Posted by: Jimmy () on Sat Dec 29 20:58:41 2007

George,

The object of the game is to score more runs than the other team.

How do you score runs?...First you need to get on base. What gives a hitter the best chance to get on base?...Swing only at good pitches to hammer, and take the rest until you get to two strikes.

This way you have a better chance of hitting the ball hard in turn a better chance of getting a hit, and you have a better chance of getting on base with a walk if you take pitches out of the zone.

Have your hitters ever swung and missed at a pitch that would have been a ball? I'm sure the answer is yes, and those at-bats usually turn into K's instead of walks.

What do you think your hitters would hit average wise if they never swung at a single ball out of the strike-zone and swung only at strikes?

Probably much better than they do right now.

The point is this...the pitches that we take are just as important as the pitches that we swing at. How do you think good hitters get to those counts that you mentioned? They had to take the balls.

You are confused if you think that there is an approach to hitting out there that suggests taking "lollypops" for strikes.

The way pitch counts start to rise is by hitters taking boarderline pitches and smoking balls that enter their zone. Pitchers get scared out of the strike-zone and then they end up walking hitters, those walks then turn into runs when the next hitters smoke mistakes.

If it's not a good pitch to hammer...take it, even if it is called a strike.

I'd rather be 0-1 in the count than 0 for 1 in my at bats, because of swinging at a pitch that was painted on the corner and at the knees.

And yes getting to that bullpen early is key!!! Not only for that game but for the series. When that long man and the middle guys have to come into the first game of a series due to an early high pitch count, the whole pitching staff suffers, even that next day starter who has to get stretched out because the pen is short. Then before you know it the patient hitting team has won 3 out of 4 games in the series, just because they took a few more pitches that, if put in play, would probably be outs.

Here is something else for you...I have a few more good hitting counts than you do- 0-0, 1-0, 0-1, 1-1, 2-0, 2-1, 3-0, 3-1. (any count with less than two strikes). And if you only look for a fastball in those counts you are not a smart hitter.

Good pitchers can throw offspeed pitches for strikes in any count, and many times it happens 2-0, 3-1.

Good hitters can hunt pitches out and capitalize on them when they are in poor locations. They also can set pitchers up to see certain pitches in an at-bat.

And I'm sorry but a first pitch straight as a nail fast ball in the middle of the plate happens about never when you face guys like Jake Westbrook with sinkers and cutters. So, what do your hitters look for in that situation?

Hitters need to have a specific plan for each game, each at-bat, each pitch, and against each pitcher in different situations.

That is the first part, the next part is having a swing that can implement that plan. Standing in the box like a toy soldier statue, then trying to catch up to a fastball will get you nowhere but back on the bench taking a drink of water.

Even Molitor had a load before the launch of his barrel, it was extremely small but it was there.

Have a Happy New Year!

Jimmy