Your Input On Stats 2008
What’s your take on stats?
- How do you use them?
- Are they important or overemphasized?
- Who keeps track of yours?
- Which ones do you pay attention to the most?
- What’s a good ERA?
- Do you look for a certain batting average as a coach evaluating players?
Hit the “Leave a Comment” link below and tell us what you think.
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August 25th, 2008 at 4:45 am
I think that stats provide a valuable tool IF they are done accurately. At the high school level, it is amazing how many FC’s are counted as hits. How can you compare stats from two different players when you never know if you can trust the accuracey of the statisticians? There are times when one has to make a judgement call – hit or error but the discrepency between two books recording the same game should be very similair.
August 25th, 2008 at 7:32 am
I like to know my players batting avg with runners in scoring position. Also I always book a team in where they hit and put it on index cards. I keep those cards from year to year so I can refer to them the next time we play that team. I also take notes on catchers arm strength, defense set up, or any thing else that might give us an edge.
August 25th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
Two stats that I find very useful are Strike out percentage and on base percentage. Strike out percentage helps me determine what to do with a particular batter in a given situation. If I know that she struggles putting the ball in play, I might bunt/slap more readily than I would otherwise. Also, on base percentage really helps me place someone in the lineup. I had a player who really struggled hitting at the plate, but had an OBP of 50% so she still managed to be in a key spot in the lineup.
August 25th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Stats are very important to me. For pitchers, I like to know their walk percentage. That can be very important in a tight situation where we can not afford any walks. As for my batters, I like to know who their on base percentage and their RBI percentage, so I know a little better if I should pinch hit for someone.
August 25th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
Stats are a helpful tool for coaches,but sometimes you go with your gut feeling on your decisions.
August 25th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
I agree with Gayle H that stats are important if kept properly. Too often parents provide their “input” such as that’s not an error so that stats are skewed.
I like on base percentage as a stat because it demonstrates an ability to put the ball into play and a good knowledge of the strikezone.
August 25th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
I am a bit of a stats geek and keep them all for my team. I currently do it on Excel. I make sure that my scorekeepers are very aware of how to do it properly so that they are accurate.
August 25th, 2008 at 4:33 pm
I keep stats on a number of things like most coaches. Offensively, the one that matters most is OBP. I don’t care how they get there, just how often can I count on you being on base. I won’t share their batting avg with them til the end of the season. I’ve seen kids obsessed with it and ruins a good hitter. Defensively, I keep track of where the other team hits to. This info is invaluable in the later innings as most batters hit to the same place time after time. I like to know how my pitcher is doing with 1st pitch for a ball/strike etc. The website http://www.baseball-almanac.com/stats6.shtml has a great calculator
August 25th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
I would say in my humble opinion on base percentage has to be one of the most important stats out there. You cannot score unless your players are getting on base.
August 25th, 2008 at 7:11 pm
Me and my coach put the stats together and my team thinks its fun to compare the hitting stats at the end of the year. We also used them to figure out who should go to the all star game
August 25th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
I love stats. I love seeing what each girl is doing. I look at so many things how many times they strike out, On base percentage, who is making contact ect. I look at team batting averages I usually do not share with the girls unless it is one on one and it is very positive. I will share team stats with everyone. I also love look at a stat call average pitches per inning. plus the strike percentage.
August 25th, 2008 at 9:10 pm
I use OBP and Strike Out Percentage as my guide for sorting out the batting order. I assign a ranking for each stat. and add the values for an overview. The player with the best OBP receives a number 1 rank, as does the player with least amount of strike outs relative to plate appearances. The sum (lowest being the best) separates the players. I also consider power, as in singles, doubles, triples, and home runs. I typically put a player with the best OBP and least amount of strikeouts along with power in the third or fourth slot in the batting order. The other top spots are slotted with those considerations as well as bunting ability and speed on the bases. I have also put a leading OBP with speed and bunting ability in the 9th slot to help set up the top of the order. Some kids don’t like the pressure of being in the number one slot, even if the stats show they should be there. I have found that individual and the team has success when I put them in the 9th spot.
