The beauty of first-ball, fastball hitting (and not just in the first at-bat) is that it eliminates the pitcher's strategy in the at-bat. You step in, get a good swing on a good pitch, put the ball in play, and your chances are reasonable. The guy can't fool around with you for three or four pitches. Those pitches may put you ahead in the count, but they may also put you behind. The whole idea of working the count is to see a fastball in a good location (the hanging curve is perfectly acceptable, too). But if you see this good pitch to hit as the first offering, go to hacking! No use waiting!