0-2
DJ and I have spent some time recently talking about the 0-2 counts and how they affect the pitcher and batter differently. What so many pitchers don't understand is that with each pitch that a batter can see, he can keep working toward getting a better one to hit. Nibbling your way to 3-2 won't get it done.
Good hitters are not afraid to hit with a strike and your outstanding hitters are not afraid to hit with two strikes. All they are doing is getting a gauge on the pitcher. If you're pitching and you have a guy 0-2 and then go to 3-2, believe me, you are in trouble.
The halls of Cooperstown are filled with pitchers who gave up a lot of 0-2 hits. They knew that it was important to go right at the hitter at that point.
Most of the time, it can be traced back to the manager's philosophy. I played for guys who didn't blink an eye on an 0-2 hit (now if it was a hanging curve, etc. - that's a different story). But I've also seen managers who want to fine someone for giving up a hit in that situation. It's important to find a way to put the hitter away.
Hawk
Comments
Please stop saying "he gone."
Thanks
Posted by: Chris Fisher | July 26, 2006 12:45 PM
Hawk is it me or what I think Joey Cora is horrible third base coach, second do visiting teams bring their own baseballs for batting practice Ect,also how baseballs does a team go thru in a season?
Posted by: Frank Tarantino | July 26, 2006 5:31 PM
This might be too old for you to read, but I think a big problem with our giving up 2 strike hits, it because we aren't using a pitch to set up our out pitch. What happened to moving the batter's eyes in and out up and down, our guys will get to 0-2 and then throw 4 straight pitches low and outside. A good hitter is not going to go after an outside pitch if its thrown in the same place at the same speed three or four in a row.
Posted by: John | July 31, 2006 6:07 PM
I am a huge Sox fan and i think about how scary it is going to be for teams when our rotation starts throwing the ball like they are capable of....GO SOX!!!
Posted by: Anthony | August 5, 2006 6:12 PM