With the New BB Core Bat

The Problem - Offense is Down! Batting Averages are Down Home Runs are Down Run Production is Down Your weaker hitters don’t have a chance Most of us have “Outs” in our line-up Most of us have “give-a-way” innings trying to get back to the heart of our line-up-

The Solution – Everyone can have a Role The Solution is NOT the Sacrifice Bunt Most of the time this will NOT produce a run The Solution is: 1. Focus on Producing Freebies 2. Focus on Quality At Bats over Batting Average 3. Focus on Situational Hitting

Role of Freebies to Run Production YearRunsNo FreeFreebies Run(86 times) Run(82 times) Total1-Run (168 times) 50 (30 %) 118 (70%) 70% of 1-run innings have help

2-Run Innings YearRunsNo FreeFreebies 2o112-Runs (42 times) Runs (37 times) 5 32 Total2-Runs (79 times) 22 (28%) 57 (72%) 72% of 2-Run innings had help

Big Innings and Freebies YearBig InningNo FreeFreebies Big Innings Big Innings 0 34 Total61 Big Innings 1 (2%) 60 (98%) 98% of Big Innings had help 87% of our Big Innings had multiple Freebies

How to Create Freebies Free Runners: 1. Walks – strike zone discipline – developed in practice. The courage and confidence to go deep into counts. The courage to take pitches. You must have the courage to put on a “take sign.” (3-1 Takes) 2. Hit by Pitch – produced by courage and practice – developing the ability to not jack knife out of the way 3. Errors – line drives and missile ground balls and hurry zone bunts produce most errors. Fly balls, weak ground balls and strikeouts do not. (60% in BP)

Free Bases 1. Stolen Bases – requires speed, a daring attitude, good first steps, late slides and the ability to read pitchers. 2. Wild Pitches – The ability to read dirt balls and break before they hit the ground. 3. Passed Balls – We don’t effect this category. 4. Balks – Keep the opposing pitcher concerned. 5. Extra base – expecting OF throws to go to the lead base so hitter is ready to take 2B.

How many runs do you need? We need less with the BB Core Bat 4 is our new break even number (9-9 in 2 years) When scoring 3 or less (11 – 35 in 2 years) 24% When scoring 5 or 6 (16-11 in 2 years) 59% When scoring 7+ runs (25-3 in 2 years) 89%

The Quality At Bat 1. Missile Ground Ball 2. Line Drive 3. A 7+ Pitch at bat 4. RBI 5. Reach base on BB/HBP/Error 6. Successful bunt 7. Successful in Situational Hitting Opportunity Our goal is.560 per individual and as a team

Quality At Bats and Runs Scored Games where we reached our.560 goal – scored 8 RPG Games we did not reach.560 – scored 2.95 RPG That is over a 5 run per game difference! Games we reached our.560 goal (35 – 13) 73% Games we did not reach.560 (26 – 45) 37%

Situational Hitting These at bats belong to the TEAM and not you! Productive outs mean you get a run or at least a base from your out. We set out cones for visual effects to simulate where fielders will play. Hunt a Pitch A successful situational at bat will not help batting average, but it will be a Quality At Bat!!! This gives your weaker hitters a huge role!!!

Measurement = Motivation! Score Everything and Post Everything Let them see your Rankings on Everything! Examples: Name9/25/12Average Mims60 64 Clark54 61 Schalk56 58 Frost54 57 XXX (Last)39 32

Hit and Run Set a cone 18 feet away from 2B on each side of the base Think high fastball/hands above ball Think Missile Ground Ball Make your mistake above the baseball On the ground out of the middle Scoring: Line Drive = -1 (DP) Fly Ball = 0 (UPO) Weak Ground Ball (Outside cones) = 1 Missile Ground Ball (Outside cones) = 3

Runner at 2B 0-outs Set a cone where the shortstop plays With the BB Core this ball MUST be on the ground Hunt a Pitch you can get on the ground Scoring: Fly Ball = 0 (UPO) Ground ball to 3B side of cone = 0 (UPO) Line Drive = 0 (UPO) Weak ground ball into L-Screen = 0 (UPO) Ground ball from SS Cone to 1B Line = 1 (PO) Missile GB from SS Cone to 1B Line = 3

Pepper Runner at 3B less than two out – Middle Back Set cones to simulate 1Bman and 3Bman Hunt a Pitch down in the zone/hands above ball For RHH – Late is better than early! Scoring: Weak Ground ball into L-Screen = 0 (UPO) Fly Ball and Line Drive = 0 (UPO) GB between the cones and the lines = 0 (UPO) Ground ball in the middle of the cones = 1 Missile Ground ball in the middle = 3

Run and Hit (0-outs) Starting the runner with a 3-1 or 3-2 count Swing at strikes/Take clear balls Scoring: Fly Ball = 0 (UPO) Line Drive = -1 (DP) Ground ball between SS and 2B cone = -1 (DP) Ground ball outside the cones = 1 (PO) Missile Ground Ball outside the cones = 3 (Potential Big Inning)

Runner at 3B Infield In The Goal is not a fly ball – most will not be deep enough to score the run! Hunt “Your Pitch” that you can drive (LD/MGB) Scoring: Weak Ground Ball = 0 (UPO) Fly Ball = 0 (UPO) Missile Ground Ball = 1 Line Drive = 3 Line Drive into the Gap = 5 (PBI)

1 st and 3 rd 1-out 4-hole Option (for your weaker hitters) Set two big cones (1Bman and 2Bman) Hunt a pitch to drive on the ground between the cones Scoring: Ball through Big Cones = 3 Sure base hit to right side = 2 Double Play = -1 Everything else = 0 (UPO)

1 st and 3 rd 1-out “Gapper” For your better hitters Hunt “your pitch” that you can drive into a gap Scoring: Double Play = -1 Short fly ball = 0 Non double play ground ball = 0 Deep fly ball = 1 (PO) Line Drive = 3 (PBI) Gapper or Home Run = 5 (BI)

2-Out RBI Hit Middle of the Field Oriented Set cones in the gaps (trying to stay between them) Hunt a pitch to drive back through the middle Scoring: Run Scoring Base Hit (bloop/seeing eye type) = 1 Line Drive Run Scoring Base Hit = 3 Base hit up the middle (between the gap cones) = 5