Cutoffs
- Thread starter GA42sDad
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The pitcher if the throw's to home or the SS/2B if throwing to 2nd. I prefer to have my 1B backing up my catcher at the plate.
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This is what we did last season with our pitcher. This year our pitcher rotates to back up a potential throw to 3rd. It worked well for us last season.
- Dec 8, 2014
- 12
- 1
This also what we switched to. No matter how much we practiced it, the first basemen was late getting to the middle and our pitcher never got to backing up home. Since she was always standing there, and one of our best athletes, she takes the cut home and the first basemen is our backup. This is on a play in front of the outfielder when things happen so fast it is difficult to get a rotation in time. At least for us.
For discussion purposes, I took the question as meaning what will the outfielders be doing. Since they should be throwing 2 bases ahead of the BR, I thought that the throw would either be to HP or 2nd. IMO, at the higher levels/age groups, very rarely will you have a throw to 3rd base unless there is an error or lapse in base coverage. Plus the fact that by not having your pitcher with control of the ball in the circle, you are inviting all sorts of crazy things to happen at the lower levels/ age groups.
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Again, at the higher levels/age groups, if the ball is hit to CF, they will be safe at first no matter what. If they round 1st, even wide, it doesn't matter. The OFs should be making 1 of 2 throws, either to HP to keep R1 from scoring or to 2nd base to keep R2 from advancing into scoring position if R1 is going to beat the throw to HP. There is no play at 1st. If the throw is to HP, R2 should be standing on 2nd by the end of the play. If the throw is to 2nd, R2 should be heading back to 1st as soon as the pitcher gets control in the circle.
If P cuts or the throw from CF is to the SS/2B cut, R2 returns to 1st. A good base-runner will be watching and usually see the cut about to happen. By the time the P gets the ball, transfers and makes the throw to 1st, the BR will already be standing on the bag.
Even at the lower levels/age groups, the good teams will not be throwing the ball around indiscriminately. The more throws, the more chances for an error to happen.
These are not absolutes as it will change upon game circumstances such as winning/losing, inning, etc. but as a general rule this is what we do.
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That's what we did last year and it worked well at 12U. In the original question the runners are rounding 3rd when the ball is fielded in CF and the throw needs a cut so going home is probably a wasted throw and would give the batter an easy 2nd since they are rounding first when the ball is fielded so I would throw in to 2nd and hold the runner at first and live to play another play.
All of this is of course is changed based on score, inning, speed of runners and arm strength of defense. But I try not to throw home if the runner has already touched 3rd by the time CF has fielded the ball deeper than shallow center over 120Ft or so away. Keeping the runner at 1st is an advantage to our team as we have very good catching.
