole look a little smaller. Give yourself a sec to set though. Or not, idgaf.

 

[stork]

Softball has nothing to do with politics you ignorant buffoon.

 

[mav3134]

So legitimate question, regardless of if you agree with me or not to everyone who says they hit up the middle. Why on an outside pitch would you not go opposite field anyways? Usually a 5 man IF would have 3 guys on the left side anyways, and with a 4x4 straight up typically the 1B/2B/RCF/RF would not be as good of fielders as SS/3B/LF/LCF anyways. Not always of course, but more times than not that's what most defenses would have on average ability wise. So why would you not want to go opposite field on an outside pitch? Why would you want to go up the middle in the first place?

 

[TrainWreck209]

Maybe they can't.

You see it a lot with dead pull hitters. If they are still getting hits why change.
I try to find the 3-4 hole or RC gap so if i get a pitch down the middle i go with it and put it back up the middle. I get hits, so i don't change. And yes i pitch, who cares.

 

[Hiltz]

Also, in the league I play in it's an automatic out if you hit it up the middle with a "pitcher zone" that is 4 ft wide. So trying to get it a hit up the middle would be irrelevant, and even a 2nd way the hitter is being an idiot because he's giving himself no chance to get a hit.

The plate is 12 inches wide, the field usually has about 80+ ft total counting either side of the pitcher. Blame the pitcher for not controlling a pitch within 6 inches instead of a hitter for not controlling being able to hit 80+ ft of that isn't the pitcher?

That 4' wide "pitcher zone" works out to a 27' swath of field on a 300' fence. I did the math, but I'm not showing my work. The idiots with no bat control that are constantly hitting at you might be trying to hit the RC gap and are just pulling the trigger a fraction of a second too early.

I will say, though, that Hiltz is right with his intentions but not very accurate. Easy to make that comment when you're 70-80' ft away from that hot shot instead of 48'. Try comparing apples with apples.

You missed my point completely. I wasn't comparing 3b to pitching; I was saying that the odd middle shot is part of the game for pitchers, the same way hard liners are to be expected when you're playing 3b. I have nothing but respect for guys who are willing to stand 45' away from today's bats.

 

[mav3134]

That 4' wide "pitcher zone" works out to a 27' swath of field on a 300' fence. I did the math, but I'm not showing my work. The idiots with no bat control that are constantly hitting at you might be trying to hit the RC gap and are just pulling the trigger a fraction of a second too early.

Doesn't really matter for this discussion but since you brought it up that is incorrect. Distance between the bases is 65 ft. That means if you drew a straight line between 1B-3B across the mound to make a triangle the distance is just over 91ft. Take out 4 ft for the pitching zone, that's 43.5ft on either side of the pitcher to work with.

 

[mav3134]

And again, at no point have I said I'm upset with anybody that hits a shot up the middle on accident. It's just the thick headed softball bros that think it's the only thing they can do on an outside pitch so they blame the pitcher for getting hit.

 

[Joker]

Pitchers are to blame if they don't get in the proper position to protect themselves

 

[GrinningBear]

I hate the chest puffing, "pitcher should no pitch if can't catch. Grrr." Morons.

But flat and outside is coming back at you nearly every time. A lot of pitchers throw that purposely and hope it's a cue shot but know it's more than likely wise they cover up. If you put one there you're leaving the hitter with only a few options--which is why you throw it--and a good hitter isn't going to take a bad swing at a ball they can't hit hard just to avoid the pitcher--which is why you should be ready.

 

[StickCollector]

We should just pay a ten year old $5 a game to sit behind a screen and feed a pitching machine...

The league I used to play in may not be far off from that. They do have pitching screens now. And hitting that screen with a line drive or even a ground ball constitutes an out. I don't agree with it, but more leagues may become that way it today's game of hot bats. It does take away from the game, but leagues have to be mindful of insurance and player well being.

 

[ddoubler]

It might be time for another hottest bat thread now

I'm no pitcher...but i've seen great pitchers with good protection snap off balls and change the game with playing good defense. If you catch the ball...people will start to try to hit somewhere else...if not, keep catching the ball...

If youre really scared...run backwards when the pitch is in the air...

Actually running backwards is not a good idea... better to take a giant step back and set your feet in anticipation of catching one back at you

 

[clementeunknown]

Yesterday I played against 2 friends of mine, both of them usually hit middle and OPPO and I got both out with shots up the middle. One I tipped the ball towards the SS for a 6-3 double play and the other I ended the game by snow coning a ball that blew the glove off my hand, the glove and ball landed on my feet so I grabbed the ball and flipped it to 1st. Both guys came and apologized but I told them "It's ok I have a glove and it's part if the game". I'm not trying to be all macho but if somebody says "Watch out it's coming back at you next time" I consider that a threat and I won't let that slide. I once told a guy that was chirping at me from 1st "Don't threaten me, I don't like problems and if you hit me we're going to have a problem after the game ". The guy never hit it at me.

