Angle Down

[SCflashes]

What does "see the ball angle down" mean? Does it mean, with a runner on third, the runner is going on any ground ball (angle down) to home plate? No matter where it is hit? Thanks.

 

[joemcq51]

I think they are referring to the ball angling down off the bat when it is hit. Not waiting to actually see it hit dirt before they go. Jay Miller held a clinic many years ago. He told me something that I tried to teach to every team I was with. It was specifically about the situation of runners on 2nd and 3rd. His theory at the time was to have the runners go on any ball angled down. Take the decision out of it. Worse case scenerio, they go home and get the out. Your batter should be good enough to get to 2nd base on the play at the plate. So you would still have 2nd and 3rd. Best case is they throw the ball away and you score two runs and have a runner on 2nd or 3rd for the next play. Personally I have had more success than failure using it. If the batter is really slow, they don't always end up on 2nd.