I revise the batting order if necessary every four games. It gives me an opportunity to reward a hot player and take some pressure off of a player that may be in a slump.
August 26th, 2008 at 12:22 am
I am mainly responsible for keeping the book and stats. I use Excel tables to help keep trends and accurate percentages. I think this helps show the coach what each person is doing and where to work the extra time into practice.
August 26th, 2008 at 12:29 am
Stats can be fun but they can also be deceiving! Since most high school coaches do their own stats they are bound to be times when they give a hit instead of an error and they also can deflate a pitcher’s ERA. I am not saying that all coaches do this but it does happen!
August 26th, 2008 at 1:04 am
My High School program uses Turbo stats, a software program that anyone with some computer savy and ability to use a palm pilot. One of our coaches or a parent sits right in the in dugout area with myself or one other coach and agree on hits,error and other play as the game is in progress. The program when entered in computer spits out every possible statistic. On base percentage,slugging avg. pitchers ERA.total pitches throw,ball/strikes etc. Very reasonably priced software. Can be inputed into computer without palm pilot also. The ability to produce instant cumulative stats after each contest is immeasurable. You can also print scouting reports for your team and for opponents to be used when we face them a second time.
August 26th, 2008 at 1:44 am
I do stats on a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. Nothing fancy, but it gave us all the information we were looking for in the spring season. Batting Average, On Base Percentage, whether the player swung or had a called 3rd strike, pitching stats, etc. These are all helpful measures to look at so we know what to work on with the team.
August 26th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
As a 14U traveling competitive girls FP coach, I keep stats on the Baseball Manager software application. It allows our coaching staff to review and track offensive and defensive tendencies. The information we track is provided to the girls as a means to continue to learn the game and why decisions such as where they hit in the batting order or who is the starting pitcher against a certain team are made. An example of how we use stats to challenge the girls are: Having our pitchers set a goal of strikes versus balls during a tournament and then comparing the goal against the actual results. Another example is challenging our hitters to set a goal for OBP during a tournament and comparing the actual results to their goal. Stats are very important as long as they are used as constructive criticism and a means to assist players in their understanding of the game and their improvement.
August 26th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
Stats are a valuable tool to determine a players performance, but I also believe being able to see their contribution to the game is important as well. A “quality” player who knows the game realizes that a hard ground out on the right side is just as effective as a sac. bunt. Although this player didn’t get a hit, it’s a QUALITY at-bat that moved a runner, while attempting to produce a big inning. Stats are important, but they should not be placed over the importance of game situations and knowledge of the game.
August 26th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
For the more experienced pitchers I want to know the ERA and BB. Slugging percentage allowed is also considered.
Total runs allowed vs. earned runs for defensive information.
More time is spent charting the opposing pitcher/coach. Learning their tendencies and predicting their pitch selection and offense/defense sets.
August 26th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
Happiness.
It’s not always easy to keep track of, but it will help you continue to play long after your best hitting days are over.
August 26th, 2008 at 7:12 pm
I believe stats are only as good as the person keeping them, if kept by kids during the game, stats are basically worthless, if kept by a coach , will be more accurate by still can be flawed, if you have a stat keeper, and its accurate, it can help in a tremendous way, pitching trends, 1st pitch swingers, behind in the count hitters, up int hte count hitters, clutch hitting with people on base ect.
August 26th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
I really enjoy keeping stats. They can tell alot about an indivdual and a team. BUT, team should always come first. Empasize stats such as sacrifices, runners advanced, fielding pct, ect. as much or more than batting average, wins and losses, power stats, ect.
August 26th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
For pitchers I want to know BB to AB ratio. A good defensive team does not need a pitcher to strike everyone out. Defense cant help with walks however.
August 26th, 2008 at 8:37 pm
My one state tournament experience was interesting to say the least, but having OBP stats really helped me to see who was making contact and putting the ball in play. We used this to help with our batting order.
