The Pecan Park Eagle

“Hit “Em Where They Ain’t.”
~ Wee Willie Keeler
Hall of Fame

1) If a team doesn’t hit, they don’t produce a whole lot of base runners.

2) Without base runners, a team will find it impossible to move them into scoring position. And unless a team scores more runs than their opponent, they cannot win. Yes. we know. It’s that basic.

3) If your club manages to get a number of runners into scoring position from 2nd and 3rd base, it’s still a lot harder scoring runs if you don’t have batters who can still hit under those circumstances.

4) Hitting is important; hitting with runners in scoring position in a close game is essential.

5) If a club’s only 4 hits in a 10-4 loss are 4 homers hit  by one player who only started getting them after the other team took a 10-0 lead in the top of the first inning, that mighty contribution was far less important than the dink single in the bottom of the 9th in another game in which the hitter of that lone puny bingle in the drove in runners from 2nd and 3rd for a 2-1 walk-off victory. Singles in that circumstance at a high rate are more important in baseball than a 40 homer year by ne player who only hits them like that in the late innings with no runners on base and his club hopelessly behind in the game.

6) If a batter can get hits in game-critical situations, coaches should leave his stance and style alone as long as it is producing the right results at a good rate.

7) Hitters who only seem to homer or strikeout most of the time, while still hitting .200, are an absolute luxury, unless the club has a large number of table-setter hitters who get on base in bunches often and that’s when the homers come from the “hit or sit” guy.

8) One “hit or sit” guy batter on a term is a luxury; two “hit or sits” is risky; three “hit or sits” is insanity; four “hit or sits” is a death wish for securing the No. One pick in next year’s amateur player draft; five or more “hit or sits” is a prescription for bankruptcy and either sale of the club or disenfranchisement.

9) As for the current vogue of shifting the defense for many batters as though these guys were Ted Williams, we say, leave the game alone, Mr. Commissioner. We don’t need rules that control where fielders may play on the field, The hitters have an answer, if they are smart enough and skilled enough to take it. Hall of Famer Wee Willie Keeler prescribed it over a century ago.

10) Hit ’em where they ain’t.