Little Things

Paying very close attention as a baserunner to either the pitch being thrown (FB versus CB) or determining early if a pitch is in the dirt.  Once you start going up against mature catchers, stealing bases becomes much more than simply speed.  I've seen some very fast runners thrown out easily especially when the pitch is a high FB.  I'm thinking this is sort a level 3 basestealing.  #1 is learning how to develop/maintain a good lead without getting picked off.  #2 is learning how to read tendencies of the pitcher (when is he committing to the plate).  With those two items already in play, far easier to steal on the slow, downward curve or skipped fastball.  Certain runners on our team have the green light to steal on any dirt ball including stealing 3B (again, assuming you get good primary/secondary leads).

That's a good one. We teach our runners to peek in at 1b to anticipate breaking ball in the dirt, or for a good pitch to run on for the few green light guys. Little bit tougher to get signs at 2b against a good team, at least.

 

We coach them to take 90 feet on any dirt ball read, at least that's the expectation. They may break hard a put on the brakes if needed, but if they don't get a good break because they weren't anticipating they're going to get an earful.

One definition of "little thing" could be a tactic or technique that most people don't notice wasn't employed when someone misses an opportunity because of it.

 

As an umpire, three little things I notice frequently are:

 

--Defensive players, especially catchers, not knowing when they could draw an interference call by vigorously completing an attempt to make a play:  A catcher who unconsciously slides laterally a bit to avoid a batter leaning over the plate instead of stepping forward directly to throw down to second on a steal attempt--or who doesn't throw at all because the pitch was tough to handle when a throw attempt might have drawn an interference call. An infielder who declines to charge a ground ball at full speed and instead hesitates a beat while a crossing baserunner clears in front of him.

 

--Poorly timed secondary leads.  The point of a secondary lead is partly to gain distance but mostly to have momentum at the precise moment the ball enters the hitting zone and the base runner has to make a split-second decision to break for the next base.  Nearly all youth and high school runners start their secondaries too soon and then kill their momentum just before the moment it might make the difference. It keeps them from grabbing a base on balls in the dirt, and it keeps them from going first to third on ground balls through the infield. Making a good read like 2017LHPscrewball and Ironhorse describe above only helps if you are in a position to take advantage of it. Runners on third who kill their momentum and even start back to the bag on potential scoring plays when the 3b is not even positioned to take a throw are frequent offenders.

 

--Baserunners not knowing before a play what opportunities the defensive positioning/tendencies/skills present. Runners shouldn't need to be told to take extra bases on outfielders who are playing too deep or who have shown an inability to transfer/release the ball in a timely manner. They should already have the mindset that they're going to exploit the weakness.

Recently read the book by Jason Kendall and Lee Judge. "Throwback".

Over 1,000 details for coaches, players and parents to teach themselves.

My question: can you teach a player to read the bat?

 

Bob

I taug players to understand how defenders play the ball and how they throw from different angles. It can get a hitter a hustle double or two bases on a hit By having a feel in advance. For base stealers learn the pitcher and the catcher. The pitcher often tips what he's doing.

What do you mean by different angles? You talking about arm angles or angles on the field? Gimme an example of what you mean if you don't mind.

Angles on the field. An example would be does the third baseman have trouble throwing across his body? My son bats left. Through high school if he saw this and was played like a pull hitter he dropped a bunt on the line. Free hit. 

 

Another thing to watch is do outfielders get behind flies?If not, they won't have momentum coming forward on a tag. They may even be on their heels. Do they take proper angles on singles? Would it be easy to take two bases as a runner. It's easier to coach a base when runners have good instincts and are aggressive because they've picked up the little things.

Pretend your a 3b coach. the pitcher makes a overthrow to the 1b who is lefthanded.

Do you send the runner from 2b home?

 

Yes, you have 2 seconds additional. The LH 1b needs to "pick up" the ball down the RF line and pivot to his right to make the throw home. "2 extra seconds"

 

Bob

Pivot to his right?  Not sure I understand.  Are you talking about getting a better line to throw to 2b?  I assume the LH 1B woud simply pick the ball up with left hand and throw, not really any different from a RH 1B.  I could see where a throw from SS might be a little more problematic with angles, but a throw from the pitcher should go down the line sufficiently that a LH 1B would not have any problems getting the ball to 2b for a tag.  May be a few mechanical differences but I cannot really see 2 seconds difference (might as well take the turn and start heading to 3b with that type of lag time).

The runner was on 2b and 1b. the pick off is to the 1st LH baseman who misses the ball and it rolls down the line. the runner on 2b may score if the 3b coach sends him. the LH 1st baseman will pivot to his right to make as strong throw home.

 

this is the two seconds longer than a RH 1st baseman who would pivot to his right.

"SEND THE RUNNER"

 

BOB

For me it is teaching kids to pick up subtle body movements and timing patterns of pitchers. My motto has always been that if you have to wait for the pitcher to move his non-pivot foot, you're already too late. I rarely see a pitcher that doesn't have some tell that you can read and get a jump on him a split second before he's about to start his delivery. As an example, we faced a pitcher yesterday who clinches his butt cheek just before he goes into his delivery. You could actually watch for the ripple in his pants as a sign to take off on the steal.

