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slottyslotty500+ posts
Seems like the regular posters here have seen many, many innings of baseball. So...Please describe a play you witnessed (or perhaps designed or participated in) that was as close to perfect as possible because: (1) it was diligently practiced beforehand and executed as intended; or (2) took advantage of a situation and baseball rules but was not bush-league (I've seen plenty of plays that were tricky but kinda bush).

Here's mine:

My son (a pitcher) had a catcher from the Dominican Republic on his travel team who had--by far--the strongest arm I've ever seen in a 15 year old. After a walk he'd often fumble the ball a little bit behind the plate, perhaps drop it, maybe accidently kick it--all of this when the batter took off for first. The first time I saw this over the course of a game or games I didn't understand what was going on. Then...a batter walked and took off for 1st base at nearly full throttle (a la Charlie Hustle). Our catcher picked up the ball. The runner rounded first base and pulled up. Our catcher threw a BB behind the runner and picked him off first, when he had been no more than a foot off the bag. Bang bang; he never knew what hit him. The catcher would pull this off every once in a while. No one ran on him otherwise, so this was one of his ways to get an assist.
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CollegeParentNoMoreCollegeParentNoMore1,000+ posts
HS Runner on first taking aggressive lead after pitch. Catcher catches ball casually steps out in front of plate, ignores runner tosses ball back to pitcher. Next pitch same thing but as the catcher steps towards pitcher he throws to first, runner and coach never see it, runner out as he walks back to 1st talking to the coach. Best part about it was the 1st base coach would yell at his players at a drop of the hat for doing something stupid. The coach started to say something to the runner, but stopped himself, turned around and silently walked back to the dugout.
U USC66Member
We had a play when I played Pony League that was pretty cool. When the opposing team got a runner to second base, our pitcher would stand on the mound as if he was going into his windup instead of the stretch. The SS and 2nd baseman would act as if he wasn't there by not covering second and allowing the runner to get a huge lead. The runner, of course seeing that neither the SS or the 2nd baseman was paying him any attention and the pitcher looked as if he was going to his wind up, would then think he could probably steal third. As soon as he was far enough off the bag for the pitcher to pick him off easily, the 2nd baseman would break for 2nd when the runner wasn't looking at him. The catcher would make a fist and tip our pitcher off. All the picher had to do was turn around and the guy was toast. Worked fairly well a few times but after that, other kids caught on.
C 2013Catcher10+ posts
I have had many similar to CPNM with me, as catcher, casually walking out then firing the runner out.

In the county semi-finals last year there were two outs in the top of the 7th (we were away team and down by 2). We had a runner on second taking the typical two out lead knowing he had to score from second. The pitcher spins and throws (fakes) to second. The SS and 2B are diving all over the place, the pitcher is cursing at himself, and the outfielders are chasing after the overthrow. Our runner on second takes 3 steps off of second base, the pitcher flips the ball to the SS, season over.
RJMRJMHSBaseballWeb member since 2007
My son got fooled on a first and third cut play a couple of years ago. He'll never pull up to a base again. The throw went to the cutoff man in front of second. My son slowed up pulling into second so he wouldn't have to slide. The cut man let the ball bounce through. Out at second.
biggerpapibiggerpapi5,000+ posts
Last summer, my son and I were at Rosenblatt to watch TCU open the College World Series against Florida State. One of the first FSU batters ripped a line drive into left field for an obvious single.

The left fielder came up and launched the ball to first. He overthrew the bag by a mile but the catcher was right there and caught the ball on the fly.

Later that day, my son and I were discussing that play. What made the LF think he could get the guy? And why was the catcher backing up first? They only do that on ground balls, right?

So we're at the Area Code Games in August and I see a coach from TCU. So I asked him about that play. With a big grin on his face, he said that's a set play they work on. Every year they get a guy or two to start towards second when they recognize the overthrow. They never dream that the catcher will be right there.
Last edited by biggerpapi
zombywoofzombywoof1,000+ posts
When my son was 8yrs old, he was playing in the coach pitch division when he got a call up to the 9-10 yr old division to fill in for a missing player so the team wouldn't have to forfeit and a game can be played that day..

