Batter_line

Traditional Batting Line Up Guide - with suggested modification for aging teams. - Crowley

1st Batter

Highest %on base hits and has excellent speed. Usually has the ability to hit to both fields. If a lefty, can hit down third, and beat out the throw.

2nd Batter

Same as above, but also has the ability to move the runner. Good placement. IE. Hits behind the runner, drops it in the center slot.

3rd Batter

This is your best all round hitter, high average, hits the ball hard, can deliver the sac fly etc., medium to excellent speed.

4th Batter

A power RBI slot may be a slow runner, but usually not. Most important, will not hit into Double play. If 4 is a real slugger, you need to protect him from intentional walks by putting a strong hitter behind them.

5th Batter

This is another hitter with some power and a good batting average.

6th Batter = 1a

Start over, 3rd highest % on base, medium to excellent speed. Usually has an ability to hit to both fields.

7th Batter = 2a

Same as above, but also has the ability to move the runner i.e. hit behind, shoot the box.

8th Batter = 4a

Is the 2nd power RBI slot and usually a slower runner.

9 & 10 Batter - are weaker batters.

You will have to play with your guys to get an indication of their skills. Keeping stats is one way, but they do not tell the whole story i.e. George hits 3 really hard line drives, but at the outfielders and goes 0 for 3 in the game. Then Bill delivers a weak 1 to the pitcher who misplays it to 3rd, etc. It is also important to keep track of fielder's choices as, these are not hits.

Now for the departure of the batting line up. The first things that pops up in older team is speed or lack of it; courtesy runners and senior strategy.

On-Base Stats: I agree with the FC not being a hit. However, my personal theory is: a walk is a hit (and often a run). It is part of the game and if they get on without putting someone else out, it is a hit for my stats. Alternatively, if they don't get on, it means they are an out. Well, they were not out and may have even move the runners, therefore ....

(I also don't mind setting aside the SAC, unless it was really planned that way. Often, these hit are accidents and really should be fly outs.)

So, I don't care how they get on, as long as they consistently get on. I call this on-base stats. I had a fellow on my team that was a terrible hitter, but his speed stress the other team and rushing the throw often resulted with on base by an error. His on-base average was consistently very high and he was a valuable player (he also got a lot of walks). He batted last and most thought this was because he was a weak hitter. However, there is more to be consideration (read on).

Departure from traditional line ups. (50s to 60s)

Most would agree with the 1-5 slots (and usually #5 isn't very quick) but then I prefer to put the slower runners together, followed by the remaining faster guys. The theory of 6-8 being similar to 1-5 is widely held, but if your 4-5 guys clog up the bases, you don't want roadrunners "stuck" behind them. Remember, old teams don't have as much speed, so if you have slow people at the bottom and they get on, they will be in the way of the top of the order fast guys.

Modifications for masters teams (+50 & Up)

The traditional lineup management from baseball doesn't apply well to slo-pitch. Especially in Masters where the home runs drop off and most games are won by station to station single hitting. It makes sense to me to group the slowest runners together in the order where possible; so I would put contact hitters with wheels at the top, contact guys with no speed in the middle, power guys with no speed next, then fast but inconsistent hitters at the bottom.

Instead of the traditional order of 1-10, my order may be 1,2,3,6,7,4,5,8,9,with 10 a weak hitter but having some speed. Or 1,2,3,4,5,9,10,8,6,7.

If you are a station to station team, grouping the slow guys together will not hurt you in anyway. Having some speed on the bottom fits better with the up coming top of the order, where as slow guys on the bottom clog the bases.

In professional hardball having the weakest batter last up may be the way it is, but in slo-pitch we get to bat more often and this does change things. There are lots of reasons to change the order. I know one team that bats the weakest batter first, just to spare him the embarrassment of hitting into a double play (it also screws up the opposition).

Courtesy Runner consideration for older teams

In masters you are usually allowed 7 to unlimited runners. In some seniors leagues you can use the same runner in each new innings, while others you can not. If all your runners are at the top and the slow guys are at the bottom you may run out of useable runners. If you have one person in particular that will always need a runner every time, you may have to plan your whole batting order around this need. If you figure he will get up 3 to 4 times in the game, then, have the runners far enough away to allow them to run.

My personal view again: if you are allowed 7 runners, I say use them if needed. I have seen games lost because someone was trying to save runners to the end and in saving them, never got to the end. You don't get any money back or extra points by having unused runners at the end of the game.

Alternate hitting

Another strategy sometimes used is to alternate short and long hitters in the order. You are hoping that the long hitter will keep the outfield back so your single hitter can drop it in. This often works when playing unfamiliar teams, like in tournaments. Of course this part fails quickly if you are in a seniors league where everyone has known each other for years. However, not all is lost.

Alternating batters may have some later innings advantages even when playing against known oppositions. You might tire the outfield and reduce their eagerness: especially if you additionally alternate the left right hitters along with the short and deep hitters. One real opportunity to watch for when doing this is to take the hit if the other team pitches before the fielders are in place.

Summary

This is not pro ball and it is perfectly ok to stray from the traditional batter line up. Some reason for change are:

We get to the plate more often in slo-pitch and no matter where you start in the line up it will come around to that place again. If you put the 1234 batters in the 3456 position, who is to say they won't get up just as many times?
If the team is a station to station masters hitting group there is no reason not to group your slower runners in the middle of the order, so you can make what speed you do have more effective by having the faster guys at the top and bottom of the order. This is just another way of grouping them together, but still lets you slide the inconsistent hitters to the rear.
In older teams speed drops off and outfielders are harder to find. Courtesy runner should be used and sometime you may need to stagger your entire lineup to meet the needs of single batter who can't run well.

Don't scrimp on runners, especially if it means aggravating an injury. It is better to lose the game then needing to take an extra month off. If you find your opposition has an injury and they are out of courtesy runners, tell the ump to allow them extra. And finish that statement with a firm, "as many as they need and we don't care if the same guys runs twice". The young bucks don't know how to do this. - allowed courtesy runners vary widely - check each situation that is new to the team.

When comfortable with breaking tradition you can try some experimenting with alternating left-right and long-short hitters in an attempt to make your short hitters effective by backing up the outfield. This makes the outfield work harder and they may become lazy. If a fielder is out of position and you get the pitch - hit where he isn't.

You may have to bend the traditional batter's line up to fit your NEEDS of the day. The traditional batting order is an excellent guideline and a good place to start, but don't feel compelled to stay there. However, if you happen to have a real working 1-5 there is no need to change that part, just review the rest. In the end, do whatever is needed to get the job done.

This may feel awkward at first, but after a time it will fall into place on its own. Expect comments from your friends that your batting order is whacky. It is natural for people to resist change; don't get discourage with the first few attempts, we never know how the game is going to turn out - that why we find it so interesting. But once the change becomes comfortable it is always better in the end.

Boots SoB #60

Tournament Batting strategy - when to be home or visitors

Winning the flip for home Vs visitors

Most people like to have the last turn a bat, but in tournaments, this may not be the best choice. Tournaments operate (to settle ties or move teams forward) on a + or - 7 system. Getting extra runs (More than needed to win) may be beneficial. If the game is limited to time you may not get to play all 7 innings (usually all the Sat. games), bat first (visitors). On your last turn at home advantage bat the game is stopped as soon as you drive in the winning run. Your team wins by 1 run & your scored runs will stop at +1. However, it could have been higher if the waiting batters had a chance to hit, but they can't because the game is over.

If you had batted first and are ahead by 8 runs and hold the opposition in the last inning, you will get a +7 on your card (not 8). (More details see Winning the flip" article)