Here's something I've noticed in todays game. I might do some research to see if it really is a trend or just a random outlier. If it's actually a trend, this might ruin the Red's hitting. It's definety Dusty's doing.
Here are 1st pitch hits/outs in todays game.
3/5 in 1st
3/4 in 2nd
4/6 in 3rd
5/8 in 4th
3/5 in 5th
3/3 in 6th
3/5 in 7th
3/3 in 8th
4/4 in 9th
A hitter has put the ball in play somehow in 31/43 chances (72% on the very 1st pitch. If it's Baker telling players to swing at the 1st pitch and be more aggressive, that can be a disaster. What this does is lower the pitch count of the opposing pitcher, letting him stay in the game longer, and be more effective. It's also going to lower OBP skills tremendously. It's definitely a very interesting observation that should be followed.