Batting Order Experiments

Tony LaRussa is testing out hitting the pitcher 8th in the line-up to create a 9-1-2-3 "double lead off" strategy after the first time around in a batting order.

When I coached a camp baseball team one summer, I tried some line up experiments. My boldest and most successful was a game when we were missing several of our better hitters. Realistically, we only had about three hitters who could get hits and the rest were very likely to make an out unless the other team committed an error. Luckily, one of those good hitter was also a solid pitcher. I decided to bat the three best hitters 1-2-3 in the line-up to maximize their plate appearance and group them together to try to score runs one or two at a time when their "section" of the line-up came up. In a six inning game, I figured they'd get to hit three times each if they batted at the beginning of the order and would generate between 4-7 runs.

I was right and with a decent pitcher, we ended up winning 5-3 or something like that and all the RBIs came from the beginning of the line up.

*A side note...my team won the championship that year, despite being hailed as the overwhelming underdogs when the season began. It was mostly because we had the best control pitcher in the league (walks kill you in LL). But the win came not out of coaching genius, but rather the result of a total fluke play.

In a tie game we were up in the top of the 6th with a fast, smart runner on third base and two outs. One of our youngest players (maybe 6) was up to bat and eligible to hit off a tee (the young kids who couldn't hit could hit from a tee, if they choose to). There was no way this kid could hit the pitch of a 10 year old - he could barely hold the bat. I offered up the tee and he said "no" he wanted to try to hit. No, no, I tried to explain, it was going to be tough for him...but he wouldn't have it.

What could I do? The kid refused and all we could do was let him hit. The pitch comes in and he swings at it...miles away, too slow. There is no way in hell this kid is going a) hit the ball or b) take a walk. I'm shaking my head as the cocky, stacked team is plotting their scoring binge in the bottom of the inning. The coach (who also plays catcher) goes out to the pitcher and tells him to pitch a ball b/c my kid is going to swing at anything.

So he does, he throws one in the dirt and sure enough the kid swings. But the ball gets past the coach and the alert baserunner sees his opportunity and steals home. We're up a run!

The coach throws his glove down in disgust with himself. Our team celebrates. The kid strikes out on the next pitch.

Bottom of the inning, somehow our center fielder catches a well hit fly ball by our first batter. I remember her, a good athletic girl named Kimber. The next couple hitters get on in a first and third situation and again the other coach tries to do a steal 2nd base and goad a throw. As the catcher, there's no way I'm throwing to 2nd, but I do a big fake throw and the runner at third takes off down the line towards me. Because I'm a lot faster than an 8 year old, I catch him and tag him out.

The next guy pops out and the game is over.

I'd like to coach baseball again.