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For those that played baseball, help me out with this statement

Posted on 6/19/13 at 3:17 pm
Posted by OldManRiver
Prairieville, LA
Member since Jan 2005
6920 posts
Posted on 6/19/13 at 3:17 pm
So full disclosure, I've never played organized baseball beyond T-ball growing up. I'm well aware my knowledge of the game is superficial at best, but I'm always willing to be educated.

In another thread, ScottieP posted this:
quote:

It wasn't their strategy. CPM said before the CWS started that they set up the pitching machine to throw belt high fast balls to try and get the guys to either lay off or to get on top of them.

It didn't translate to the game.


My question is, what does it mean "it didn't translate to the game"?. Is there a reason the hitters couldn't stop from swinging at that particular pitch when they (supposedly) had been instructed not to? ANd when a head coach and/or hitting coach tells the batters to approach a certain way, and the batters continually don't do it, who's "at fault"? Coach(es) for not getting their point across or players for disregarding what they are told to do?

I played basketball all the way through high school. I know if my coach had told me to do something on the court, and I just decided not to do it or freelance something on my own, I'd be on the bench in a heartbeat getting an earful about what I'd done wrong. Obviously baseball is very different in that you can't just yank guys in and out as a disciplinary measure, but is it possible to alter the mentality mid-game?
Posted by Ice Cold
Over Macho Grande
Member since Jun 2004
18741 posts
Posted on 6/19/13 at 3:19 pm to
quote:

what does it mean "it didn't translate to the game"?
Pressure.

Real game versus practice. Seeing it come out from a pitching machine is a lot different from watching it come out of different arm slots at different speeds, when the pressure is on and you're at the CWS for the first time.
Posted by UpToPar
Baton Rouge
Member since Sep 2008
22150 posts
Posted on 6/19/13 at 3:19 pm to
It's more a result of the players being mentally conditioned to attack that pitch because at home and most other parks, those are pitches you can drive off or over the fence.

It's hard to stop doing something you have conditioned yourself to do over and over again especially when it comes to hitting a baseball. You literally have hundredths of a second to decide to swing or not. Second nature takes over.
Posted by High C
viewing the fall....
Member since Nov 2012
53649 posts
Posted on 6/19/13 at 3:20 pm to
^that
Posted by The Mick
Member since Oct 2010
43027 posts
Posted on 6/19/13 at 3:20 pm to
means we kept hacking at high heat and popping the ball up... and couldnt stop doing it batter after batter.
Posted by SpqrTiger
Baton Rouge
Member since Aug 2004
9252 posts
Posted on 6/19/13 at 3:22 pm to
There's a lot of reflex action when batting... you see a particular pitch you like, and you go for it. There's often not a lot of time to react. That's why change-ups can be effective... you're used to the reflex timing of the faster pitch.

It's like trying to "unteach" you to blink when someone throws something at you. It can be hard to do for some people.

In practice, when the machine throws the same pitch at you over and over, you come to expect it and to react to it. In the game, you don't know when it's coming, so you react according to reflex pattern.

It's understandable that drills can work that tendency out, but it's also understandable in some people that it could not.
Posted by moneyg
Member since Jun 2006
56263 posts
Posted on 6/19/13 at 3:28 pm to
quote:

My question is, what does it mean "it didn't translate to the game"?. Is there a reason the hitters couldn't stop from swinging at that particular pitch when they (supposedly) had been instructed not to? ANd when a head coach and/or hitting coach tells the batters to approach a certain way, and the batters continually don't do it, who's "at fault"? Coach(es) for not getting their point across or players for disregarding what they are told to do?



The baseball is coming at 90 MPH. It's tough to judge. And, these guys have seen these pitches for their entire lives...and that pitch has been a good one to hit.

It is HARD to retrain your eye in a week.

quote:

I played basketball all the way through high school. I know if my coach had told me to do something on the court, and I just decided not to do it or freelance something on my own


Stop....

That's why you don't understand.

Posted by ramchallenge
Member since Nov 2009
2961 posts
Posted on 6/19/13 at 3:29 pm to
as an athelete, the mental aspect is just as important as the physical preperation... these Tigers weren't mentally into it, for whatever reason
Posted by DeathValley85
Member since May 2011
17084 posts
Posted on 6/19/13 at 3:30 pm to
Quite simply you just have a little more time to make decisions in basketball.
Posted by PurpleAndGold86
Member since Jun 2012
11036 posts
Posted on 6/19/13 at 3:35 pm to
quote:

My question is, what does it mean "it didn't translate to the game"?. Is there a reason the hitters couldn't stop from swinging at that particular pitch when they (supposedly) had been instructed not to?


