Batting Order

Your sons may have told you that every player on the Braves will be the last hitter in the batting order at least once this season. It’s true.

After Rick posted the lineup in the dugout before Saturday’s game, the guys rushed over to see where they were in the order. A couple of minutes later I sat them down for the pre-game talk. I asked Alec if he knew why he was batting last. “Not really,” he replied.

I told Alec that he was batting last simply because someone had to bat last, not because anyone thought he was a bad hitter. And then I said that everyone on the team would bat last at least once during the season. I didn’t really plan to say it – it just kind of popped out – but I definitely think it’s the way to go in a developmental program such as Little League.

It will be good for every player on the team to have the experience of batting in the first inning. And it will be good for every player on the team to have the experience of batting last.

The players seem to think that this is very fair. I hope it helps them realize that everyone on the team is important, that everyone can contribute. Certainly the last two batters in our lineup against the Orioles made contributions. Jack and Alec both went 3 for 4, each with two doubles.

We won’t always get that kind of production from the last two guys in the order, but that’s not the point. The point is that we don’t want anyone on the team to think that he’s more important that the others on the team.

Of course everything’s easier when you win by 13 runs. The true test of team morale will come after we lose by a big margin. I suspect we’ll be just fine when that happens – and it will!

Hope to see you all at Friday’s game,

Dave