Baseball Tips On Hitting: Productive Outs Win Ballgames!

Sometimes it's a little thing that helps win a baseball game. It's not always what makes the headlines in the newspapers or something that draws the most attention. "Productive outs" definitely fit into the category of little things that aren't so little at all.

I think it's a truly great at bat when an important run is on third base with less than two outs and the batter hits a very weak six-hopper to the second baseman and the much needed run scores. If the infield is playing fairly deep with a very important runner on third base, just focus on contact. If you can put the ball on the ground it's usually enough to get the run in. If it turns into a hit, that's better yet. The main objective is that you put the ball in play. You must make contact and not give the pitcher the strike out that he desperately needs. That's very smart baseball hitting.

Another productive out is when an important runner is on second base and is advanced to third base with a grounder on the right side of the infield with no outs. Productive outs are especially important to teams that play lots of close, low scoring ball games because they may very well have to "scratch and claw" to get runs.

Baseball Hitters In The Heart Of The Batting Order:

They very seldom should be looking to make productive outs. I didn't say never. I said very seldom. For example, with no outs, they should not be trying to advance a base runner from second base to third base and give themselves up for the first out of the inning. That's the same as if they're saying, "Here, someone else take the responsibility to knock in the run, not me." That is not good baseball hitting. The better hitters should not give themselves up and should not leave it up to other hitters to drive in the runs.

When Trailing By Several Runs: 

If your team is trailing by several runs late in the game and you ground out with no outs and have your runner go from second base to third base, there is nothing productive about that at all. The same holds true with a runner on third base with no outs or one out and you are trailing in the game by several runs. If you ground out and the run scores, there isn't anything productive about that at bat either because the opposing team got exactly what they wanted. They got the all important out that will dismiss any thoughts you had of getting back into the ball game. Productive outs are great but let's make sure they are true productive outs and not counterproductive outs!

I think it's a totally awesome at bat when a hitter is very clever and hits a weak ten hopper to the second baseman and the tying run or go ahead run scores.