Since noone is answering, is it safe to assume that this is rare?
At what point, statistically-wise, should a batter be labeled as "great" or a "big hitter"?
I understand many variables come into play here, such as the quality of the competition (pitcher), overall time span that a hitter's batting average is being calculated, etc.
Being "great" is subjective. In my extremely small community, rec ball parents think bat to ball contact is great. My DD is starting her 6th year of travel (2nd year 14u) and I admittedly used to drink the kool-aid. We're not exactly greenhorns, but not even close to being as knowledgeable as we could be.
In the travel ball community, certain players are labeled as big hitters. It's just a reputation that they've earned from years of being watched and played with/or against. However, on paper, what is deemed "great"?
Can any of the veteran coaches suggest where the bar is set to be considered great on a national scale?
Batting Average?
Number of homeruns in a highschool season? (Say 30+/- games. I think the record is 13 in Indiana.)
Number of consecutive homeruns?
IN
Hitting three home runs on consecutive AB's is quite a feat, I don't care if you're hitting off a tee.
I'm not sure there's a number you can put on it. I think it's more a point of seeing a kid perform. A great hitter in mind performs when she has to. When the chips are down late in the game, do you want the bat in her hands?
Example, I have a kid who hit a little over .400 this past spring in high school ball. .400 would indicate a good hitter in most people's opinion, right? The reality was she hit very few balls hard, most were dinks that dropped between the IF and OF. OK, fair enough, it's still a base hit, the real caveat here, in a tournament that last weekend of the season, in two consecutive games, with the game on the line in the bottom of the 7th, she struck out. My point being even though she has the numbers, .400 is pretty good in anyone's eyes, when the pressure's on, she'll fold like a lawn chair.
The word "great" gets thrown around way too liberally in my opinion. Ted Williams was a great hitter, Pete Rose was a great hitter, Crystal Bustos is a great hitter.
I'm not sure there's a number you can put on it. I think it's more a point of seeing a kid perform. A great hitter in mind performs when she has to. When the chips are down late in the game, do you want the bat in her hands?
Example, I have a kid who hit a little over .400 this past spring in high school ball. .400 would indicate a good hitter in most people's opinion, right? The reality was she hit very few balls hard, most were dinks that dropped between the IF and OF. OK, fair enough, it's still a base hit, the real caveat here, in a tournament that last weekend of the season, in two consecutive games, with the game on the line in the bottom of the 7th, she struck out. My point being even though she has the numbers, .400 is pretty good in anyone's eyes, when the pressure's on, she'll fold like a lawn chair.
The word "great" gets thrown around way too liberally in my opinion. Ted Williams was a great hitter, Pete Rose was a great hitter, Crystal Bustos is a great hitter.
Every man lives by a code:
1.Always look cool
2.Never get lost
3.If you get lost, look cool
1.Always look cool
2.Never get lost
3.If you get lost, look cool
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slapperdad - Posts: 887
- Joined: Fri May 01, 2009 7:28 pm
"The word "great" gets thrown around way too liberally in my opinion."
I agree, Slapper. Thank you for the insight.
I agree, Slapper. Thank you for the insight.
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afastpitchfanatic - Posts: 96
- Joined: Tue Aug 10, 2010 11:57 am
13 posts
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