Coaching First Base

He needs to communicate outs and maybe the situation. IMO, that's basically it. If he has to yell "Back!" your kid is picked anyway.

And don't forget to pick up the helmets from base runners on your side of the field at end of inning!

And keep an eye on the 1st baseman when he is playing behind the runner. To do this properly he should be in a deeper position.

Also might need to help a RHH if he hits one down the left field line.

Polk's "Baseball Playbook" has a section on 1st base coach responsibilities.

I have typed out the Polk guidelines so that I can give them to my 1st base coaches when I get a new one. PM me your email address and I will send it to you.

Just skip having a 1b coach. There is no reason to have one.

Its window dressing guys.

Practice this "Back!"
Practice this "Catching the batting gloves thrown your way."
Practice this "Catching batting helmets thrown your way."
Practice this "Ignoring the fans from your team telling you "Watch his move coach."
Practice this "Ignoring the fans from the other team talking trash to you during the game."

You can teach someone what they need to know and what to do coaching first base in about 5 minutes.

Not sure the size programs you guys are in, maybe your coach is a guy who is is just assigned to baseball, but the 1st base coach is important to me. In Texas we are grouped in "A's" 5A is largest, 1A smallest. I've been in a 2A (225 kids) and am now in a 5A (1900 kids). Often in a small school you have a coach as an assistant that is just assigned to baseball, he often, in my experience, has little to no experience.

For me, a 1st base coach has game duties:
1. Relay outs and ground ball rules to runner on 1st. With multiple runners, he helps with the secondary runner.
2. Chart delivery, from set to motion. HE talks to the hitters at the end of a defensive inning if he has found a pattern, for example, our kids think "U-C-L-A" in their heads. If he's hit a pattern on "C", we're going to anticipate going on "C", but still read. He keeps a small notebook to write this.
3. Help find the ball. Pickoffs, balls in gaps, overthrows...he's the crossing guard, the one that says STOP!
4. He helps note position of fielders. Does it change with count, # of outs, runners on different bases, and how often does the pitch sequence reflect the defense (do they play away and pitch mostly away, play to pull and stay in?) This helps us adjust at the plate, something we point out at the end of a defensive inning.

I've heard some say this is too much. Maybe I over coach my kids instead of let them just play (look at the fundamentals thread!). But here's my thoughts. I call pitches so my kids don't have to worry about anything but throwing the pitch for a strike in the location called. Take the pressure off them and put it on me. Let me be responsible for knowing how we worked him last AB, what we got him out on or what he hit, etc. Same as on the bases. My kids know to go on low knees (catcher) how to get a good jump, that all singles are run like doubles until we stop you...but its easier to stop them than start them! I get paid to work with high school baseball players, and I am dedicated to helping them learn and grow in the same way I am in my classroom. I have heard people say that you have to be careful not to take away the instinct of a players, and I fully agree. But, if the player understands, instinct can take over. My 1st base coaches job is to assist in that process and continually remind them what needs to happen, so the playyer can do what needs to be done!

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And don't forget to pick up the helmets from base runners on your side of the field at end of inning!

Our players have to carry their own helmets back to the dugout.

Thats great BD. But if my first baseman grounds out Im not going to make him carry his helmet to 3rd base dugout when he is already at first base. Someone is going to pick him up and he is going to already be where he needs to be. But to each his own. "It was a joke."

Coaching has nothing to do with how big your program is. It doesn't matter if its a 6a or 1a program coaching is coaching. My philosophy is I am going to coach my players in practice and let them play the game on game day. Coaching first base is coaching first base. Coaching the game in the dugout is another issue. Coaching in practice is another issue. The last thing I want my baserunners doing is having any of their attention to what they need to have it on distracted by someone talking to them , instructing them while they are trying to play the game. Do that in practice so you dont have to during the game.

I teach my catchers to call their own game. I want my catchers to call their own game. If you have to constantly remind a player what to do while they are trying to do what they need to do then someone has not properly coached them to know what to do. Players can not play instinctively when they are constantly coached up while trying to play the game.

This is just the way I do it and it works for us. We work very hard in practice and we coach them very hard. When its game time we shut up and let them play. The more you have to coach during a game the less coaching you have done prior to the game. Players will never play instinctive baseball when they are looking to be told what to do and constantly reminded of what they need to do while they are trying to play.

Good luck to you coach if it works for you fine. For me the less coaching I have to do during a game the better job I have done before it.

Coach May, it's something our head coach picked up at the College World Series a few years ago.