Sorry, Bob, I'm confused on this one too.  The LH 1B retrieving the ball down the line, if I'm envisioning your play correctly, actually is in better position to reach down with his left hand and is already roughly square to make the throw home.  It would be the RH 1B who would have to make a bigger pivot or get around the ball prior.  What are me and LHPScrew missing??

LH !B always pivot to their right and therefore are throwing without knowing where the runner is. If the LH 1b pivot to his left then he throw with a stiff upper body and the ball will sail to the right of the catcher. Bare handed pitch up may not work if ball is rolling away from the thrower.

RH 1B will square up and throw facing the target [home plate].

2 seconds.

read Jason Kendall book "Throwback"

 

Bob

Got to just ask WHY are you holding a runner at first base with your 1B when there's a runner on second?  My team's defensive alignment, I would play off the bag, either deep to close the whole because the 2B will likely be holding the runner at 2B or at DP depth - or -  If a bunt is likely, 1B is looking to charge and is even with the bag, but off the line a bit.

"Nearly all youth and high school runners start their secondaries too soon and then kill their momentum just before the moment it might make the difference."

 

Swampboy, sorry to nitpick, but this one has me wondering.  Risk dictates that there's such a narrow time window in which to gain a good secondary, it seems to me that you're splitting hairs unrealistically.

 

Distance: The distance of an R1 secondary is governed by the risk of a 1-3 pickoff at the "start" and the risk of a 2-3 backpick at the "end."

 

Time: If a HS RHP is quick to the plate (say 1.25) and has a respectable pickoff move, and the catcher is competent, R1 only has a thin sliver of time in which to read/react that the P is going to the plate, take his secondary, and then hit the brakes as the ball crosses so that he's not vulnerable to the 2-3 backpick.  And, IMO,  it's not that much different when the RHP is mediocre to the plate (say 1.50).

 

I think that what you wrote is one of those things that makes sense when we think of it in slow motion in our minds, but doesn't realistically correspond to the actual speed of the game.

 

Nitpick is over.

 

 

"watch the pitcher's rear heal"

Joe Morgan once said  Bob, "I can talk base running and base stealing for 10 minutes or 10 hours".

 

Bob

"The point of a secondary lead is partly to gain distance but mostly to have momentum at the precise moment the ball enters the hitting zone and the base runner has to make a split-second decision to break for the next base"

 

For me (and I'm don't know if my views jive with accepted baseball theory), the point of a secondary lead is to gain as much distance as you can without overly risking a pickoff at the "start" and a backpick at the "end".

 

If I emphasize to my players that they need to have "momentum as the ball enters the hitting zone," Murphy's Law will punish my team.

I would argue that your view applies well at 1b and his applies more at 2b. I understand the fear of the back pick at 1b, and I understand going crazy on a kid who winds up flat footed at 2b on a single to the OF.

I like this a lot, and see that all the time.  I also think the opposite play can work -- baserunners getting an obstruction call on the IF, for example a runner on 2nd breaking for third if the SS gets in his path while doing the old glove slap routine.

Bob,

I think this works better for thoroughbreds than for the mutts that I coach.

 

I don't want my mutts watching the pitcher's heel because, IMO, they become deer in the headlights when they do it, and risk getting picked off.

 

freddy, what do they watch?

 

At 12, son's org purposely didn't use a first base coach.  They were told "take a big lead and don't get picked off".  They were dogmeat for the first ten games or so, especially against left hander.  But most of them caught on.

We're talking about when a non-basestealer should begin his secondary lead, and what he should react to (with a RHP on the mound).

 

If you give your young players the impression that they should be on a hair-trigger for beginning their secondary leads, IMO that will put them at too great a risk to be picked off.

 

When you tell your young players to key on the RHP's heel for beginning their secondary lead, you are IMO giving them the impression that they should be on a hair-trigger and, in addition, in my experience, which I can't prove, they are going to go dyslexic and deer-in-the-headlights on you and get picked more than they should.

 

So, my answer is, tell young players to watch the "whole picture:, not the heels or any other body part, for their key on when to start their secondary.  They're not trying to get a 'jump'  Instead, they should maximize their secondary by working on the mechanics and hustle of their secondary shuffle.

 

 

of course Joe Morgan is also one of the most overbearing color men on TV and can spend the next 2 batters why the 2 bounce sunday hop the 2nd baseman just booted is not near as easy as it appears...sorry Morgan was a great player but he really loves the sound of his own voice.  

Since this was brought back up, I suppose "watch the heel" implies that you are watching for the heel to lift.  If that is the case, wouldn't there be other keys that indicate whether the pitcher is making a move to the plate before the heel lifts?  

We teach to "watch heels" with our kids. The better kids we teach to watch the whole body. 

 

Watch heels is what we've found easiest to start with. It's hard to balk move well with the heels as opposed to the knees.

 

Freddy is right. The only time we're on a hair trigger is in a stealing situation, not to rush into a secondary.

 

LHP we one way lead.

 

Any other little nuance stuff?