Coaches, your opinions please...

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Scenario #1. 2 players completely equal defensively one bats right handed, the other bunts & slaps from the left... who do you take?


Scenario #2. 1 player that can hit from both sides - do you keep her a switch hitter or train her to one side dominant?

How big a deal is this left handed bunting, slapping, dragging thing anyway? Curious mom wants to know!!

Thanks in advance for your help and opinions.

 

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I think the lefty , bunt, slap hitter adds a good offensive weapon ,.....but let me also say this .

The young lady that has a great attitude and the drive to just get the job done ,....... has my final vote ,....lefty or righty .

 

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The lefty would get my vote, but it would depend on the make-up of the rest of the team. Some teams just are not put together to play small ball.

Also, you never mentioned their attitudes. I don't care how good a player is if they have a bad attitude. I've had girls in the past that were absolutely great, but their attitude was horrible. The whole team suffered for it.

 

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Scenario #1) You say the lefty is a slapper & bunter, but you don't say how the righty hits.

You'd have to know both to make a choice. Does the righty hit around .400 with power? Which one has the highest on-base-percentage? Is the righty a faster runner than the lefty? Do I already have 3 or 4 slappers on my team?

There's a place for LH slappers but I don't think it's as black-and-white as you present it.

Scenario #2) If she can already hit- with equal success- from both sides, why change anything?

Now if she's batting .500 from the left and .180 from the right, maybe sticking with LH would be a good idea!

 

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i agree with others i would gladly take a girl who hits 350 and great attitude over a girl that hits 450 with bad attitude, also i personally feel slaphitting is a thing of the past, yea i know some still do it great but if you watch most teams are going back to power hitting , just my opinion

 

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I think you pose an interesting question because the game is always changing and things they do now, they probably won't do 5 years from now. If look at the US Olympic team lineup or at the top Div 1 school teams this past year you saw differences. The Olympic team, Arizona, UCLA used small ball. Michigan didn't do that as often. But overall these great teams had an arsenal of everything. Their slappers can also hit home runs. Their power hitters can also lay down a sac bunt but they don't switch sides to do it. Most of the left handed hitters are truely LEFT handed hitters. The only exception that I can think of that has been real successful completely switching from right to left is Natasha Watley. I am sure there have been others but it is rare.

If your daugther can truely be successful at both sides of the plate consistently and hit to all fields then that is GREAT! I have seen some hitters however turn around and try to become slappers and then they can't get their regular swing back very well.

It must be up to the player/parent/coach to figure out if it is beneficial to them to do it.

I haven't seen very many college or pro players switching at the plate from left to right handed. : Maybe they do and I just don't notice it. What about you guys - have you seen anyone on the Akron Racers hit left handed and right handed in the same game or same at bat?

 

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rod03, I agree with 100% "Attitude and drive" is what I'd take!