0-2 count(pitchers perspective)

This count might be the most debated count all of all the counts you could possibly hit out of. The pitcher has a clear advantage in this situation. So much of an advantage that if the hitter gets a hit many coaches "scream" that the count was 0-2 and how in the world was a hittable pitch thrown.

Let's make one thing perfectly clear. This is not a waste pitch. If that were the case, pitches would be thrown off of backstops. Furthermore, if you are wasting a pitch why not just ask the umpire to roll the count to 1-2.

The 0-2 pitch is a purpose pitch. It should be thrown with the intent of a batter chasing the pitchers pitch off the plate. The two most common locations for this pitch are up and in with hard stuff or down and away with off speed stuff. Understand, however, that mistakes do happen and results are not always favorable. Trying to execute a pitch and missing location can shift the advantage to the hitter. It doesn't happen too often but when a hitter drives a pitch, the pitcher simply didn't execute his intended purpose.

At the amateur level, most pitchers will throw the ball off the outside corner of the plate avoiding the dreaded consequence of a hit batsmen. Amateurs don't have the greatest command of the strike zone so it would go to reason that they don't have the best command outside the strike zone either.

A coaches note here- you can't claim that 0-2 is a purpose pitch and then criticize a pitcher for hitting a batter. If you want to pitch inside with a purpose then a hit batter is a potential possibility.