The fielders meet in front of the dugout before every inning. The pitcher and catcher go out immediately but the rest wait until they have 7 ready to go and go out as a team.

I could see it either way. This is just the way I've been taught since probably my freshman year of high school.

Coach May,

Did not want to and will not turn this into a "Chest thumping" thread. I have read many of your posts, and why I do not know you, I respect you. I surely didn't mean to offend small school coaches, I was one for many years. They often have to make more of less and coach twice as hard because their staffs are generally smaller than large schools, numbers are fewer, talent pool usually thinner. I grew up in NC, and many small schools, Southwest Onslow, East Carteret, Red Springs, all had solid programs and could play with ANYONE. Many small schools in texas do as well, and some outstanding coaches are in the smaller levels.

As for giving my kids verbal cues during a game, its a phrase usually, like "ground ball rules, " "read low knees" etc. Calling pitches, its something I do. I pay attention to hitters and have been most successful when I handle the calling. I've had players take over, and tell me they'd rather I call. I have two recent former players pitching in college, both are now calling their own games, and have been successful. They have told me they often think "what would coach call here?"

Helping kids adjust in games is not taking away instinct. I said in my post if they understand situations than instinct can and will take over. I am a firm believer if kids understand situations, they don't have to be told.

Again have no desire to get into a chest thumping debate, but I think you took what I wrote wrong. I read once in an old ABCA magazine that if you look at 1 AB, broken down by number of possible outs, possible counts, possible base runners, possible pitch locations, possible pitches (assuming 3), then flip it to RHP or LHP, there are something like 2000 possible situations in one AB (I'll check the exact number when I return to work). Does using a verbal cue mean I didnt cover it during the week? There are 9 ways to score from third, does it hurt to remind a kid? We work hard for our kids and with our kids everynight for them to be successful, I don't think that should change just because it's a game night.

First of all I do not coach at a small school. And your post certainly did not offend me. Like I said if it works for you fine. The thread was about Coaching 1st base. My first base coach is our hitting coach. He does a tremendous job with our hitters. My post was about coaching players while they are actually playing the game. Again if it works for you fine. I have many players playing at the next level and in pro ball as well. But it has nothing to do with the way I or we coach them in a game.

Chest Thumping thread?

If you have to remind a kid that there is 9 ways for him to score from third while he is at 3b in a game then fine.

My very first coaching job was coaching 1B at my alma mater for the same varsity coach I played for years before. At practice, I had lots of responsibilities. In the game, basically one. I was told to remind the field ump (we have two umps per game in our conference) at the beginning of the game that our leadoff hitter was extremely fast and the ump should be prepared for some bang/bang plays. I really believe it influenced some calls our way that season.

Larry hows it going? I worked a camp with Jason a couple of weeks ago. I told him I knew you and we had talked about him. He had so many nice things to say about you. He has a beautiful family his wife and kids are just awesome. Jason is building one of the top programs in the state. I know he has two state titles under his belt already but I believe the best is yet to come for him. He really thinks the world of you.

Coach I can tell from your posts you take alot of pride in what you do and the way you do it. Please to not take my posts the wrong way. Good luck with your program. We are never going to agree on everything.

Coaches can do whatever they want and if it works, it works.

We always had a rule that every time you hit the ball you had to touch firstbase no matter what happened.

However, at every level I've ever seen, the 1st base coach grabs the helmets at the end of an inning. Why would you have your CF running back to the dugout after making the last out in an inning? Does anyone ever cover for the players on base (bring out their glove?)

This is not an important thing, it's just very normal (At every level) big, small and in between!

Whether it is big school, small school, or in between... I'm certain that Coach May has been around the highest level of amateur baseball. Big Schools? Someone must be kidding! How about the Major Leagues? Would that be a high enough level?

If I were a player on a team that insisted I carry my own helmet back to the dugout at the end of every inning... I would do it and wonder why in the world this team does that different than everyone else in baseball.

wow. never questioned coach may or his credentials...just made a comment, think its read differently than i implied. though I did notice watching the UNC game Roy Williams standing and yelling to a player on defense during the game...guess he needs to coach harder in practice!! haha. enjoyed the talk. Happy New Year guys

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I would do it and wonder why in the world this team does that different than everyone else in baseball.

And if I watched everybody else jump off a bridge and I didn't, I'd have to wonder why they aren't very smart

PG, like I said, somebody in college baseball does/did it and our coach liked it.

