halskinner
Banned
- May 7, 2008
- 2,649
- 0
This is an article I wrot and it was a chapter in o ne of my books. PLEASE NOTE: I DID NOT TEACH ALL THESE THINGS TO THE HANDFUL OF TEAMS I HELPED COACH. I did not teach them all to the players. I did, however, teach the coaches so they would recognize them when used against their teams.
I hope you will find it useful and informative.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
BASE COACHES CREATE OPPORTUNITIES ã 1999,2001
A strong defense can save the game but the strongest offense is what wins the game! When you are on the field as a base coach, you are an active participant in the game as an offensive player. You do not field a position as a player but you have a very active participating role in the game.
Just like any of the players on the field, you must also face the consequences of your actions and inaction's during the game. Everything you do directly affects the outcome of the game. Everything you fail to do has a bearing on what the outcome of the game could have been.
You, the base coaches on the field, must be 110% alert, 110% aggressive and willing to take chances to score runs. You must take advantage of every opportunity the other team presents. When you do not see any opportunities, you must create your own.
You are a noticeable presence on that field. There are things you can do to draw attention towards yourself and what is happening at first or second base. Things to draw the other teams attention away from what is happening with your runners on 3rd base, so that runner can score safely.
Both coaches must be willing to trade an out for a run scored at every opportunity. Sacrifice an out for a run once an inning; you will have at least 7 runs at the end of the game. Sacrifice two outs for runs scored
an inning and you will end up with at least 14 runs at the end of the game. Having 7 to 14 runs would probably have won you most of your games.
When there are no runners on base, the first base coach's job is fairly simple. You hope the batter gets to 1st and if possible, you send them on. If you have a runner on 3rd and less than two outs, nothing is more important than scoring that 3rd base runner safely, it's that simple.
Many 1st base coaches think that sending the runner to second base is their only duty. Many 3rd base coaches will be so intent on watching their runner slide in at home that they forget all about the other runner, or runners, still heading their way.
As I said, you are a noticeable presence on the field. The other team sees you and hears everything you say. You can use this fact to your advantage to distract the other team.
If you have a runner on third, the batters on your team can also help draw attention to first base and away from the other runners. As the coach, you must make sure the team always hustles, in the batters' box and out. Make sure the batters, when they make any contact at all, drop the bat and run it out to 1st base, unless the umpire yells foul or you tell them to stop. ANY CONTACT WHATSOEVER! Don't let them stand there to see if it goes foul or not, run it out until they are called off.
On the third strike, if they swing and miss or even if they do not swing at all, have them drop the bat and run it out to 1st base anyway. Have them always assume the catcher missed or dropped the ball on the 3rd strike and run it out. How many times has the catcher dropped the ball on the 3rd strike, picked it back up and tagged your batter out while she was still standing in the batters box? If they hustle and run it out, the catcher MUST make that throw to 1st and that throw will let the other runners advance and score. The throw may go wild and the batter that would have been tagged out in the batter's box is now standing on 2nd base.
Always have your batters run it out on a called third strike, with no hesitation. It will distract the other team away from any other base runners. An inexperienced or confused catcher may just make that throw to first, even when the batter is already out on strikes. That throw to first will let the other runners advance.
As a base coach, your voice is the other teams first alert to a possible stolen base. They listen for it intently and they are familiar with it. They key into it for anything that sounds like an order for your runner to go. If at all possible, give these signals subtly, with your hands and not your voice. When you give an order to go with your voice, the other team hears it and reacts at the same time your runner hears it and reacts. Use hand signals and your runner will already have 4 to 6 steps before someone on the other team can even yell, "SHE'S GOIN"!
If you have a runner on third, less than two outs and your batter draws a walk, have your batter break quickly towards 1st base, slow down and walk the last four steps to 1st base. Have them watch you for a hand signal as they approach the bag. Give a fist at your side, two finger's, or whatever as the sign for your batter/runner to steal. Have them time it so they land on 1st base with their right foot and instantly explode towards 2nd base. There cannot be any hesitation at all, they must break instantly. That should draw the throw to score your runner on third base. If the catcher is smart and alert, they will not make the throw, they will give your runner 2nd base and who would pass up a free base? If the catcher does make the throw, your third base runner scores safely.
When you have a runner on 3rd base, a runner on 2nd base, or both; when your batter strikes out and runs it out to 1st base, you should be yelling to them and waving your arms, jumping around in the box and doing everything you can to be the biggest distraction you can. That distraction will take the other team's attention away from your 3rd base runner that just trotted in for another run. Get it, Coach?
If you have a runner on 3rd and the ball is hit to the third baseman or shortstop, make sure your 3rd base runner creates her own distraction. Have her come off the bag one step and yell, "She's going", and immediately step back onto the bag. If you can cause the fielder to hesitate with the throw, you may give your batter/runner an extra second to make it to 1st base.
