That is why I

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Re: That is why I

Jun 4, 2017, 9:00 AM

You want a few things in a lead-off batter:

* Aggressive with the bat
* Ability to determine pitch type and get the bat on it
* Good bunter
* Good eye
* Speed
* Good base runner

You want someone with a high OBP, who can extend the OB opportunities. Beer might get on base a lot, but once there, he's not a threat to steal, beat a double play or gain an extra base in a hit-and-run or extend an outfield hit.

Beer is the classic two-edged sword. A long ball hitter only, who lets many good pitches escape in hopes that he'll catch "his pitch" and in the doing leaves many base hits and RBIs at the plate. He has little speed and is not a great fielder with the glove or arm. So, when he isn't hitting, he can become a liability. He can't learn to run faster, or throw better, so he would do well for himself and the team to work on his hitting philosophy..... and that starts with coaching..... and in my opinion, it applies to the whole team's style of play. The ugliest things I see on a baseball field are beautiful, smooth swings in perfect HR form that completely whiff and fastballs that sail across the middle of the plate between the knees and belt on other than 3-0 counts without so much as a move by the batter to swing.

Baseball was always "small-ball" from its inception until the days of Babe Ruth came along. Ever since, there has been an infatuation with the quick score, with only a few arguing for the old school methods. I'm old and old school.

I think the lack of team emotion some are complaining about is a result of becoming conditioned to failure at hitting the long ball, whereas small ball creates more excitement throughout the players during the game - and it's sustainable because there is more consistent success when individual goals are not so grand.

OK - sermon's over for today. I haven't pitched in 55 years so I'm well-rested and my knuckle ball's working great. Maybe I could go a few innings today, coach!

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Columbia Tiger - you nailed it!!! I agree completely. I sit and watch and KNOW inside of me that the result is going to be the same - game in and game out. Coaching philosophy has to change if we are to consistently win games against upper level teams. Just look at the Tigers record just this year against better quality teams - and I mean better quality PITCHING teams.

Home runs are nice - but - in the long run, going for the hit instead of the home run is going to win more games.

I'm 78 and have been a baseball fan since age 3 or 4 and I've seen the game change and the one thing I've noticed is that the teams that win the most always have great hitters - not just home run hitters.

End of my sermon for today. Just depressing to watch this team this season once they started to face some top of the line pitching and how they still continued to play as if they were going to get a 3-4 run bomb every inning.

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