Think about it this way.. does a player just come out to his position at his own pace at the beginning of the game?

The 7 position players meet in front of the dugout until they are all ready to go and spring out to their positions as a team. Something they recently changed this year is that they all sprint to 2nd base and then to their positions no matter what dugout. So yes, if in the 3rd base dugout, the 3rd baseman runs to second and then back to his position at 3rd.

It's just how the Waterloo Bulldogs do it at every level. Right or wrong I guess is up to the individual viewer..

Ha ha! Good one Coach. I had no idea Baseball players should be coached the same way as Basketball palyers in game situations.

"OK Jimmy , dig in , square it up , stay on the ball , dont pull off , stay focused , let it get deep," Jimmy strikes out. "Dang it Jimmy you got to stay focused up there." "I know Coach but some guy in the 3B coaches box kept getting my attention as I was trying to hit." "You got to block that sh*t out son." "Coach it was you."

Sorry,

I wasn't trying to say that there is anything wrong. Coaches often have their own way of doing things.

Guess my point was that most teams do not do it that way at the higher levels.

Regarding meeting in front of the dugout and all 7 sprinting to their position... IMO, it is more important that they get to their position ASAP and start getting their arms ready.

It sounds like something a winning program did and others thought it looked good so they have their team do it. Nothing wrong with that! If it works, it works.

Don't understand the jumping off a bridge analogy, there would be an advantage in not jumping off the bridge. My question would be... Is there an advantage involved somehow or is it simply an attention getter? Not trying to be combative, just curious. I know it's not all that important and teams can do whatever they want.

well this seems to be getting nowhere! posted what I thought could help someone maybe utilize their 1st base coach, used a detailed example of pitching, even saying sometimes I wonder if we do to much, and its turned into a your way vs my way, and I avoid those because nobody on here gets anything from it. Good luck in 2009 guys, can already smell the fresh cut grass!

Guys it doesn't matter what you do as long as you do it well. Have a reason, explain the reason and do your best teaching and executing that.

If you want the 1B coach to be responsible for a lot then make sure he is good at it.

If you want the players at the dugout before each inning make sure they know why or it will look like garbage and be a waste of time.

When I got started 15 years ago I was a 20 year old first base coach and by gosh I was going to do it well. I was going to be the best first base coach the state of KY had ever seen. I had the stop watch ready, I yelled back on every throw over, I talked to the ump and 1Bman. I was the man until I one game when I had a mouthfull of sunflower seeds and got choked about the time the pitcher threw over. Needless to say I couldn't speak but the craziest thing happened - he got back safe. It was then I realized the 1B coach was not very important and wondered why we even yelled back. If the runner was waiting on us then he was probably going to be out.

From that moment on I started doing more teaching in practice and kept my mouth shut in the game. It was funny how much better and smoother things got. For the past 9 years I was a head coach and I took that philosophy with me. There were times I had to adjust based on personnel. One year I had a catcher who was a stud but might have been the dumbest player (baseball knowledge) ever. We called pitches and relayed defense coverages in with the 1B and 3B instead of him.

By nature I am a talker and I never shut up. I'm always talking and saying things but my guys really learned to just block me out based on what we taught in practice. They knew what to do, when to do it and why to do it.

You guys that do a lot of talking I am willing to bet that your guys are a lot more prepared than what you think. I'm not saying that you are wrong in what you are doing but if you were to just stop talking to them they would still make plays.

Like I said - whatever you do - do it great.

Great post Coach.

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Originally posted by Coach May:
Larry hows it going? I worked a camp with Jason a couple of weeks ago. I told him I knew you and we had talked about him. He had so many nice things to say about you. He has a beautiful family his wife and kids are just awesome. Jason is building one of the top programs in the state. I know he has two state titles under his belt already but I believe the best is yet to come for him. He really thinks the world of you.

Coach I can tell from your posts you take alot of pride in what you do and the way you do it. Please to not take my posts the wrong way. Good luck with your program. We are never going to agree on everything.

Hey Coach May...hope you and your family are doing well! And I appreciate you passing on the nice words from your conversation with Jason. I'm so pleased to hear he is doing so well.

I get so much satisfaction outta hearing that sort of thing. So many of our former players have gone on to have successful and meaningful lives. Three assistants for our 17-19 club are all former players who went on to play in college. It is so much fun to see these guys grow. I especially love when they gripe about stuff a player does, and then me and the other coaches can remind them of their transgressions back in the day.

Best wishes and talk to you soon.