(03-26-2024 08:18 AM)Owl Is In Chains Wrote:  

(03-17-2024 03:10 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(03-17-2024 10:42 AM)Owl Is In Chains Wrote:  

(03-16-2024 09:58 AM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(03-16-2024 09:43 AM)Grungy Wrote:  I seem to remember past criticism of our first pitch tendency to swing at whatever was thrown.
Now we're watching whatever is thrown, if what I'm reading here is accurate.
Beyond that I have nothing to add, as the last time I stood in a baseball batter's box was 60 years ago.

I don't ever recall criticism of first pitch swinging. Your taught to look dead red fast ball on that first pitch. If it's there and in the zone you pounce on it as it could be the best pitch you see that AB (as pitchers try to get ahead in the count). As for Musicowls' assessment of our hitters, have you checked our batting averages? Aside from McDonald, Reidel, Garza and Becker-- who are all hitting in the .250 - .280 range (with is average at best), everyone else is at or below the Mendoza line. And we're averaging double digit strikeouts per game. At least HCU have 3 hitters batting over .350.

You have (not this year), stating that we need to get the pitch count up on the starter so we can get to the pen.

Regarding looking dead red fastball on the first pitch -NO. If that was the case, no pitcher would ever throw a fastball on the first pitch unless he knew he had you dominated. There are so many factors here. It depends on the strengths and weaknesses of the pitcher and hitter, as well as the situation. Considering all that, when you are at the plate, on the first pitch, most hitters look for a particular pitch in a particular zone, and are not swinging at any strike. If you don't get that, you let it go. Why swing at a strike on the first pitch if you cannot make good contact and drive it? Also, if you can't hit a curve, guess what you are going to see most of the time, with the pitcher deciding when he can throw the fastball with you thinking curve. You have a hitter and a pitcher (coach) each trying to determine what the other one is thinking. Baseball is a hard game and a game of failure.

Regarding taking first pitch strikes, as noted above, you should not swing just because it is a strike. Also, there are other reasons for taking a pitch. If the first two hitters have made quick outs, you might want to take a pitch to give your pitcher some time to rest. Also, your first time up or your first time to see a pitcher, you might want to take one or more to see what you (and your teammates are working against). It may be located where you can't do what your intent is (inside pitch to right hander trying to hit to the right side with a runner on second and no outs). I can assure you that all taken first strikes this year have not been fastballs right down the middle. After reading that, i kept count in one of the Stanford games. Of the 10 taken first pitch strikes, 7 were breaking balls.

Couldn't disagree with you more. The vast majority of pitchers-- ours included-- throw first pitch fastballs in an effort to get ahead in the count. The exceptions are teams with good scouting who throw breaking balls to our straight fastball hitters who have proven to be vulnerable to the breaking ball (e.g., Becker, Reidel). Obviously, your looking for a specific pitch on that first pitch and for almost every batter that's the fastball in the zone. We have taken a ton of first pitch fastballs down broadway.

You can disagree, but this is not an opinion, it is fact. I know you wish it was so to push your agenda, but that does not make it so. i counted the first pitches at game 1 with Tulane. i stopped counting after 10 innings. The total fastballs on the first pitch were 44 and the others were 45. This includes two innings of Stratton who threw almost exclusively fastballs.

Oh stop. That is absolutely not true, and I was sitting in the 2nd row behind home plate.

(03-26-2024 08:28 AM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(03-26-2024 08:18 AM)Owl Is In Chains Wrote:  

(03-17-2024 03:10 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(03-17-2024 10:42 AM)Owl Is In Chains Wrote:  

(03-16-2024 09:58 AM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  I don't ever recall criticism of first pitch swinging. Your taught to look dead red fast ball on that first pitch. If it's there and in the zone you pounce on it as it could be the best pitch you see that AB (as pitchers try to get ahead in the count). As for Musicowls' assessment of our hitters, have you checked our batting averages? Aside from McDonald, Reidel, Garza and Becker-- who are all hitting in the .250 - .280 range (with is average at best), everyone else is at or below the Mendoza line. And we're averaging double digit strikeouts per game. At least HCU have 3 hitters batting over .350.

You have (not this year), stating that we need to get the pitch count up on the starter so we can get to the pen.

Regarding looking dead red fastball on the first pitch -NO. If that was the case, no pitcher would ever throw a fastball on the first pitch unless he knew he had you dominated. There are so many factors here. It depends on the strengths and weaknesses of the pitcher and hitter, as well as the situation. Considering all that, when you are at the plate, on the first pitch, most hitters look for a particular pitch in a particular zone, and are not swinging at any strike. If you don't get that, you let it go. Why swing at a strike on the first pitch if you cannot make good contact and drive it? Also, if you can't hit a curve, guess what you are going to see most of the time, with the pitcher deciding when he can throw the fastball with you thinking curve. You have a hitter and a pitcher (coach) each trying to determine what the other one is thinking. Baseball is a hard game and a game of failure.

Regarding taking first pitch strikes, as noted above, you should not swing just because it is a strike. Also, there are other reasons for taking a pitch. If the first two hitters have made quick outs, you might want to take a pitch to give your pitcher some time to rest. Also, your first time up or your first time to see a pitcher, you might want to take one or more to see what you (and your teammates are working against). It may be located where you can't do what your intent is (inside pitch to right hander trying to hit to the right side with a runner on second and no outs). I can assure you that all taken first strikes this year have not been fastballs right down the middle. After reading that, i kept count in one of the Stanford games. Of the 10 taken first pitch strikes, 7 were breaking balls.

Couldn't disagree with you more. The vast majority of pitchers-- ours included-- throw first pitch fastballs in an effort to get ahead in the count. The exceptions are teams with good scouting who throw breaking balls to our straight fastball hitters who have proven to be vulnerable to the breaking ball (e.g., Becker, Reidel). Obviously, your looking for a specific pitch on that first pitch and for almost every batter that's the fastball in the zone. We have taken a ton of first pitch fastballs down broadway.

You can disagree, but this is not an opinion, it is fact. I know you wish it was so to push your agenda, but that does not make it so. i counted the first pitches at game 1 with Tulane. i stopped counting after 10 innings. The total fastballs on the first pitch were 44 and the others were 45. This includes two innings of Stratton who threw almost exclusively fastballs.

Oh stop. That is absolutely not true, and I was sitting in the 2nd row behind home plate.

I was there also and looked at the pitch speed for each one to make sure what I was seeing was correct and not trust only my vision. There is no doubt what I said is correct. No opinions here. To help you out a little bit, Parker threw a fastball the first pitch of the game and started with breaking balls for the other two hitters in the first inning.