Posted by: The Slav (cslavik@tampabay.rr.com) on Tue Apr 23 19:57:44 2002

Agreed, I think the term "throw inside all day long" is perfectly acceptable, but "stick one in their ear" is almost guaranteed to start a brawl on almost any level above the testoterone producing years.

Many power hitters at that level crowd the plate because they want the pitcher to be enticed into pitching inside, to their strength (ie: Bonds, Barry Bonds). Some of the little guys at that level do it to get the inside pitch on the shoulder or the sleeve to and get an easy on-base, that will draw an occasional "message pitch".

Look at the recent Christensen-Molina mess in college baseball and see how delivering messages can turn out, especially with a guy that can throw 90+ MPH. Not a pretty sight. I just think that coaches really need to use extreme caution with that sort of stuff and yes umpires can stop it, but many have a hard time dealing with the "intent" issue.

Pitchers need to have an arsenal of pitches designed to cover both sides of the plate to deal with leaners. Hitters need to have balanced plate coverage. I worry about any hitter who would willingly take on in the head "for the team" or otherwise, he may not have the IQ points to spare.


Might have misunderstood since he referred to it as a LL tactic.
> > But do you really think it's OK at the Junior College level?...College level?....seems to me that players think it's pretty horeshit at the pro level and they're getting paid. Where do you advocate it as OK?
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> > That has to be one of the dumbest responses I've ever heard. Advocating head-hunting at the HS level would be bad enough, but to promote it on the LL level is the height of stupidity. I hope you were still high (on something) from the victory when you posted that one.
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> > > > i was wondering if college coaches had the same philosophy when you played....my son's jr. college coach (and by the way, my son is not playing; he tore his acl)instructs the players to crowd the plate (6 to 12 inches from plate) & if possible, get hit by the pitch.....other coaches in the league do the same, and it seems like this makes the pitchers that much more afraid to pitch inside.....your experiences?......respectfully, grc.....
> > > > > >>Sounds like a little league tactic,I would throw inside all day long and if we got ahead in the game stick one in their ear once in a while solid and see how long they stay with that tactic.Pull hitters do crowd the plate some times when they don"t have good plate coverage,but not much of a hitting style for that to be your plan.
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> > > slav....i clearly said my son's team is JUNIOR COLLEGE....where did either myself or rql advocate "headhunting" at the LITTLE LEAGUE level?
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> in a dream world,even at the major league level i think there should be rule changes calling for severe penalties when a batter is hit, or at least when the blue thinks a "purpose" pitch was made....i don't think the pitcher should "own" the outside corner....if the concern is loss of balance between pitcher and hitter, then maybe there could be some other rule changes to maintain the balance.....
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> however, reality is that at the major league level (i'm not sure about minor leagues or division 1 ball)pitchers feel they have the right to back off the hitter if he's crowding the plate.....since that is the reality, sooner or later hitters have to start learning how to deal with that reality.....little league is much too soon...jr. college probably is not too soon...afterall, about 10 per cent of the drafted players come from jc......high school? i don't know....
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> by the way, it's not that the coaches in the league want their players to get hit in the head on purpose...they just ask their hitters, on a close one inside to turn their hip or lower shoulder into the pitch.....