What is your rule for your runner at 3rd base?
Whats your contact rule at 3rd with runner? Infield back go on contact. Ball right side go on contact. Infield even, 1 out or less go on contact. Infield in read it.
What is your contact rule as a coach at 3rd base?
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Depends on the situation. Runners smarts, speed, game situation, etc. I was always aggressive....figuring that IF has to field it cleanly, make a good throw and the catcher has to put the tag on. I should say that I only coached thru 16U, not 17U and up. Also depended on who was on 3rd. My son was a good slider and knew enough to slide wide and get his hand in. Other kids would slide directly at the plate no matter the situation. I like to see my son's college team being aggressive with runner on 3rd (but not to the point of stupidity lol) They struggled a little to score runs last season, so making an out an home always was a bigger deal than it might be with other teams.
1. General rule is 3B, P, 1B we are staying and reading what happens. Up the middle to SS or 2B we are running.
2. Infield in and we are swinging. We see the ball through.
3. Bunting, we are usually safety squeezing and we play that 2 different ways
4. With runners at 2nd and 3rd, we are running on contact.
d8 posted:1. General rule is 3B, P, 1B we are staying and reading what happens. Up the middle to SS or 2B we are running.
2. Infield in and we are swinging. We see the ball through.
3. Bunting, we are usually safety squeezing and we play that 2 different ways
4. With runners at 2nd and 3rd, we are running on contact.
With number 4 is that still your rule with IF in? What you do is very similar to what we do except any IF in situation is a see it through. My reasoning is the odds of getting through have improved by playing in and if they are trying to cut a run down at the plate by playing in then I probably really need that run and don't want to gamble it away. Especially when if we hold and the next guy can score two runs with a hit.
coach2709 posted:d8 posted:1. General rule is 3B, P, 1B we are staying and reading what happens. Up the middle to SS or 2B we are running.
2. Infield in and we are swinging. We see the ball through.
3. Bunting, we are usually safety squeezing and we play that 2 different ways
4. With runners at 2nd and 3rd, we are running on contact.
With number 4 is that still your rule with IF in? What you do is very similar to what we do except any IF in situation is a see it through. My reasoning is the odds of getting through have improved by playing in and if they are trying to cut a run down at the plate by playing in then I probably really need that run and don't want to gamble it away. Especially when if we hold and the next guy can score two runs with a hit.
#4 with infield in we see the ball through. You are right. With the infield in odds of a hit go up, and odds of scoring 2 runs is good due to the larger lead that R2 will have with infield in.......then there is always that one green light kid with the wheels and instincts that gets more leeway
Totally agree on the green light kid but I've only heard of him and never seen him. My kids have always been blessed with slow haha
"#4 with infield in we see the ball through"
I have to disagree. To me, r2/r3 with the infield playing in is the prime time for the contact play.
Btw, here's a thread from a few years ago about the r2/r3 contact play:
http://community.hsbaseballweb...act-play-high-school
coach2709 posted:Totally agree on the green light kid but I've only heard of him and never seen him. My kids have always been blessed with slow haha
lol.... I have not had one since being at my current school, but we have had one that was the master of the delayed steal. He was one of our football linemen and struggled to outrun anyone, but he could take a free base with the best of them.
To answer the original post, on our team, it's automatic:
Our runners at third immediately break for the plate on downward contact off the bat when we have runners at first and third**, or runners at second and third.***
This is our default. It's regardless of game situation, the defensive alignment, the speed and/or IQ of our runner at third, or the defender towards whom the ball is hit.
When we have a runner at third with nobody else on base...it depends..
When we're running our contact plays, our 3B coach (me) ALWAYS reminds our r3, "you're going on downward contact," and sometimes (depending on game situation, etc.) also reminds r3, "but you got to get back on a line drive."
___________
**Because of a thread that PG posted a couple of years ago.
***Because of a conversation I had with a fastpitch softball coach about 15 years ago.
Freddy, can you elaborate on the thought process for having contact as the default for 1st & 3rd?
BTW, we do much the same as what D8 does. The only thing I can add is for #1, 3BC will also have R3 glance at where 3B is positioned and will remind him that anything more than a step left of gloveside is his cue. R3 must also shorten his secondary so that he beats 3B back on a GB to the bag.
Freddy, can you elaborate on the thought process for having contact as the default for 1st & 3rd?
A few years ago a thread by PG convinced me that on first and thirds, r3's should always break for home on comebackers to the pitcher, regardless of the number of outs, etc.
Well, that thread by PG got me thinking (dangerous, lol), and I decided to make it my default for first and thirds in general.
I hardly ever talk myself out of default r2/r3 contact play.
I sometimes talk myself out of default r1/r3 contact play.
I know my limitations. I'm a good coach....despite the fact that "game theory" (whether it's board games or baseball) has never been a strong suit of mine. Baseball moves too fast for me, lol. So, I try to keep it simple.
My simple way of looking at contact plays: Our r3's consistently getting great jumps because they KNOW that they're breaking for home on any groundball will outweigh the failures (dead duck at home plate)...over the course of a season, though not necessarily in any particular game.
Thanks... still hoping you'll expand on rationale...
d8 posted:1. General rule is 3B, P, 1B we are staying and reading what happens. Up the middle to SS or 2B we are running.
2. Infield in and we are swinging. We see the ball through.
3. Bunting, we are usually safety squeezing and we play that 2 different ways
4. With runners at 2nd and 3rd, we are running on contact.
Whether the infield is in or not, I'm always running on contact with R2 and R3. We cover this a lot, so the batter also understands that his job is to be hustling hard out of the box with the idea that he is headed for second. Worst case scenario is that we still have 2nd and 3rd occupied when it's over. In fact, we might even score R2 on the play if things work out right.
cabbagedad posted:Thanks... still hoping you'll expand on rationale...
You'll have to go to the back of the line.... our team's fans are also scratching their heads.....
roothog66 posted:.. We cover this a lot, so the batter also understands that his job is to be hustling hard out of the box with the idea that he is headed for second.
We don't actively teach/suggest this. IMO, it's too risky because it depends too much on the IQ of the batter/runner and first base coach to determine when the rundown (between 3rd and home) is going to conclude. Not saying we forbid it.
d8 posted:.
3. Bunting, we are usually safety squeezing and we play that 2 different ways
d8,
Could you expand on the 2 different ways you instruct r3 on a safety squeeze. Thanks!
freddy77 posted:d8 posted:.
3. Bunting, we are usually safety squeezing and we play that 2 different ways
d8,
Could you expand on the 2 different ways you instruct r3 on a safety squeeze. Thanks!
We either go on contact (down angle) or we go on the throw to 1st.
freddy77 posted:To answer the original post, on our team, it's automatic:
Our runners at third immediately break for the plate on downward contact off the bat when we have runners at first and third**, or runners at second and third.***
This is our default. It's regardless of game situation, the defensive alignment, the speed and/or IQ of our runner at third, or the defender towards whom the ball is hit.
When we have a runner at third with nobody else on base...it depends..
When we're running our contact plays, our 3B coach (me) ALWAYS reminds our r3, "you're going on downward contact," and sometimes (depending on game situation, etc.) also reminds r3, "but you got to get back on a line drive."
___________
**Because of a thread that PG posted a couple of years ago.
***Because of a conversation I had with a fastpitch softball coach about 15 years ago.
I like the idea of going automatic on 1st and 3rd as well. I will work that some this spring and see if we can get R1 to 3rd, and if we can, that will be automatic for us as well.
