Hit and run strategies

[Doug Romrell]

Runners on 2nd & 3rd my catchers will throw down to 2nd to get a runner taking a big lead. We hope the runner on 3rd tries something cute. Delayed steals will only rarely work against us. However, if they are viable for a team they are certainly an effective tool. If you can, I say use them to abuse them!

Last weekend my DD's team hosted some pretty good travel teams to prepare for the start of their Fall season. Saw a few things common in travel ball that just will not fly at the upper levels. Saw a very fast runner on 1st try to take 3rd when a slapper laid down a bunt. The slapper was thrown out by at least a step and the runner going to 3rd was out by several steps.

As the game gets faster some things just will not work. Other things will only then start to work. You have to coach to the appropriate level of your talent and the competition. How many times have you seen a HS team trying to execute like a top tier college team? It is just plain silly. However, there are some things in HS that you can get away with that are extremely effective. In 10U I have seen teams that can bunt small ball another team to death putting 4-5 runs on the board without hitting the ball out of the infield. Use what works for you. Remember that if it is stupid and it works it isn't stupid!

Riseball, you bring up a good point. I've seen high school teams go for the out at 2B when there is a runner on first and the ball is bunted. I think it's generally fool's gold to attempt to get the out at 2B with a good runner at 1B. Get the sure out at 1B, then explode of toward 3B.

 

[softball88]

I really enjoy reading these, as I rarely comment but running bases, I love teaching. Good 12u A teams in my area this will rarely work for a high percentage. 14u....no. our 14u last yr played in 16u tournaments and the 16u tried running. ...gave us innings of easy outs. Saved our pitchers from throwing.

High school ball. If we had a good base runner....she would never stop running. Against my dd high school team you could be successful 39/40 times...easily. delay steals...running from 1st to 3rd....i wouldn't stop against our high school.

 

[riseball]

Riseball, you bring up a good point. I've seen high school teams go for the out at 2B when there is a runner on first and the ball is bunted. I think it's generally fool's gold to attempt to get the out at 2B with a good runner at 1B. Get the sure out at 1B, then explode of toward 3B.

It is all about getting the sure outs. Having a runner at 2nd with one or two outs is far and away better than runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs.

 

[KCPRK]

Here's the rub ..... you are suggesting that the delayed steal is most effective at the lower levels ..... and it is at the lower levels where a catcher throw-down to 2B is most inaccurate.

Because I feel the level of that throw is the reason for the increase or decrease of said success. What is the number one reason we don't attempt to steal-the chance of success which is pending on the throwing ability of your opponent.

 

[RichK]

So I take it no one uses the hit and run lol : )

I'm going to try to keep figuring out.

At the level we are at now, I've found our best advantage is to have our runners always looking to take an extra base and ready to move on any bobble anywhere on the field - by catcher behind plate, by outfielders fielding groundballs, by infielders flubbing throws in from infielders.

As a defense, our greatest advantage is perfect cut-catch-throw-pump fake execution and use other teams aggressiveness against it.

 

[KCPRK]

I use it. I teach my runners to read the angle of the ball off the bat and react along with the base coach using a code word for when the ball isn't angled down but rather popped up.

Hit n run
Bunt n run
angle down offense

Use them all