I'm pulling the TAMU/Opponent numbers straight from the 12thMan.com cumulative stats. Their tables sometimes lag or mis aggregate right after a new box score posts, so any small discrepancies are coming from the source, not the math.
All I'm trying to show both yesterday and today is that our hitters are getting hit far more often than the opponents' hitters. And when that happens over a long stretch, it usually means one thing: we're not establishing any real presence in that six to twelve inch inside buffer. If hitters never have to worry about that space, they get comfortable, and comfortable hitters do damage.
What I'm getting at in this post and the one yesterday is pretty simple. There's the actual strike zone, and then there's the six to twelve inches inside that hitters should never feel comfortable owning. That space is supposed to belong to the pitcher. When hitters feel free to crowd it, lean over it, and dive across the plate, you lose the outer half and you lose leverage counts.
I'm not saying you headhunt or try to hit guys. I understand hitters today wear armor and will gladly take a pitch off a pad to get on base. That's part of the modern game.
But when our hitters are getting hit far more often than the opponents' hitters, it usually means we're not establishing any real presence in that inside buffer. And when hitters don't respect that space, they get comfortable and comfortable hitters are the ones who turn 0-2 and 1-2 counts into base hits.
If we consistently made that inside lane something hitters had to think about, our pitchers would be even more effective finishing at bats and protecting those advantage counts.
So because we get hit by pitches that means our pitchers aren't establishing the inside part of the plate?
If you want to use HBP as a determining factor in establishing inside presence (which is a questionable metric anyway) you should compare our pitchers' HBP per batter faced and compare to a national average, not to your own team.
Our players will mostly stand in there and take a hit. I don't see how this correlates with our pitchers not throwing inside.
This may sound like BANA 303 PTSD for some folks, but the idea is simple. On a multiple-choice test, you improve your odds by eliminating wrong answers. If you narrow five choices down to two, your chances jump from 20% to 50%. The fewer options you have to defend against, the easier the decision becomes.
Hitting works the same way.
A hitter has to cover five distinct areas:
A: middle third
B: inside third
C: outside third
D: inside buffer (6 to 12 inches off the plate)
E: outside buffer (6 to 12 inches off the plate)
When our pitchers consistently avoid B (inside third) and D (the inside buffer), we're basically eliminating two of the five areas a hitter has to worry about. That increases the hitter's probability of success just like narrowing down test answers.
And when hitters don't have to think about the inside lane, they get comfortable. Comfortable hitters crowd the plate, dive over the plate, and attack anything middle out with confidence. Those are the hitters who turn 0-2 and 1-2 counts into base hits.
I'm not saying you hit guys or headhunt. Modern hitters wear enough armor that some will gladly take a pitch off a pad. That's just the game now.
But if you never make hitters respect that inside six (6) to twelve (12) inch space, you're taking options away from your own pitcher. With 85 to 95+/- mph coming in, you want the hitter making split-second decisions not sitting comfortably and leaning out over the plate.
IMHO, opposing hitters look too relaxed, comfortable, confident, and too willing to dive over the plate. That's the whole point I'm trying to illustrate. By not covering the inside zones, it makes a difference on the opposing hitter's approach to our pitching.
Besides hitting the batter, do you have any stats that says we never throw inside? I believe they have track man stats that you can reference if you really want to make a valid point here.
IMO, Free passes = bad in most situations. The OP is correct we don't want our pitchers to be afraid to pitch inside but using HBP seems to me to be a limited metric in proving his assertion.
We've had twice as many free passes while also fewer strikeouts. To me, that means our batter discipline is significantly better and we're putting more balls in play.
It would be interesting to know respective strikeout per PA ratios.
Personnally, I think Kelly should be teaching all of our pitchers to throw 102 mph fastballs with some hop, curves with 18" of sink, and a change up that comes in around 73 mph. And a mix of sliders, sinkers, screwballs, slurves, and maybe the eephus. That'll really keep them hitters guessing.
I'm pulling the TAMU/Opponent numbers straight from the 12thMan.com cumulative stats. Their tables sometimes lag or mis aggregate right after a new box score posts, so any small discrepancies are coming from the source, not the math.
All I'm trying to show both yesterday and today is that our hitters are getting hit far more often than the opponents' hitters. And when that happens over a long stretch, it usually means one thing: we're not establishing any real presence in that six to twelve inch inside buffer. If hitters never have to worry about that space, they get comfortable, and comfortable hitters do damage.