Son of course gets to play RF. He never played the outfield before and the first time a ball gets hit to him, it was what appeared to be a clean single to right. He had the presence of mind to see the runner hadn't reached 1B yet yelled to the firstbaseman to get to 1B and he fired a strike to pull off the 9-3 putout. Then everybody erupted with a huge applaud from the stands for both teams and the opposing coached yelled out "nice play son". Maybe it was more than coincidence he wound up as the starting rightfielder on the varsity baseball team. He pulled off another 9-3 in a HS game and the kid who got thrown out at 1B from RF got an earful from his coach when he got back to the bench.
Last edited by zombywoof
RJMRJMHSBaseballWeb member since 2007
quote:
Originally posted by zombywoof:
When my son was 8yrs old, he was playing in the coach pitch division when he got a call up to the 9-10 yr old division to fill in for a missing player so the team wouldn't have to forfeit and a game can be played that day..

Son of course gets to play RF. He never played the outfield before and the first time a ball gets hit to him, it was what appeared to be a clean single to right. He had the presence of mind to see the runner hadn't reached 1B yet yelled to the firstbaseman to get to 1B and he fired a strike to pull off the 9-3 putout. Then everybody erupted with a huge applaud from the stands for both teams and the opposing coached yelled out "nice play son". Maybe it was more than coincidence he wound up as the starting rightfielder on the varsity baseball team. He pulled off another 9-3 in a HS game and the kid who got thrown out at 1B from RF got an earful from his coach when he got back to the bench.
In 13U travel I had one of the fastest kids on the team in rightfield. Because the ball doesn't get driven deep much in 13U the outfielders are often shallow. We got at least one 9-3 play every weekend. Once our centerfielder who had a cannon (same size in 13U as high school) got an 8-3 out.
Last edited by RJM
IB Innocent Bystander500+ posts
This one may be considered a little Bush, but I'll share it anyway. We were playing an 18u league game, son was pitching and the other team had a speedy little outfielder who laid down a beautiful bunt for a base hit. He was one of those pesky kids clapping his hands and making movements like he was breaking for the next base. He stole second and then went to 3rd on a ground out to 2nd, he's now on 3rd with the clapping and running down the line thing trying to distract my son. On the 3rd pitch my son pulled this silly move that I haven't seen since rug rats where the pitcher does the reverse windup, lifts the back knee up and steps back. That poor kid was so far out in no mans land already with the clapping and jumping around... The runner kind of threw an elbow when he was tagged out by the catcher, they had a few words and then the rattled kid headed towards OUR dugout. The Homeplate Ump then when after the kid yelling "HEY, WHERE do you think you're going"!!? The poor kid was only confused but in the confusion the Umpire evidently thought he was about start something with our dugout.
K kv513710+ posts
Saw this play used against my team in 15u league. runner had hit a double or reached second on a stolen base. he was a very aggressive runner... to aggressive,and i knew he had to be watched, he takes his lead at second and pitcher looks in for the pitch, he checks the runner and makes a pickoff move to second,ss and 2b jump in the air as if the throw was over their heads and the ball had gone into cf, runners instinct on an aggressive p/o att. at 2b is usually to slide back in or turn back to pitcher so thats what he does. cf comes running in and runner bites and takes off to 3b. pitcher never threw the ball! casually throws to 3b and runner is a sitting duck. I was yelling the whole time to stay put. but as i said he was aggressive. I still laugh at the look he gave me when coming off the field.
B baseball17500+ posts
Son's college team routinely will do this when no one is on. Base hit to right or right center, first base son will drift towards infield grass/mound, almost like going to cutoff position. Runner generally takes a wide turn, catcher is trailing to take the throw behind runner at first. Haven't gotten an out yet with this, but on routine singles it is amazing how close to first base the batter runner stays.

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