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At my kid's game the other day, I really liked the way that the other teeam ran a pick-off attempt with runners and first and second.

 

Situation was first and second, one out.  RHP on the bump.  One odd thing (for me) is that it was the third baseman, not the SS or 2nd baseman, who was giving signals for looks and plays.  2-1 count, I think, runner on second is working a good lead, and SS and 2nd baseman, who have been doing the old back and forth up to now, leave him alone. Pitcher comes to a set, looks at 2nd, then at the plate, and both SS and 2nd run HARD at the base.  Of course everybody is yelling "BACK" and the runner scrambles.  Meanwhile pitcher steps backward off the plate with his plant foot and starts rotating, seemingly to throw to second, but he stops halfway and throws to first. The runner there is getting back, but not as quickly as he should, because like everybody else, he thinks the play is at 2nd.

 

Fortunately for my kid's team, the runner at first is not the only one who gets deked by the play. Runner is out, but the base ump totally missed it.    Opposing coach blows a gasket, and probably should have been tossed.  It didn't look like he asked the BU to ask PU for help, but maybe HS aren't willing to do that they way they do at lower levels?

Last edited by JCG
Original Post
Originally Posted by JCG:

At my kid's game the other day, I really liked the way that the other teeam ran a pick-off attempt with runners and first and second.

 

Situation was first and second, one out.  RHP on the bump.  One odd thing (for me) is that it was the third baseman, not the SS or 2nd baseman, who was giving signals for looks and plays.  2-1 count, I think, runner on second is working a good lead, and SS and 2nd baseman, who have been doing the old back and forth up to now, leave him alone. Pitcher comes to a set, looks at 2nd, then at the plate, and both SS and 2nd run HARD at the base.  Of course everybody is yelling "BACK" and the runner scrambles.  Meanwhile pitcher steps backward off the plate with his plant foot and starts rotating, seemingly to throw to second, but he stops halfway and throws to first. The runner there is getting back, but not as quickly as he should, because like everybody else, he thinks the play is at 2nd.

 

Fortunately for my kid's team, the runner at first is not the only one who gets deked by the play. Runner is out, but the base ump totally missed it.    Opposing coach blows a gasket, and probably should have been tossed.  It didn't look like he asked the BU to ask PU for help, but maybe HS aren't willing to do that they way they do at lower levels?

 

If BU asks PU for help on that, he should just hand over his game fee as well. Own your own calls.

 

That being said, BU needs not to anticipate where the play is going until he sees the ball leave F1's hand. 

 

(Note: The word "your" above refers to the general "you," and not any poster in particular.)

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