What I'm getting at in this post and the one yesterday is pretty simple. There's the actual strike zone, and then there's the six to twelve inches inside that hitters should never feel comfortable owning. That space is supposed to belong to the pitcher. When hitters feel free to crowd it, lean over it, and dive across the plate, you lose the outer half and you lose leverage counts.
I'm not saying you headhunt or try to hit guys. I understand hitters today wear armor and will gladly take a pitch off a pad to get on base. That's part of the modern game.
But when our hitters are getting hit far more often than the opponents' hitters, it usually means we're not establishing any real presence in that inside buffer. And when hitters don't respect that space, they get comfortable and comfortable hitters are the ones who turn 0-2 and 1-2 counts into base hits.
If we consistently made that inside lane something hitters had to think about, our pitchers would be even more effective finishing at bats and protecting those advantage counts.
Flame away
What is the winning percentage of TAMU vs. Opponents in the games you are referencing. Did TAMU or Opponents win more?
I'm pulling the TAMU/Opponent numbers straight from the 12thMan.com cumulative stats. Their tables sometimes lag or mis aggregate right after a new box score posts, so any small discrepancies are coming from the source, not the math.
All I'm trying to show both yesterday and today is that our hitters are getting hit far more often than the opponents' hitters. And when that happens over a long stretch, it usually means one thing: we're not establishing any real presence in that six to twelve inch inside buffer. If hitters never have to worry about that space, they get comfortable, and comfortable hitters do damage.
What I'm getting at in this post and the one yesterday is pretty simple. There's the actual strike zone, and then there's the six to twelve inches inside that hitters should never feel comfortable owning. That space is supposed to belong to the pitcher. When hitters feel free to crowd it, lean over it, and dive across the plate, you lose the outer half and you lose leverage counts.
I'm not saying you headhunt or try to hit guys. I understand hitters today wear armor and will gladly take a pitch off a pad to get on base. That's part of the modern game.
But when our hitters are getting hit far more often than the opponents' hitters, it usually means we're not establishing any real presence in that inside buffer. And when hitters don't respect that space, they get comfortable and comfortable hitters are the ones who turn 0-2 and 1-2 counts into base hits.
If we consistently made that inside lane something hitters had to think about, our pitchers would be even more effective finishing at bats and protecting those advantage counts.
Flame away
What is the winning percentage of TAMU vs. Opponents in the games you are referencing. Did TAMU or Opponents win more?
The point(s) I've been trying to make is the following (people are going to roll their eyes):
- When a pitching staff never makes hitters think about the inside part of the plate not the strike zone itself, but that six-to-twelve-inch buffer just off the black then opposing hitters get to be completely comfortable. And comfortable hitters are dangerous hitters. - I'm not talking about drilling guys or headhunting. That's not the point. The point is we don't make anyone respect those inside zones, and because of that, hitters can dive, lean, and cover everything away without any fear of getting moved off their spot. They know they're not getting backed off the plate. They know they're not getting jammed. They know they're not getting anything that forces a defensive swing. - When hitters realize, they won't get challenged inside, the strike zone effectively shrinks for the pitcher. Hitters get to eliminate a quadrant. They get to sit middle-away. They get to take their A-swings without hesitation (like batting practice--you will not get hit). - That's why you see so many comfortable at bats against us. - That's why you see so many hits in 0-2 and 1-2 counts. - That's why our guys get hit more than theirs we're not establishing a presence, and they are. - A staff doesn't have to hit people to earn respect. But you do have to make hitters uncomfortable. Right now, we don't as a pitching staff, we do not make the opposing hitters respect the different zones at the plate and they can be very comfortable realizing they will not get hit by a pitch (again, our pitchers do not throw inside on the hitters).
Accountability in baseball has always been enforced the same way: - If you hit our guys, you don't get to stay comfortable in the box--again, not saying you go head hunting. - Right now, opposing pitchers are hitting our hitters repeatedly and nothing changes for them. No discomfort. No adjustment. No consequence. They get to keep pitching aggressively inside while your hitters absorb the damage (again, I realize Bear has been hit a lot and sometimes doesn't necessarily make much of an effort to get out of the way--by the way, he was hit twice last night and didn't finish the game. Will he be in the lineup today?). Our lineup is/has suffering/suffered because of all the HBPs. Further, not saying it has to be a one for one occurrence (meaning, when we get hit, we do not automatically hit one of theirs--you have to understand the situation). - Meanwhile, our pitchers never establish the inside lanes, so opposing hitters get to stand tall, dive across the plate, and swing without fear. - That's not about toughness. - That's not about testosterone or machismo. - That's about competitive equilibrium. - That's not hypothetical. - That's not "woulda, coulda, shoulda." - That's real impact--injuries--on our lineup (which is already thin--players either not being in the lineup, and/or having to play through an injury). - The ongoing battle at the plate--pitchers must impose their will, while hitters fight for space. - Momentum swings on confidence and intimidation. - Teams establish identity through how they compete pitch-to-pitch (I can almost guarantee this is being scouted by opposing teams and taken into consideration with every team we face--"Aggie pitchers do not throw inside").
