Questionable decision - what would you do?

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• Aug 10, 2010

• #1

At 16 nationals in York this year. DD's team is playing to stay alive in bracket elimination play. Opposing team wins coin toss - picks visitor. Close game up to 7th and they are up by 2 on DD's team. Two errors and a couple of good hits and we come back to win in bottom of 7th. We move on they went home.

Would you pick this strategy in a nationals elimination game? I would want all the advantages I could get to stay alive...

Worked out well for our team though

 

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• Aug 10, 2010

• #2

I would pick visitors in a drop-dead, timed game or if we have been really ripping it up as the visiting team. Otherwise, it is best to get the last bats in my opinion, especially in the championship game.

 

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• Aug 10, 2010

• #3

home team in that venue

 

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• Aug 10, 2010

• #4

coach must have thought team was really hot and that they would come out
swinging. would of went home team just in case

 

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• Aug 10, 2010

• #5

Im with Klump on this one! Some coaches (for whatever strange reason) will take visitors,but logic says have last at bats (if needed). Dont let the other team to have the possible say in whom wins the game when you have that chance.
Drop dead time, you take visitors!

I bet there was alot of ticked off parents after that game,LOL!

 

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• Aug 10, 2010

• #6

You said it yourself..."a couple errors" and you end up winning...could have just as easily ended in his favor and he would be a genius for taking such a risk. I agree in 7 inning game I go with last at bats...but there are many factors in coaching decisions, not all of which are stupid, ego driven or just plain bad coaching.

A Coach

 

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• Aug 10, 2010

• #7

Home team for me.

 

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• Aug 10, 2010

• #8

I would always pick home team personally, but understand why a good hitting team might pick visitors. At the end of the day, both teams get the same number of innings and outs, so I don't think the advantage of batting last is all that big.

 

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• Aug 10, 2010

• #9

From a pure strategy standpoint I believe most everyone would agree that being the home team in that situation is preferred. This would especially be true if the game went into extra innings. However, that particular team may have had a lot of success batting first during the year or maybe even just in that tournament so the coach was taking the route that worked for them and gave his kids the most confidence.

 

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• Aug 10, 2010

• #10

I think I would have to look at if my team plays better with a lead or from behind. I like to score first, this puts the other team on the short end and they may make some mistakes pushing to retake the lead, not to mention you get in their head first.

 

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• Aug 10, 2010

• #11

Many coaches -- including some who've posted here -- believe you should always pick home.

I respectfully disagree.

I say the correct choice depends on your team, the length of the game, and the level of competition you expect.

If your team's strength is offense -- and this is especially true when games are short -- then I say it's smarter to bat first.

Why? Because when you score first it puts pressure on your opponents. And teams that are playing scared will not perform to their potential.

When they find themselves behind a few runs, especially with shortened games, even good teams can have a tendency to choke.

But if hitting is not your team's strong suit, I say *always* take the home spot.

 

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• Aug 10, 2010

• #12

If you don't take HOME your visor must be on too tight. (I hope lots of folk get that joke ) MD

 

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• Aug 10, 2010

• #13

brineyman said:

Many coaches -- including some who've posted here -- believe you should always pick home.

I respectfully disagree.

I say the correct choice depends on your team, the length of the game, and the level of competition you expect.

If your team's strength is offense -- and this is especially true when games are short -- then I say it's smarter to bat first.

Why? Because when you score first it puts pressure on your opponents. And teams that are playing scared will not perform to their potential.

When they find themselves behind a few runs, especially with shortened games, even good teams can have a tendency to choke.

But if hitting is not your team's strong suit, I say *always* take the home spot.

Click to expand...

I agree and with my 12u team we almost always take vistor, infact our girls seem to really enjoy it and often play better when vistor.

 

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• Aug 10, 2010

• #14

I played on a team last year and we took visitor just because we had some really strong bats and that would get us fired up a lot more then a good defensive play would

 

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• Aug 10, 2010

• #15

I think it's a personal preference thing and not a serious strategic advantage to bat last. Yes, nice to know what you need, but the defense also knows what it needs. Sometimes it's a lot easier to play (get the right outs) knowing you can give up a run, whereas if you were home team on defense, you would tend to not want to give anything away. That thinking can lead to big innings.

Ran across this study which basically says there is no meaningful statistical difference. http://archive.nyu.edu/bitstream/2451/26311/3/05-03.pdf.txt

 

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• Aug 10, 2010

• #16

ExxWhy said:

Ran across this study which basically says there is no meaningful statistical difference. http://archive.nyu.edu/bitstream/2451/26311/3/05-03.pdf.txt

Click to expand...

Not surprised. I would guess that whatever tactical advantage there is in "knowing what you need to win at the end" (i.e., being home team) is probably offset by the pressure of playing from behind in that critical last half of the last inning.

 

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• Aug 10, 2010

• #17

sOFtballChIk10 said:

I played on a team last year and we took visitor just because we had some really strong bats and that would get us fired up a lot more then a good defensive play would

Click to expand...

Nothing like a big first inning to set the tone for a game.

 

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• Aug 10, 2010

• #18

2 benefits of being visitor:
- You always get your last ABs, even when you win.
- You don't have to go back on the field when you lose.

 

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• Aug 10, 2010

• #19

well said brineyman my team hits first

 

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• Aug 10, 2010

• #20

I always choose home, but the one time I would rather be visitor (besides a drop dead, and any TD choosing a drop dead format is simply a poor TD) is in the ITB. I see teams all the time so worried about that runner on second base scoring that they allow one or even two batters to reach base, all to keep that runner on second from scoring. That leads to multiple-run innings for the visitor in the ITB. I have seen this so many times that I can't figure out why teams keep doing it.