Anyone like outs at 2nd?? 10U

[CoachJD]

So is teaching kids to play the game the correct way..regardless of whether it may not be optimal in terms of W and L's at that age..

If you're taking the outs they give you and it leads to winning the game, you are playing the game the correct way.

The game changes as they get older/competition improves. As long as you're teaching them the game and helping them learn and advance as they grow, it's fine.

And, I should say, even at older levels, it can be helpful to keep it simple and just take the easier out. That's not playing the game incorrectly. It's playing smart.

 

[_MIA_]

If you're taking the outs they give you and it leads to winning the game, you are playing the game the correct way.

The game changes as they get older/competition improves. As long as you're teaching them the game and helping them learn and advance as they grow, it's fine.

And, I should say, even at older levels, it can be helpful to keep it simple and just take the easier out. That's not playing the game incorrectly. It's playing smart.

Yeah..

Get the lead runner if you can (depends on hard the ball is hit, where the ball is hit e.g. how far to the left of the 2B it is hit and perhaps whether the girl was stealing on the pitch). Not sure why that wouldn't always be the preferred option with less than 2 outs .If there are two outs you take whatever out is easier. Part of being a good IF is learning how to make those types of decisions...

 

[Strike2]

It all depends on where the team is in its development.

Getting the out at 1B is the foundation of the correct way to play defense. Claims that you always work to get the lead runner are nonsense, even at 18U and college. When players are learning the game, get an out at 1B, and build off that.

If you push your players to try for plays that their fundamentals and game knowledge don't yet support, you're going to have one disastrous game after another. Have enough of those games, and you won't have a team.

 

[_MIA_]

Some of you like to argue for the sake of arguing..nobody is saying you get the lead runner no matter what.

 

[CoachJD]

Some of you like to argue for the sake of arguing..nobody is saying you get the lead runner no matter what.

I know, but I am actually going a step further and saying I'm almost always OK with the 2B taking the out at first unless the out at second is the obviously easier play (ball up the middle, runner is super slow or forgets to run, etc). And even in those cases, if she gets the out at first, I'm not gonna be too upset about it.

I look at it like this: Is the out at second better? Of course. But I want the out. Any out. Any out at all is going to lower their RE for the inning, and we don't play too many 3-2 games. If we get those outs, even if they're not the optimal out, we're going to end up winning most of our games.

 

[_MIA_]

I know, but I am actually going a step further and saying I'm almost always OK with the 2B taking the out at first unless the out at second is the obviously easier play (ball up the middle, runner is super slow or forgets to run, etc). And even in those cases, if she gets the out at first, I'm not gonna be too upset about it.

I look at it like this: Is the out at second better? Of course. But I want the out. Any out. Any out at all is going to lower their RE for the inning, and we don't play too many 3-2 games. If we get those outs, even if they're not the optimal out, we're going to end up winning most of our games.

At all ages?? I mean sure at 2B most of time the easier play is at first but by 14U a kid playing 2B should know how to properly feed the ball to second such that it isn't a low percentage play...

 

[Fury_Mike]

I have not read all of the post, but I'm a believer of taking the out in front of you, and at the younger ages, always taking the throw to 1B, unless you have to go hm to save a game winning run. At 12U I start practicing throws to other bases (still in front of you, not throwing backwards), and somewhere between 13U/14U use lead runner situationally. On offense you still have to string hits together, extra outs are killers. Even if you dont get the lead out, they still have to have 1-2 hits to score a run.

Here are two sets of YE Stats that tell me this is working:

AGE	GM	IP	TC	F%	R	ER	LOB
11U	113	547	2,450	0.931	448	279	509
12U	101	526	2,276	0.955	225	145	387
13U	122	600	2,676	0.942	319	191	496
14U	112	570	2,547	0.942	308	205	525

The LOB is highly driven by taking the sure out, and not putting additional pressure on our defense

 

[MikeP]

A big reason that we worked on it at the 8u level was because there was no stealing and the runner couldn't leave until the ball crossed the plate. It basically gave us a slowed down version of the real deal.

 

[Ron7Mexico]

My history at 10U and 12U is if you are consistently going after lead runners (specifiaclly where a throw, a bag coverage, and a catch are required) you are going to get zero outs more than 1 out. Runners are moving all the time. I've seen many lead out attempts where no runner was being forced, girls forget to cover, etc. Want to teach the "right way", go ahead, just don't expect better results than just getting the out at first.

 

[Towny9]

My history at 10U and 12U is if you are consistently going after lead runners (specifiaclly where a throw, a bag coverage, and a catch are required) you are going to get zero outs more than 1 out. Runners are moving all the time. I've seen many lead out attempts where no runner was being forced, girls forget to cover, etc. Want to teach the "right way", go ahead, just don't expect better results than just getting the out at first.

I guess it’s a matter of perspective and what “results” you are looking for. If I was going after the result of winning a 10U trophy I would probably take the out at first. If I wanted to teach the girls the game of softball and that was my result we would try to get the lead runner if we had a play on her and the score/situation dictated that to be the wise play.