The following is retaliation--not head hunting --Maddux doesn't head hunt.
This is how you must impose your will on the opposing team/hitters.
I'm pulling the TAMU/Opponent numbers straight from the 12thMan.com cumulative stats. Their tables sometimes lag or mis aggregate right after a new box score posts, so any small discrepancies are coming from the source, not the math.
All I'm trying to show both yesterday and today is that our hitters are getting hit far more often than the opponents' hitters. And when that happens over a long stretch, it usually means one thing: we're not establishing any real presence in that six to twelve inch inside buffer. If hitters never have to worry about that space, they get comfortable, and comfortable hitters do damage.
What I'm getting at in this post and the one yesterday is pretty simple. There's the actual strike zone, and then there's the six to twelve inches inside that hitters should never feel comfortable owning. That space is supposed to belong to the pitcher. When hitters feel free to crowd it, lean over it, and dive across the plate, you lose the outer half and you lose leverage counts.
I'm not saying you headhunt or try to hit guys. I understand hitters today wear armor and will gladly take a pitch off a pad to get on base. That's part of the modern game.
But when our hitters are getting hit far more often than the opponents' hitters, it usually means we're not establishing any real presence in that inside buffer. And when hitters don't respect that space, they get comfortable and comfortable hitters are the ones who turn 0-2 and 1-2 counts into base hits.
If we consistently made that inside lane something hitters had to think about, our pitchers would be even more effective finishing at bats and protecting those advantage counts.
"Lies, damned lies, and statistics" - Mark Twain popularized
You can use your stats to make any argument you want on the matter. You're acting like there is a direct correlation between the stats and your conclusion that we need to be throwing inside more. Which there is not.
Maybe we should through inside more, you may have a point. Maybe if we through inside more, we would hit more batters and the other team would score more runs. Maybe our pitchers are not accurate enough to throw inside and not have the pitches hit for home runs. Maybe if we through inside more, we would win more game and have a team era under 3.00
But still, You are using the stats to make a conclusion that I think just is not there.
"Lies, damned lies, and statistics" - Mark Twain popularized
You can use your stats to make any argument you want on the matter. You're acting like there is a direct correlation between the stats and your conclusion that we need to be throwing inside more. Which there is not.
Maybe we should through inside more, you may have a point. Maybe if we through inside more, we would hit more batters and the other team would score more runs. Maybe our pitchers are not accurate enough to throw inside and not have the pitches hit for home runs. Maybe if we through inside more, we would win more game and have a team era under 3.00
But still, You are using the stats to make a conclusion that I think just is not there.
This is the argument I made the first or second time it came up. I haven't repeated it because my mind hasn't changed about it.
I fondly remember when hitting batters was a bad thing for pitchers.
Please watch the video. There are times when retaliation is called for.
That's one of the points I have been trying to make when our guys are taking it off the chin--not off the hands, arm, legs, etc. A pitcher should never throw a head-shot.
As to your point, you will occasionally hit opposing hitters, like ours have been hit, establishing the inside six-to-twelve inches portion of the hitting area.
Yes, you don't want walk (or HBP) runs onto the bases. This is a woulda, coulda, shoulda... As walks (HBPs) kill you; and we'll never know the answer.
However, by establishing this area, how many hits do you prevent from the opposing team(s). This is also a woulda, coulda, shoulda..., as we'll never know either. I believe we're all here second guess and doing postmortem analysis.
To give you actual stats, I don't keep a book in order to give you those stats (to trouble's point) --oh how convenient for me.
All I ask is watch the games and see how many times when we miss, it is always outside. This constancy is what I'm noting and what the opposing coaches/hitters or acting upon--being comfortable at the plate.
In my humble opinion, this is being scouted and opposing teams taking note. Just an observation.
We'll just have to disagree that you don't think it has any impact whatsoever, as to the way opposing teams hit and pitch against us.
