I'm coachin a team of 8th and 9th graders and we've got our playoffs on Monday....We've played this team twice and lost by 1 run each time......We havent won a game yet this year but the pieces are there....We have 13 kids....6 of which can hit....2 or 3 have good eyes and 4 of them couldnt hit a ball on the tee.....I need lineup help.....We have the pitching taking care of....

 

The other team only has two good hitters and is really fundamentally sound. They've stolen on us like crazy and basically gone on first move...How can we slow them down??? I know it will take a lot for us to win but any tips or tricks you have to make our lineup and not have all our s***ty outs bat back to back would be greatly appreciated.

Hose the clay like the Giants did oh so many years ago?

Try the hidden ball trick.

any serious suggestons?

Mix up the looks to first/second on the runners.

 

Maybe one time you look twice, the other time you look only once, the other time you look three times, etc.

 

Also try throwing back to the base and keep them close. Keep them thinking....

 

try some pitch outs when you think they will be going.

Try the hidden ball trick.

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:lol :lol :lol

 

:notworthy

Mix up the looks to first/second on the runners.

 

Maybe one time you look twice, the other time you look only once, the other time you look three times, etc.

 

Also try throwing back to the base and keep them close. Keep them thinking....

 

try some pitch outs when you think they will be going.

806308[/snapback]

 

Yeah, the only thing is their runners never lean or jump....somehow they just always get a good jump

Mix up the looks to first/second on the runners.

 

Maybe one time you look twice, the other time you look only once, the other time you look three times, etc.

 

Also try throwing back to the base and keep them close. Keep them thinking....

 

try some pitch outs when you think they will be going.

806308[/snapback]

 

Yeah, the only thing is their runners never lean or jump....somehow they just always get a good jump

806316[/snapback]

They are stealing it off the pitcher then, let the pitcher slide step to homeplate, all though they wont have their best stuff but will keep the runners close.

 

I use a different slide step that helps me keep my weight back and deliver my best to home but is kinda hard to explain.

 

I buckle by front knee back towards second and slide to homeplate. Weird but helps my mechanics stay the same as when pitching with no runners on.

i've told my pitchers about that given all my experience in this league but none of them listen.

i've told my pitchers about that given all my experience in this league but none of them listen.

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Make em run from the right field foul line to the left field fence and back in 35 seconds, 10 times. Then they will listen...lol thats what he do in our high school.

 

:mischief2

Here's my try.

1-good eye

2-bad hitter

3-good hitter

4-good hitter

5-bad hitter

6-good hitter

7-good hitter

8-good eye

9-bad hitter

10-good hitter

11-good eye

12-bad hitter

13-good hitter

 

Some coaching advice:

 

Tell the good hitters to not accept walks. They have to not only get on base, but drive in the runners already on base, because the kids with good eyes and the bat hitters can't.

 

Tell the kids with "good eyes" that they should continue making the pitchers work, and if there ever comes a situation where if they walk they won't drive a runner in, and there are 2 outs and a bad hitter coming up, they should try to get a hit instead of taking a walk.

 

Tell the bad hitters that they should look aggressive at the plate and try to make the pitcher walk them. If the pitcher is on target the whole game and doesn't throw balls then they should either try to annoy him by standing closer to the plate, or atleast try to bunt and run it out and move the other runners over.

 

And when the other team has runners on base make sure your pitcher throws the ball hard so the catcher can get the ball quicker. Also, tell the pitcher that he shouldn't just pitch right away, but he should try and pick the runner off the base and atleast make some throws over. And his pitches should preferably be over the outside corner so the catcher can get it easier and won't have to worry as much about the batter swinging...etc.

Try the hidden ball trick.

806300[/snapback]

:lol :lol :lol

 

:notworthy

806310[/snapback]

:lol :thumbup

 

I always wondered why they don't try that in the majors...it would work.

Marlins...i like your suggestions but shouldnt my 1-5 hitters be the best hitters???

Marlins...i like your suggestions but shouldnt my 1-5 hitters be the best hitters???

806340[/snapback]

Yeah, you can do that if you want, but my way of thinking was that they're not going to have any easy innings. They're going to run into atleast some trouble every inning. If you put all your good hitters at the beginning then you're probably going to get 1 or 2 runs and then from there on it's going to be easy for the other team.

 

BTW: Does the game end after a certain time has passed, or after you've played a certain amount of innings? Because I know some leauges play with a time limit, and if you guys were playing with a time limit then I would say definently put all your good hitters at the beginning, and tell your pitcher to waste time, lol.

Marlins...i like your suggestions but shouldnt my 1-5 hitters be the best hitters???

806340[/snapback]

 

Why dont you mix it up? You dont wanna be like the Marlins last season with Gonzalez costing us runs in the bottom of the lineup and Enc. poor season.

ALL your hitters should make the pitcher work.

Marlins...i like your suggestions but shouldnt my 1-5 hitters be the best hitters???

806340[/snapback]

 

Why dont you mix it up? You dont wanna be like the Marlins last season with Gonzalez costing us runs in the bottom of the lineup and Enc. poor season.