If your batter hits a fly ball to the outfield that is caught, your 3rd base runner breaks for home and the outfielder makes the throw towards home; have your batter / runner yell, "CUT, CUT,CUT", just as soon as that throw is made. Someone might intercept a perfectly good throw to home and let your runner score safely because the yell came from someone on the field of play.
You have a runner, or runners, on base and the catcher is not firing a rocket throw back to the pitcher. You have your runners steal on the throw back to the pitcher, the instant the ball comes out of the catchers hand the runner/runners break. You challenge the pitcher's arm on a steal instead of the catcher's because you know the odds are in your favor.
Remember, the more confusion you can create for the other team, the more chances you create for your team. Wanting to watch a play at home could take your team out of the inning. Everyone else will be watching it so don’t forget about the other runner/ runners coming your direction and looking for a signal
from you. Your next batter could hit a grounder to the third baseman for the force out and a throw to first just took your team out of the inning. You were busy watching a play at home and forgot about your runner that stayed on 2nd. Guess whose fault that now becomes. You just set your team up for a double play. Thanks a lot coach!
A coach that does not perform to the best of their ability, does not hustle and take advantage of, or create, opportunities, is just as responsible for their team not winning the game as any player on the field. If one of your fielders hesitates or does not make a throw and a runner makes it to a bag, it is that player's fault. If a base coach passes up an opportunity to advance a runner and/or score a runner, it's that coach's fault.
You expect and demand 110% out of your players. When they don't perform up to their ability, you can chew on them a little, try to get them fired up again and try to get their head back into the game. When that does not work you have to pull them from the game and replace them with someone that will have their head in the game. Who replaces the coach when his head is not in the game?
You have to be aggressive. You have to hustle up every run you can. You have to be willing to sacrifice an out for a run at every opportunity.
When there is a runner on 3rd base, it is a whole new ball game for the base coaches. Nothing should be more important than scoring that 3rd base runner safely, NOTHING! Are you thinking about the last tournament and all the opportunities you could have taken advantage of?
What would the final score have been if you were more aggressive in the coach's box? Could you have beaten the team that always beats you? Does scoring 7 to 14 runs sound much better than what you ended up with?
When you have a runner on 3rd, you don't mind when your batter hits that long deep fly ball that gets caught for an out because your runner scores safely. You don't mind the batter getting thrown out at first because the runner scores then too.
Be just as willing to give up a base runner for that scored run too. If you do not, I guess you can always go buy your team some trophies at the end of the season. Coach smart. Be aggressive. Be heads up and hustle your team up another win.
You, the team and the fans will have a lot more fun.
I hope you will find it useful and informative.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
BASE COACHES CREATE OPPORTUNITIES ã 1999,2001
A strong defense can save the game but the strongest offense is what wins the game! When you are on the field as a base coach, you are an active participant in the game as an offensive player. You do not field a position as a player but you have a very active participating role in the game.
Just like any of the players on the field, you must also face the consequences of your actions and inaction's during the game. Everything you do directly affects the outcome of the game. Everything you fail to do has a bearing on what the outcome of the game could have been.
You, the base coaches on the field, must be 110% alert, 110% aggressive and willing to take chances to score runs. You must take advantage of every opportunity the other team presents. When you do not see any opportunities, you must create your own.
You are a noticeable presence on that field. There are things you can do to draw attention towards yourself and what is happening at first or second base. Things to draw the other teams attention away from what is happening with your runners on 3rd base, so that runner can score safely.
Both coaches must be willing to trade an out for a run scored at every opportunity. Sacrifice an out for a run once an inning; you will have at least 7 runs at the end of the game. Sacrifice two outs for runs scored
an inning and you will end up with at least 14 runs at the end of the game. Having 7 to 14 runs would probably have won you most of your games.
When there are no runners on base, the first base coach's job is fairly simple. You hope the batter gets to 1st and if possible, you send them on. If you have a runner on 3rd and less than two outs, nothing is more important than scoring that 3rd base runner safely, it's that simple.
Many 1st base coaches think that sending the runner to second base is their only duty. Many 3rd base coaches will be so intent on watching their runner slide in at home that they forget all about the other runner, or runners, still heading their way.
As I said, you are a noticeable presence on the field. The other team sees you and hears everything you say. You can use this fact to your advantage to distract the other team.
If you have a runner on third, the batters on your team can also help draw attention to first base and away from the other runners. As the coach, you must make sure the team always hustles, in the batters' box and out. Make sure the batters, when they make any contact at all, drop the bat and run it out to 1st base, unless the umpire yells foul or you tell them to stop. ANY CONTACT WHATSOEVER! Don't let them stand there to see if it goes foul or not, run it out until they are called off.
