If you don't tell your kids, "If you get thrown out it's my fault" then you're doing it wrong.
Are there any coaches who don't claim to be aggressive at base running?
- Thread starter Lobster Birch
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If you don't tell your kids, "If you get thrown out it's my fault" then you're doing it wrong.
Exactly right!
It's easier to throttle back and overly aggressive runner than it is to make someone more aggressive.
To me the best base runners are the ones who can read and anticipate the situation. The ones on third that see the pitch is going to be in the dirt and get an extra step
rarely get thrown out at home. The best base runners see the ball in the air and determine that it's not going to get caught and go 1st to 3rd. They are the ones who notice no one is covering 2nd on a play and take the base. They are already rounded 2nd on long fly balls to left field and can get back if caught.
To me the best base runners are the ones who can read and anticipate the situation. The ones on third that see the pitch is going to be in the dirt and get an extra step
rarely get thrown out at home. The best base runners see the ball in the air and determine that it's not going to get caught and go 1st to 3rd. They are the ones who notice no one is covering 2nd on a play and take the base. They are already rounded 2nd on long fly balls to left field and can get back if caught.
I try to teach the younger ones to judge own their own. IE, develop a smart base runner. If they get out, it's just part of the learning curve. You'll never know you limits if you don't fail. At the higher levels, it's all about the situation at that time. There are many factors that should go into it.
Had a parent approach me prior to our 3rd game last tournament. The parent was agitated because his DD's team was getting run all over. Not sure why as the catcher was adequate for 14U but he was upset. Came to me and said you better have one hell of a catcher to stop this team they run on everyone, we've played them 5 times and they run all day. My manager heard this and laughed, we are blessed with 3 above average arms behind the plate. Needless to say their leadoff batter got on and promptly thrown out by 15 feet (she hadn't started her slide). Coach at 3rd yells to 1st and asks if it was a bad jump, 1st base yells back nope, she got gunned. They didn't try to steal 2nd again. Next inning they tested our CF who is our #2 catcher and got gunned at home. They went base to base after that unless it was to the gap. The coach was smart with his base running. He was aggressive to test our defense and then ran when the time was right which made him look aggressive to other teams.
Smart base running is always better than wild uneducated base running. Our girls are what some might call aggressive as they dive head first, take big leads and go for the extra base. But they do it when they believe they can make it, not every time.
Smart base running is always better than wild uneducated base running. Our girls are what some might call aggressive as they dive head first, take big leads and go for the extra base. But they do it when they believe they can make it, not every time.
Trust me, my DD's 10U coach isn't doing this to develop players.
It's easier to teach all the delay steal crap than it is to teach how to hit. I have no problem with straight stealing, but coaches
who just take advantage of inexperience players in rec leagues are just playing to win without any regard to actually making
their players better.
It's true that most of the 'delay steal crap' will be extinct at higher levels, but I do think there is value in having players constantly look for opportunities. A delayed steal is an example of that. I do like teaching the mindset from an early age. Wish my daughter had more of that quality now.
Coogan, I agree with looking for opportunities and a real delay steal once is awhile isn't the problem. It's the coaches that just go 20 feet up the line just hoping for a bad throw on every pitch or doing it 5 times in an inning to a new pitcher starting out at 10U where you are just taking advantage of the other team. It forces coaches to keep the starting catcher in the whole game to stop it so they don't get to develop another. To me it's the equal to knowing a pitcher will never throw 3 strikes before 4 balls and telling your players to not swing.
Yeah, I know what you mean. You're talking about coaching devising 10U strategies that exploit but don't teach anything that has lasting value. I was thinking more about the creative thinking that kids might demonstrate to get an advantage, like noticing and exploiting that somebody isn't paying attention, or that a certain player has a weak arm, or the third baseman can't catch a cold, much less a throw from F4. That's a quality to be nurtured.
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