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The bat hitters would only end the inning after you already got a few runners on base and a run or 2 in the inning.

ALL your hitters should make the pitcher work.

806408[/snapback]

Not the good hitters.

 

If the good hitters see a pitch they could hit and drive in some runners then they should go after it and not take any chances of not getting a pitch to hit later on in the AB and just taking the walk.

 

But the bat hitters should DEFINITELY make the pitcher work, as well as the hitters with good eyes.

ALL your hitters should make the pitcher work.

806408[/snapback]

Not the good hitters.

 

If the good hitters see a pitch they could hit and drive in some runners then they should go after it and not take any chances of not getting a pitch to hit later on in the AB and just taking the walk.

 

But the bat hitters should DEFINITELY make the pitcher work, as well as the hitters with good eyes.

806413[/snapback]

 

What's the point in having half the lineup work and the rest free swing?

 

You want to get the good pitcher out of there quickly so the bad hitters have a better chance against the back-ups.

 

Why even debate this with you? This is the person who'd pick Willis over Beckett in a do-or-die situation.

ALL your hitters should make the pitcher work.

806408[/snapback]

Not the good hitters.

 

If the good hitters see a pitch they could hit and drive in some runners then they should go after it and not take any chances of not getting a pitch to hit later on in the AB and just taking the walk.

 

But the bat hitters should DEFINITELY make the pitcher work, as well as the hitters with good eyes.

806413[/snapback]

 

What's the point in having half the lineup work and the rest free swing?

 

You want to get the good pitcher out of there quickly so the bad hitters have a better chance against the back-ups.

 

Why even debate this with you? This is the person who'd pick Willis over Beckett in a do-or-die situation.

806415[/snapback]

Because the free swingers can hit and the hitters who make the pitcher work can't hit. I don't know if you're stupid or just joking but I hope you understood my post about why the good hitters shouldn't take pitches they can hit, but if you didn't then I'd suggest you not post in here until you understand it.

ALL your hitters should make the pitcher work.

806408[/snapback]

Not the good hitters.

 

If the good hitters see a pitch they could hit and drive in some runners then they should go after it and not take any chances of not getting a pitch to hit later on in the AB and just taking the walk.

 

But the bat hitters should DEFINITELY make the pitcher work, as well as the hitters with good eyes.

806413[/snapback]

 

What's the point in having half the lineup work and the rest free swing?

 

You want to get the good pitcher out of there quickly so the bad hitters have a better chance against the back-ups.

 

Why even debate this with you? This is the person who'd pick Willis over Beckett in a do-or-die situation.

806415[/snapback]

Because the free swingers can hit and the hitters who make the pitcher work can't hit. I don't know if you're stupid or just joking but I hope you understood my post about why the good hitters shouldn't take pitches they can hit, but if you didn't then I'd suggest you not post in here until you understand it.

806417[/snapback]

 

 

EVERY hitter should make the pitcher work. Good and bad.

 

-Moneyball the book 101

ALL your hitters should make the pitcher work.

806408[/snapback]

Not the good hitters.

 

If the good hitters see a pitch they could hit and drive in some runners then they should go after it and not take any chances of not getting a pitch to hit later on in the AB and just taking the walk.

 

But the bat hitters should DEFINITELY make the pitcher work, as well as the hitters with good eyes.

806413[/snapback]

 

What's the point in having half the lineup work and the rest free swing?

 

You want to get the good pitcher out of there quickly so the bad hitters have a better chance against the back-ups.

 

Why even debate this with you? This is the person who'd pick Willis over Beckett in a do-or-die situation.

806415[/snapback]

Because the free swingers can hit and the hitters who make the pitcher work can't hit. I don't know if you're stupid or just joking but I hope you understood my post about why the good hitters shouldn't take pitches they can hit, but if you didn't then I'd suggest you not post in here until you understand it.

806417[/snapback]

 

 

EVERY hitter should make the pitcher work. Good and bad.

 

-Moneyball the book 101

806420[/snapback]

This isn't the majors, dude. It's different here. Less than half of the lineup could hit, so you have to take advantage of every single one of players that can hit, and you need more than a plain old simple walk out of them.

 

You can get walks from your hitters with good eyes, and maybe some from your bat hitters, but you expect and need more out of your good hitters.

I'm not going to debate this with you.

 

A walk is as good as a hit.

 

I'M DONE WITH THIS SUBJECT.

 

Not wasting my time.

A walk is as good as a hit.

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No, hit> walk.

 

Single>walk

Double>walk

Triple>walk

Home Run>walk

 

You're a f***in dumbass, don't post.

A walk is as good as a hit.

806426[/snapback]

No, hit> walk.

 

Single>walk

Double>walk

Triple>walk

Home Run>walk

 

You're a f***in dumbass, don't post.

806433[/snapback]

 

Single=Walk

 

Walk- one base

Single- one base

 

When I say make the pitcher work, doesn't mean the guy has to walk.