Even for someone who has never played organized basebal I don't see how this is difficult to understand.

If it were just so easy to lay off of balls out of the strike zone, why would anyone ever strikeout? If eyes were that perfect a guy should never swing at a pitch that is a ball and should never take a pitch that is a strike.

Pitches are difficult to hit when they are being thrown at 90 MPH. A fastball up in the zone or even up out of the zone is extremely difficult to catch up to and get your hands on top of. If you don't get your hands on top of the baseball you are going to hit a lot of a flyouts, which is what we did.

The ball that Katz hit was a mistake the pitcher made and brought down to about Katz' waist. He was able to get his hands of top of the baseball and drive it hard. Pitches higher than that still look enticing, but are extremely difficult to get your hands on top of.
Posted by PurpleAndGold86
Member since Jun 2012
11036 posts
Posted on 6/19/13 at 3:35 pm to
quote:

My question is, what does it mean "it didn't translate to the game"?. Is there a reason the hitters couldn't stop from swinging at that particular pitch when they (supposedly) had been instructed not to?


Even for someone who has never played organized basebal I don't see how this is difficult to understand.

If it were just so easy to lay off of balls out of the strike zone, why would anyone ever strikeout? If eyes were that perfect a guy should never swing at a pitch that is a ball and should never take a pitch that is a strike.

Pitches are difficult to hit when they are being thrown at 90 MPH. A fastball up in the zone or even up out of the zone is extremely difficult to catch up to and get your hands on top of. If you don't get your hands on top of the baseball you are going to hit a lot of a flyouts, which is what we did.

The ball that Katz hit was a mistake the pitcher made and brought down to about Katz' waist. He was able to get his hands of top of the baseball and drive it hard. Pitches higher than that still look enticing, but are extremely difficult to get your hands on top of.
Posted by ScottieP
Baton Rouge, LA
Member since Feb 2004
1933 posts
Posted on 6/19/13 at 3:48 pm to
My point in a previous thread was that CPM was trying to make adjustments to the hitters swing. They knew what UCLA was going to do and they practiced for it.

As for "it did not translate to the game" others have pretty much summed it up. The hardest thing to do in all of sports is to hit a baseball.
Posted by theunknownknight
Baton Rouge
Member since Sep 2005
57201 posts
Posted on 6/19/13 at 3:51 pm to
quote:

My question is, what does it mean "it didn't translate to the game"?.


pitching machines don't translate well into actual pitching motions during live games.
This post was edited on 6/19/13 at 3:52 pm
Posted by TigerBait1127
Houston
Member since Jun 2005
47336 posts
Posted on 6/19/13 at 3:52 pm to
Your whole life you wait for high fastballs. Hell, I can remember times where the ball was high and my arms seemed to have a mind of their own

By far the most difficult pitch to lay off of. Completely reasonable to expect 15 years of training to dominant one week of practicing the opposite. Almost all reaction and not thinking
This post was edited on 6/19/13 at 3:54 pm
Posted by mtb010
San Antonio
Member since Sep 2009
4353 posts
Posted on 6/19/13 at 3:55 pm to
better question, why the hell lay off of a belt high fastball, its still a strike? hit it where its pitched and you can drive belt high fastballs.
Posted by Clark W Griswold
THE USA
Member since Sep 2012
10504 posts
Posted on 6/19/13 at 3:55 pm to
They didn't do what they practice when they got in the game.
Posted by TigerBait1127
Houston
Member since Jun 2005
47336 posts
Posted on 6/19/13 at 4:09 pm to
quote:

better question, why the hell lay off of a belt high fastball, its still a strike? hit it where its pitched and you can drive belt high fastballs.



we did drive them in the 1st game. We knocked the cover off the ball against UCLA. We just hit it right at them or it didn't leave the park
Posted by WestlakeTiger
San Antonio, Tejas
Member since Feb 2012
9437 posts
Posted on 6/19/13 at 4:18 pm to
UNC pitcher has a unique arm slot also. less time to decide if the pitch is good or not.
Posted by High C
viewing the fall....
Member since Nov 2012
53649 posts
Posted on 6/19/13 at 4:20 pm to
quote:

as an athelete, the mental aspect is just as important as the physical preperation... these Tigers weren't mentally into it, for whatever reason


Oh, dear God. Link?
Posted by burke985
UGANDA
Member since Aug 2011
24579 posts
Posted on 6/19/13 at 4:26 pm to
Unless its something that you practice all the time a couple practices before a tournament will not do anything for you. Your strategy may last an at bat or two but eventually you will go back to your swing that you have developed your whole life.
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