TLDR: it's part of the game but if somebody says they're going to hit you that's a threat.

 

[Jusrah99]

Actually running backwards is not a good idea... better to take a giant step back and set your feet in anticipation of catching one back at you

I meant if he's scared of getting hit...lol

 

[canadianball]

hitting middle is part of the game......and I pitch every game for my team

 

[LngBallLvr]

Unwritten rules do not exist. Fake rules are kinda like fake news.

 

[Country469]

So legitimate question, regardless of if you agree with me or not to everyone who says they hit up the middle. Why on an outside pitch would you not go opposite field anyways? Usually a 5 man IF would have 3 guys on the left side anyways, and with a 4x4 straight up typically the 1B/2B/RCF/RF would not be as good of fielders as SS/3B/LF/LCF anyways. Not always of course, but more times than not that's what most defenses would have on average ability wise. So why would you not want to go opposite field on an outside pitch? Why would you want to go up the middle in the first place?

Huh? E level **** here. The middle man should move to wear the pitcher is trying to pitch the hitter. When you play against better comp you'll get it. They whole deal with a 5 man infield is to force the batter to either change his swing or have to go to you strong side. Teams that put them all on the pull side don't understand it.

Pitchers are to blame if they don't get in the proper position to protect themselves

This. Heisman posing out there is what I call it. These old men who think its still ok to throw that pitch that hits the front of the plate with 2 strikes need to evaluate things again. This isnt the days of high arch. You have to protect on that low pitch.

 

[WillW3]

I don't hit middle myself, even when we're out of HRs. I figure you get 90 degrees to work with. Hitting middle is needless and is a cop out for guys who make excuses.

If you're a good hitter, show it and spray the ball around. Blowing balls up the middle at top speed doesn't make anyone a good hitter. It makes them a coward. It takes no poise to smash a ball at or near a pitcher who's only 50-55' away with a hot composite bat.

And I'm getting really tired of the line "if you can't field the middle, don't pitch". That may have been valid a long time ago, but batted ball speed is out of control and even the best pitchers in the nation routinely get dotted seriously..... that despite armoring up.

I have no respect for big swingers who continually piss the middle claiming they're "just trying to get a hit".

This is completely stupid. If the middle is where the biggest hole on the field is, that's where I'm going. Nobody is a coward for going through there. Not everyone is as great a hitter as you though.

 

[blakcherry329]

Heisman posing out there is what I call it. These old men who think its still ok to throw that pitch that hits the front of the plate with 2 strikes need to evaluate things again. This isnt the days of high arch. You have to protect on that low pitch.

Lol. Being one of those "old men", I take exception to this.
No matter how old you are, you should always expect the ball to come back at you, no matter where the ball is pitched. That should be every pitcher's mindset.

 

[Country469]

Lol. Being one of those "old men", I take exception to this.
No matter how old you are, you should always expect the ball to come back at you, no matter where the ball is pitched. That should be every pitcher's mindset.

100% TRUE. Especially at the lower levels where you really cannot trust guys hands and the swings are ridick awful. 2 steps back, glove up, mask and cup on.

 

[Donger73]

There is no other position similar. You can stand anywhere you want. I have to stand in a certain area and abide by rules for each pitch.

All that being said, don't act like it was an accident. I don't care if it was, I don't want to hear about it. I don't give a **** that you did it, but don't insult my intelligence with that I'm sorry **** either. If you didn't want to risk hitting me, you'd have pulled it or gone oppo. I'm throwing it underhanded, the jackass behind the plate is making me drop it in a coffee cup 99% of the time, don't act like I give a **** about you unloading your guilt on me. Choke on it, because I'm not crying about you doing it and I'm not going to forget either.

Well stated and one of the few valid points of fact in this whole thread

 

[herts9]

jbo complaining about bad umpires making him put it on a tee..shocking


and from E ball to major, everybody does it. it's not a bat control thing. it's an optimal swing/result thing. I don't give a **** if you respect me for doing it or not. if I do hit middle, and I do get on base, and you're pitching or crying about it, I win.

 

[oppotaco13]

I don't care if you're trying to hit me on purpose or not. It doesn't hurt any more.

If you're intentionally using a shaved bat that's different, but it applies to every fielder on the field as much as the pitcher. You're a douchebag for doing it.

There is no other position similar. You can stand anywhere you want. I have to stand in a certain area and abide by rules for each pitch.

All that being said, don't act like it was an accident. I don't care if it was, I don't want to hear about it. I don't give a **** that you did it, but don't insult my intelligence with that I'm sorry **** either. If you didn't want to risk hitting me, you'd have pulled it or gone oppo. I'm throwing it underhanded, the jackass behind the plate is making me drop it in a coffee cup 99% of the time, don't act like I give a **** about you unloading your guilt on me. Choke on it, because I'm not crying about you doing it and I'm not going to forget either.

Is this because you can't feel feelings?