quote:
Originally posted by gap2gap:
My kid is an aggressive base runner. He needs help with his reads of pitchers move to first. He is getting very close to getting picked off many times. He gets awful reads in determining if a pitcher is coming over to first or delivering the baseball.
What should a base runner look at? Front foot? Back foot? Front Shoulder? Back shoulder?
Does it change if you have the steal sign or not?
It definitely changes depending if you have the steal sign or not. If you don't have it, you are setting a hair trigger for reacting only ONE WAY: back to the bag (until the pitcher fully commits to the plate, at which point you start your secondary lead).
(For younger players, I define full commitment to the plate as the point where the P begins to lean like a falling tree towards the plate.)
With the steal on, against a RHP, you're setting a hair trigger for reacting TWO WAYS--back to the bag if you read a throw-over, and break for second if you read that the P is starting his pitching motion.
In my experience, many younger players in a two-way stealing lead react dyslexically to cues involving front and rear feet or shoulders, etc. I think many are better off looking at the whole picture.
Some day I'd like to use high-def. photography to prove or dis-prove that MLB base-stealers have their eyes focused on the pitcher's feet. I'm guessing most don't. (BTW, Ricky H. says he watched the P's elbows).
Against LHPs, always lean or jab step back towards the bag when the pitcher begins his leg lift, and continue until full commitment, except if the steal is on, which is usually a guess-steal on first move.