August 26th, 2008 at 11:04 pm
I keep the scorebook and all the stats for our rec league team. My favorite stats are for hitting: average when runners are in scoring position and for pitching, number of walks, the fewer the better, there’s no defense against them!
August 27th, 2008 at 12:03 am
The two most important stats, to me, that I track are WHIP (walks+hits per inning pitched) for pitchers and on-base average for batters. Of course, these stats don’t tell the whole story, but they give you a snapshot of how a player is contributing.
August 27th, 2008 at 1:42 am
Stats are only good if you use them. When do right, they can be used to help you get that extra edge over your oppent. They have helped me out as a coach last season so much, and this season, we will start chrats.
August 27th, 2008 at 2:06 am
I agree that the on base percentage and strikout percentage are the best stats to gage a hitters performance. The reason why I say this is because I personally hit .355 over the summer and struck out 7 times out of approx.150 at bats. My on base percentage was over .500. Now looking at that .355 you could say that I hit pretty good, but if you look at how many times I struck out and then my on base percentage it says that I hit at almost every at bat or I walk. Every coach says that they just want you to hit the ball. Finding the gaps will come. Well that statement is definately true. I take great pride that I struck out so few times. That gives me the confidence at the plate to know that I have a very good chance to reach first because i can make contact with the ball and my stats show it so college coaches will be able to see that with a little bit of work I can be a great hitter.
August 27th, 2008 at 3:26 am
On base average is a key indicator. After all, that’s the first step of generating any offense; you can’t score if you don’t get on base. How you got there is far less important than the fact that you did. A blistering line drive? Great. A well placed slap that can’t be played? Just as effective. A base on balls? Perfect.
Another valuable stat, often overlooked, is percentage of successful bunts. When a bunt is called for, you have to get it done. Consistent bunt execution is often what seperates the contenders from the pretenders.
August 27th, 2008 at 5:42 am
One of the things I’ve noticed that is not a stat is “confidence”. Watching these girls from the beginning of the year to the end is truly amazing. This past season I had a girl who never played before (9th grade, JV). She really struggled in all area, worked harder than anyone, and would cry when she just couldn’t figure certain things out. I always talked to her and let her know that these things take time, and with the extra effort she has been putting forth on her own, that she was going to be just fine. She was very hard on herself. We had her in left field most of the season and one day at practice we put her at third just to change things up. WOW! Don’t know what happened but she was a natural! One hop backhand scoops, you name it. She just blew us away. She ended up starting the last couple of games. One play in particular was in our last game. Line drive driven straight into her shoulder, richoceting out to left field. Got the time out and she cried. It hurt. I tried to sub and she was pissed! Then I suggested she switch with left field. Made her more mad.She would not come out! She finished the game strong. I know it’s not a stat but I just wanted to tell the story.
August 27th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
My daughter’s travel team has a bookkeeper for each game. At the conclusion of a tournament, one of our coaches computes the stats (invidual game as well as tournment avergages)& posts it on the webpage (along with action pictures). It’s a great motivator for the girls to analyze how they have done and set a goal for what each would like to improve on for the next tournament.
August 27th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
i think on base percentage is important.as well as strikeouts.you need someone to keep book that is fair.we do a review half way through the year and at the end.thanks steve
August 27th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
I think that stats are the most important part of the game. The sad part is that the majority of fans/parents don’t trully understand the game. I coach the varsity team at my high school and my daughter plays travel ball and its amazing how many people don’t know the difference between an error and a hit. I really hate seeing stats that are published that are not real. My varsity girls get mad at me because how tough I am. Its amazing to me also how a girl that no ones know one year and the next under a new coach leads the league in stolen bases and doubles. She doesn’t play travelball so how does this happen. We played them this year and during a game she advanced to second on a passed ball twice which of course the other coach counted as 2 stolen bases. Coaches need to teach their scorekeeper how to do it right.
