Bunt situation, what do you do?

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Oct 17, 2011
17
0
Hypothical situation:

Nobody on base, no out. Batter lays down a bunt and the catcher pre-sets her feet to make an inside thow to 1B. The runner is running on the inside of the baseline. Do you teach your catchers to hit the runner in the back with the ball? If you do, can you make me understand why you would instruct a child to purposely try to injure another child? Before anyone slams me, yes I understand this game and yes I understand that if the runner gets hit with the ball she is out. What I am trying to make myself understand is why, as coaches who are responsible for the safety of these children we are still teaching this dirty form of playing ball. Discuss...
 
Apr 25, 2010
772
0
How was the catcher making the throw inside, if she had to come outside to field the bunt?

Nevermind, I misunderstood how you were using inside vs. outside.

That being said, that's why there are running lanes and safety bags at 1st.
 
Last edited:
Oct 17, 2011
17
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I agree with both of you, but in the event that an opposing coach has not taught his kids properly or if a kid just has a brain fart and runs on the inside of the baseline is what I am referring to.
 
The biggest thing I tell my catchers is under no circumstances should they try and somehow lob the ball over the runner. They are responsible for clearing the runner in my book this means if a ball is literally on the line or within a few inches when the catcher picks up the ball a step to the inside along with the first baseman presenting a target on the inside of the line (easier for lefties) is adequate. If the ball is already a foot or two inside the line this is already accomplished and all they have to do is pick up the ball and throw it, basically making sure the throw is inside and not on the line, basically there is no reason for the trajectory of the ball to ever be anywhere but the inside of the base path. I don't think anyone advocates hitting a girl in the back, I advocate throwing the ball on a direct line to make an out.

When you say "dirty play" I hope you are talking about the girl running on the inside of the base path and not the girl throwing the ball. The girl on the inside of the base path is attempting to alter the play by illegally placing herself in the path of the ball that she knows is going to throw her out.
 
Apr 25, 2010
772
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If the coach hasn't taught his kids properly or if a kid has a brain fart, then that isn't of any concern of the catcher. The catcher is doing what she was taught, what she is supposed to do.

Look at it this way. Pitchers pitch inside and outside. They are taught to throw pitches to break in or out. Coaches call them in and out. If a batter chooses to toe the plate, changes are she is going to get hit. Is that the pitcher's fault? No. The pitcher is doing what she is supposed to. It's one thing to snug the line, but it's completely stupid to have your players crowd so badly that you are counting on a freebie.
 
Aug 23, 2010
582
18
Florida
Hypothical situation:

Nobody on base, no out. Batter lays down a bunt and the catcher pre-sets her feet to make an inside thow to 1B. The runner is running on the inside of the baseline. Do you teach your catchers to hit the runner in the back with the ball? If you do, can you make me understand why you would instruct a child to purposely try to injure another child? Before anyone slams me, yes I understand this game and yes I understand that if the runner gets hit with the ball she is out. What I am trying to make myself understand is why, as coaches who are responsible for the safety of these children we are still teaching this dirty form of playing ball. Discuss...

Not sure what answers you are trying to get. If the catcher positions herself correctly, she will create a throwing lane that willbe well inside that of the runner. If the runner is that far inside the line, she is going to get hit more times than not. I do not tell the catcher to hit her intentionally. I tell her to throw hord to the girl covering the bag. Do not attempt to throw over the runners head.
 
Oct 17, 2011
17
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Let me try to make it more clear what I'm getting at. I teach my catcher to do the same exact thing as everyone above described. I teach her to take a step to the inside and create a lane. What happened to me was I had a coach tell a catcher to "hit the girl between the shoulder blades if she is anywhere near the inside of the baseline". He took the step to the inside out of the equasion and instructed the kid to hit the runner. By the way, this is 10U, where a lot of times either the opposing runner doesn't know or hasn't been taught where to run. If this were older kids (12, 14, 16, 18) I would be all about sending out a "love tap" to the runner who should know better. I'm just trying to gauge whether or not I over reacted by flipping out over a coach instructing a catcher to intentionally hit another player.
 
Apr 25, 2010
772
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He shouldn't have told her to specifically hit the runner. But if the runner gets hit in the course of the catcher making the play, well, it happens.
 
Apr 25, 2010
772
0
You know what... after talking to my 13yo and thinking about it a little bit, I have a question.

Was it an AC you had the disagreement with? If it were her catching coach teaching her these things, would you call and flip out on them?

Maybe you should have just stating the "team philosophy" about these sort of things. For example, "I just want to let you know, as a team, we do not encourage our players to ever intentionally hurt another."
 

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