Guys:
A suggestion when you want to start the runner with a 3 ball count is to use your steal signal & tell base runners that all 3 ball steals are to be treated like hit & runs( Can't get picked).This simplifies the process for your hitters. IMO if you use the run & hit sign instead in this situation the hitter swings at only fastball strikes or hanging breaking balls in the strike zone. You may want to consider running in 3-1 counts only with your better runners. Certainly this is hitter, runner,pitcher & situation dependent. I would like to see the ball hit in the gap & not on the ground in this situation. The exception is when you have a LHH who can aggressively attack the 4 hole.
The hit & run for me is best executed with no one out because my #1 goal is to hit the ball on the ground. I use the hit & run in place of the sacrifice bunt. Idealy you want the ball on the ground out of the middle. It's a bonus if you hit the ball through the infield. If the ball is in the dirt or if it's a pitch out, take the pitch. I expect our runner to be safe on dirt balls when he is on the move & I expect the runner to look in on his 1st step & be able to read a pitch out & return to 1st.
When hitters swing at balls in the dirt, they usually miss them & often fall across the plate & interfere with the catcher. they rarely make contact with pitch outs.
Lots more to this of course. There is no one way. Everyone has a little different take.
JW