pick off play

Runner needs to learn to step up and keep him from cutting in front.

As long as the SS doesn't touch the runner, it's perfectly legal AND a very effective pick-off play.

Here's one that is totally legal, but a little wild and when up 8-0 late in a 12U pool game, of questionable sportsmanship.

Pick-off at second: SS cuts in, pitcher wheels and fakes. SS jumps, 2B yells and points to the OF, everyone yells and points to the OF. LF & CF turn and start running towards the fence. Base runner gets up and starts running to third, P still has the ball and is off the mound, so he simply lobs over to third for an easy tag.

I wasn't involved in the game on either side. I gave it a 10 for creativity, a 9.5 for execution and a 3 for class.

JMoff

Agree with you on the "3" for class. Up 8-0 late you wonder why they would do this?

However I have seen teams involved in Pool play that will do everything they can ( if possible) to mercy rule a team in a tournament pool play. They do this to save innings for their pitchers. Not sure of the entire situation but if there was a chance that that run scoring hurt this team's chance at ending the game early...you at least understand the motivation while you might not agree with it.

One of the coaches, who was an assistant and voted 'no' on the play, told me later that the two head coaches had 'gotten off on the wrong foot'.

It was done just to humiliate the other team.

If my team is down 8-0 and we get picked off like this then we got a cheap lesson. If we were tied or 2-1 then it would be a high price to pay. The baserunners need to learn how not to get picked off. I'd say they got a bargain... no big deal. Next guy up take a rip and let's play ball.

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Chi più sa, meno crede.

Even though he is now a Twin and not a White Sock I thought your tagline may have been some reference to one of my favorite players...Joe Crede.

No...

"the more one knows, the less one believes"

I believe a lot...must mean I don't know much!

The SS play is one that a good runner will handle pretty easily by simply breaking towards 3rd as the SS heads back to his position( by usually going between the runner and 3B) and running into the SS. Rarely have I seen it not called obstruction on the SS. Haven't seen a SS do this at the HS level.

Always considered the SS decoy somewhat bush. Prefered teaching the SS how to drag a baserunner too far off the bag so the 2B had an easy pickoff. Does take some teamwork by the SS and 2B.

Legal, and pretty easily defended with a good 3rd base coach, IMO. We had a team that ran that stunt against us, we made it a habit to run down the SS everytime we took an aggressive secondary.

JM - yes, I would put that in the low-class category too. We do run the same play, we even have a version for 1st base and RF. I've never used it or seen it executed in a runaway. But, we ran it twice successfully against on biggest X-town HS rival in the same game, in a 4-3 win!! It was AWESOME!! The head coach was NOT amused.

GED10DaD

Shouldn't the baserunner just run into the SS, fall down? Same as getting out of the run down play... Find someone on the defense to run into and get obstruction call.

Only problem is that in a 2 man ump crew they USUALLY won't see the contact with the SS and runner. The guy in the field is set up a little cockeyed but his back is facing the runner. Any pickoff to 2B he drops his left foot to open to the bag. At least that is how they do it in KY - haven't really paid attention yet in NC.

If your runner initiates contact and falls down on accident or on purpose you run the chance of it not being seen. You would think the plate ump would see it but for some reason they don't. I've seen the contact happen and not called.

If a SS cuts in front of the runner that should be clue number 1 that something is on. Have him shorten up and focus on the pitcher because he has the ball. If they try the old "fake the throw to CF" the first thing they should do is turn and pick the third base coach up. He should be giving the stop sign if he's paying attention.

Most teams who run this pick have the fielders dive nowhere near the bag. That should be clue number 2. Any team who is going to put a pick on will have their fielders at / near the bag.

The reason why these picks work is because the runner panics and doesn't pay attention. Part of how to keep for falling for it goes back to our baserunning philosophy. We teach them to go and make the ball being back in the IF stop them. IF they can't see / find the ball then they pick up a coach. Perfect case is this play - they have no idea where the ball is so the turn and look at 3B coach.

Thanks for all your comments. I think this is a bad baseball play. There are only 2 umpires -- many times the base ump is actually around the same area and also creates a challenge for the runner trying to take a lead. To teach players to initiate contact and then ask for an obstruction call is only teaching another bad baseball play.

Our team has used this for an obvious bunt situation. Runner on second, nobody out, the ss runs in front of runner on second base towards third base. SS runs to third to cover third base as the third baseman charges to field the bunt. Sometimes the second baseman covers for the pickoff, sometimes not.

On 'the play' The base runner should've known better and probably learned a lesson he'll take to his grave. It was also a great thing to see as it involved almost the entire defense, so it had to be well crafted.

I think it originated in D1 college in the '70's and would probably be fun to try at HS level.

In this particular case, with one of the best major's teams in the country at the time, playing an average AAA team and only being up 8-0 at that stage of the game (5th with run rule as soon as they got another out or two), I think it was the wrong time to use it. I can't imagine you can run that more than a couple of times before EVERYONE knows about it, so wasting it at that point seemed an interesting call.

My team was waiting to play the next game on their field, so again I was just spectator. This got my night game started sooner, so I didn't complain until now, some three years later.