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I need help. 11U son being asked to play 3B and want to do it the right way. Can someone give me, or point me toward a crash course in fielding that position? Where to set up in different situations? When to crash the bunt and when not to? Where to set up at various counts?

Any help is appreciated.

Tim
deaconspoint
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Here are a few things I always remembered when playing third:
- Always play low to the ground.
- Normal position would be a step and a dive off the line. You should be able to take one step to the right and dive and cover fair territory.
- Depth always depends on situations.
- Always play deep with two outs to give yourself time to make a play and react.
- With less than 2 outs and no runners on base, you must rely on what you think the batter will do. 4-hole hitter probably won't bunt; 8-hole may bunt, etc.
- Any time a runner is on 2B, you probably won't field a bunt unless it is hard at you.
- With a runner only on 1B, you will field a bunt.
- Always charge bunts with your hands out in front to protect yourself from a slash, etc. Chop your feet to slow yourself down.
- With 2 strikes, play deep.

It is hard to have set rules for any position. As your son's knowledge of the game and baseball IQ improves, he will understand where to be, etc. Third base is not a place where you can be thinking all of the time. Great defensive players know what is going to happen before it does. Hope this helps!
Great post and agree with everything put here. I would like to add something to this though...

quote:
- Always play deep with two outs to give yourself time to make a play and react.


When playing deep you want to be within the limits of your arm strength. In other words if you have a weak arm then you can't play back as far. No sense playing deep when you can't get the throw there.
quote:
Originally posted by landjw19:
Here are a few things I always remembered when playing third:
- Always play low to the ground.
- Normal position would be a step and a dive off the line. You should be able to take one step to the right and dive and cover fair territory.
- Depth always depends on situations.
- Always play deep with two outs to give yourself time to make a play and react.
- With less than 2 outs and no runners on base, you must rely on what you think the batter will do. 4-hole hitter probably won't bunt; 8-hole may bunt, etc.
- Any time a runner is on 2B, you probably won't field a bunt unless it is hard at you.
- With a runner only on 1B, you will field a bunt.
- Always charge bunts with your hands out in front to protect yourself from a slash, etc. Chop your feet to slow yourself down.
- With 2 strikes, play deep.

It is hard to have set rules for any position. As your son's knowledge of the game and baseball IQ improves, he will understand where to be, etc. Third base is not a place where you can be thinking all of the time. Great defensive players know what is going to happen before it does. Hope this helps!


This is a very well thought out post! Thank you!
Play the shift of the catcher. If a right handed hitter is up and the catcher shifts inside. Go back one step and to the line one step. If to the outside, then shift up one step and away from the line one step. This will cheat the slow roller if the hitter pulls around the outside pitch.

Don't do the above if you are protecting the line for extra base hits.
Hey PaPa Bear! How's things at the University and in Nacogdoches? Have you seen RE lately? It's amazing. I got Robert Ellis in on my lifetime pass in St. Lucie; he went to work for the Mets the very next year; worked for them several years; and, promptly vanished! I did visit him down there though, and even showed him my "new ride" Smile . Herbie and I converse occasionally, but he has no idea where our mutual baseball friend is when I ask of him. Maybe he's with his family. That would be GOOD! I miss him. He's special. So are you guys! The speed detector has come into good use my friend! Thank you.

I've been reading but not posting. PG Jerry's messageboard is undergoing re-construction so I suppose I will post here until then. Send Casey and the family my very best.

HOF1962 Big Grin
Last edited by fathertime71

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