Batting

batting is the act of facing the opposing pitcher and trying to produce offense for one's team. A batter or hitter is a person whose turn it is to face the pitcher. The three main goals of batters are to become a baserunner, drive runners home, or advance runners along the bases for others to drive home, but the techniques and strategies they use to do so vary. Hitting is one of the more unique motions in baseball that is rarely mimicked in other sports. Hitting is unique because unlike most sports movements in the vertical plane of movement hitting involves rotating in the horizontal plane.

 Keys to good hitting, in addition to courage and determination include a relaxed position in the batter's box, an ability to follow the entire fight of pitched ball, a fast and level swing of the bat, and strong wrists. it is important that the weight, lenght, and balance of the bat suit the physical characteristics of the batter.

                             

Joe Mauer

Sacrifice Bunt is executed to advance a base runner at the expense of the batter. In this bunt, the batter either pivots toward the pitcher, allowing the ball to meet the bat which he holds stationary at impact.





Good Batting Form demands that the entire body be poised for utmost ease and effect. Awaiting the pitch, the batter keeps his weight on the balls of his feet, with hips, shoulder, and eyes level, and bat high. On the approach of the pitch, he whips his bat into the ball with loose arm action and snaps his wrists. He keeps his two hands on the bat during the entire swing.

Ryan Howard

Types of batter

Power hitters - power hitters, or sluggers, are batters who drive the ball, often hitting home runs and other extra-base hits, but tend to strike out more often than contact hitters.

Contact hitters - batters who do not strike out often and are able to put the ball in play very often. Because of this, they tend to hit fewer home runs than power hitters.

Slap hitters - slap hitters are batters who rarely try to drive the ball; instead these hitters simply try to "slap" the ball through the infielders to reach base.

Complete hitters -  players who can not only slap the ball, but can come up with extra base hits.

Designated hitters - used primarily by the American League as a substitute for the pitcher, but only for batting. National League teams may use a DH when in an AL ballpark. If an American League team is playing in a National League ballpark, the DH may not be used.

Switch hitters - capable of batting left or right-handed

Pinch hitters - a substitute hitter for the scheduled batter in the lineup. A DH acts as a permanent pinch hitter for the pitcher. Once a pinch hitter bats, he will replace the previous batter in the lineup unless a substitution is made. The NL occasionally uses pinch hitters in place of pitchers when not playing in an AL ballpark.