Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell has said he wants every hitter in the lineup to develop his own style.
Some hitters are built to swing for the fences, even in a 3-0 count. Some hitters are best when they take a strike. Some hitters need to tweak what they do when there are two strikes, or when they’re facing a pitcher who has a lot of velocity. As a result, Bell doesn’t have many set overarching rules for the approach the Reds batters take at the plate.
In Bell’s mind, it’s better when they’re given the opportunity to be flexible.