August 27th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
I use the Digital Scout, it has made my communication process so much easier and the kids know exactly where they stand all the time. It is easy to use and pretty accurate with the results, its’ east to track other teams and find hitting and pitching patterns
August 27th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
It would be great to have some web site offer training on how to keep the book (correctly), and how to use the stats. I know our HS team has a team manager but they are not nearly as accurate – reliable as the AD who occasionally volunteers to keep the book.
Training is key.
Also in our local U12 & U14 leagues a number of parents would likely offer to help if they felt that they could learn to properly keep the book – without looking stupid. They don’t want to be constantly asking the coach how to keep the book.
Suggestions? Comments? Links to a Web site that would help parents and house or youth league parents keep accurate records. Almost all of them would like to see their and the other kids stats.
What about making the kids stats available online? Possible thread for a forum.
August 27th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
My daughter is a beginning pitcher and I’m interested in what her stats are to monitor her improvement and we discuss them together. It is such an investment in time and money to pitch and this helps with some feedback as to her performance when she is on the mound.
August 27th, 2008 at 7:16 pm
Gotta have them for coaches use only!!! Gotta have someone that can record them accurately and subjectively!!
Don’t give them out to the parents though, causes to many issues of “my daughters better than yours”
August 27th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
I believe in Stats that are kept accurately and I try to just make my own sheet for my stats to be kept and then I know where I need to work with my players. I tell my parents who are in charge of taking those stats how to do it and how important it is. I don’t make just one parent do all of them I give a few types of stats I need to any parent that wants to do it. It keeps the parents involved in the game with all the players and not just there own, and I don’t give my catcher/pitcher parents either of those type of stats to keep to try and make it fair. My stats I like to keep are On Base %. Catchers passed BAlls E2, or bad throws, Pitchers Ball and Strikes count Hit Batters and Walks, Stolen Bases not on a passed ball, & by passed ball Those are 2 separate stats as one is for me to keep record of the opposing catchers ability. And of coarse your regular score book stats of hits and KO. I keep a book in the dugout as well as one with a parent and separate ledger books with the stats I like above on each book than I combine it all at the end of the day in my computer. Not sure what the program is we use for our club I just do it. May sound like a lot of work but it’s just what I do to keep everyone in the game & parents out of there kids way and coaches. TJ
August 27th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
On base % has always been important to me. Had a player this last summer that didn,t have the skills that her teammates had except being blessed with speed and OB% of .540. She was a very valuable player.
August 28th, 2008 at 6:41 am
my most valuable stat is walks. our area is just developing programs at the younger levels and our pitching is behind the curve. i like the girls to know the # of walks we allowed vs. the # we received. it reinforces the importance of learning how and working on improving our pitching. the girls can see we are competitive hitting, fielding, etc. but the walks are difficult to overcome. it also revealed a coaching flaw throughout the season on our part. several coaches(myself included) have tried to teach our hitters to be aggresive. we have learned that aggression needs to be disciplined as our hitters often helped opposing pitchers by swinging at balls not strikes. there were some good articles on discipline through stacies’ site. thank you.
August 28th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
I like to use stats to show the girls (individually) how they have improved over a season, as well as keeping track of OBP and defensive errors. This way, we know as a team what needs to be worked on together. We play as a team/train as a team/win-lose as a team. As far a where a team hits, they are too many variables in the pitch/bat/bunt to be able to keep accurate information – it would have to be viewed as general guideline.
August 28th, 2008 at 6:05 pm
Here is a link that might be useful for scorekeepers or training a scorekeeper. http://nfca.org.ismmedia.com/ISM2/MultimediaManager/ATEC.pdf
That said, what is the best scorebook that you use?
August 29th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
awesome link Patti (#42) I’ve been looking for just such a website. THANKS!
August 30th, 2008 at 8:49 am
I like the stats to tell me where the opposing team hit last. Then if our girls are hitting or not and to go back to see if any errors were made and by whom so I know who and what to work on at the next practice. I actually study them after a game!