On the third strike, if they swing and miss or even if they do not swing at all, have them drop the bat and run it out to 1st base anyway. Have them always assume the catcher missed or dropped the ball on the 3rd strike and run it out. How many times has the catcher dropped the ball on the 3rd strike, picked it back up and tagged your batter out while she was still standing in the batters box? If they hustle and run it out, the catcher MUST make that throw to 1st and that throw will let the other runners advance and score. The throw may go wild and the batter that would have been tagged out in the batter's box is now standing on 2nd base.
Always have your batters run it out on a called third strike, with no hesitation. It will distract the other team away from any other base runners. An inexperienced or confused catcher may just make that throw to first, even when the batter is already out on strikes. That throw to first will let the other runners advance.
As a base coach, your voice is the other teams first alert to a possible stolen base. They listen for it intently and they are familiar with it. They key into it for anything that sounds like an order for your runner to go. If at all possible, give these signals subtly, with your hands and not your voice. When you give an order to go with your voice, the other team hears it and reacts at the same time your runner hears it and reacts. Use hand signals and your runner will already have 4 to 6 steps before someone on the other team can even yell, "SHE'S GOIN"!
If you have a runner on third, less than two outs and your batter draws a walk, have your batter break quickly towards 1st base, slow down and walk the last four steps to 1st base. Have them watch you for a hand signal as they approach the bag. Give a fist at your side, two finger's, or whatever as the sign for your batter/runner to steal. Have them time it so they land on 1st base with their right foot and instantly explode towards 2nd base. There cannot be any hesitation at all, they must break instantly. That should draw the throw to score your runner on third base. If the catcher is smart and alert, they will not make the throw, they will give your runner 2nd base and who would pass up a free base? If the catcher does make the throw, your third base runner scores safely.
When you have a runner on 3rd base, a runner on 2nd base, or both; when your batter strikes out and runs it out to 1st base, you should be yelling to them and waving your arms, jumping around in the box and doing everything you can to be the biggest distraction you can. That distraction will take the other team's attention away from your 3rd base runner that just trotted in for another run. Get it, Coach?
If you have a runner on 3rd and the ball is hit to the third baseman or shortstop, make sure your 3rd base runner creates her own distraction. Have her come off the bag one step and yell, "She's going", and immediately step back onto the bag. If you can cause the fielder to hesitate with the throw, you may give your batter/runner an extra second to make it to 1st base.
If your batter hits a fly ball to the outfield that is caught, your 3rd base runner breaks for home and the outfielder makes the throw towards home; have your batter / runner yell, "CUT, CUT,CUT", just as soon as that throw is made. Someone might intercept a perfectly good throw to home and let your runner score safely because the yell came from someone on the field of play.
You have a runner, or runners, on base and the catcher is not firing a rocket throw back to the pitcher. You have your runners steal on the throw back to the pitcher, the instant the ball comes out of the catchers hand the runner/runners break. You challenge the pitcher's arm on a steal instead of the catcher's because you know the odds are in your favor.
Remember, the more confusion you can create for the other team, the more chances you create for your team. Wanting to watch a play at home could take your team out of the inning. Everyone else will be watching it so don’t forget about the other runner/ runners coming your direction and looking for a signal
from you. Your next batter could hit a grounder to the third baseman for the force out and a throw to first just took your team out of the inning. You were busy watching a play at home and forgot about your runner that stayed on 2nd. Guess whose fault that now becomes. You just set your team up for a double play. Thanks a lot coach!
A coach that does not perform to the best of their ability, does not hustle and take advantage of, or create, opportunities, is just as responsible for their team not winning the game as any player on the field. If one of your fielders hesitates or does not make a throw and a runner makes it to a bag, it is that player's fault. If a base coach passes up an opportunity to advance a runner and/or score a runner, it's that coach's fault.
You expect and demand 110% out of your players. When they don't perform up to their ability, you can chew on them a little, try to get them fired up again and try to get their head back into the game. When that does not work you have to pull them from the game and replace them with someone that will have their head in the game. Who replaces the coach when his head is not in the game?
You have to be aggressive. You have to hustle up every run you can. You have to be willing to sacrifice an out for a run at every opportunity.
When there is a runner on 3rd base, it is a whole new ball game for the base coaches. Nothing should be more important than scoring that 3rd base runner safely, NOTHING! Are you thinking about the last tournament and all the opportunities you could have taken advantage of?
What would the final score have been if you were more aggressive in the coach's box? Could you have beaten the team that always beats you? Does scoring 7 to 14 runs sound much better than what you ended up with?
When you have a runner on 3rd, you don't mind when your batter hits that long deep fly ball that gets caught for an out because your runner scores safely. You don't mind the batter getting thrown out at first because the runner scores then too.
Be just as willing to give up a base runner for that scored run too. If you do not, I guess you can always go buy your team some trophies at the end of the season. Coach smart. Be aggressive. Be heads up and hustle your team up another win.
You, the team and the fans will have a lot more fun.
