International Tie-Breaker Offensive Strategies

[tghorley]

This thread brings back bad memories of a tournament my GDD's team (12u) played last year. Her team was in the losers bracket and had played 3 or 4 great games and was 1 game away from the championship game. The game went into an ITB. The other team was the visitors and scored two runs in the top half. GDD's team scores 1 run with 1 out being registered. I forget how, but the team got the bases loaded with two outs. The most powerful hitter on the team came up to bat and was having a good game, 2 for 3 with a double. I liked the chances of scoring. Lo and behold the hitter is up there bunting, the third time all year. She put a bunt down the third base line. Unfortunately it did not go far enough, the catcher was able to pick the ball up and tag home for the third out. Ouch!

The coach apologized for a stupid call, his reasoning - surprise. I told him not to worry about it, he just surprised the wrong team. LOL

The main thing I am taking from the two threads, ITB offense and defense, is the strategy depends on the age group and abilities of not only your own team, but that of the other team. One strategy may work for one team but not the other. And even if the perfect strategy is called, it still may not work.

 

[Ajaywill]

Ajay will know exactly who I am speaking of. My daughter played for a coach who just loved his power hitters and would never consider the remote possibility of ever having them bunt. I watched on numerous occasions where in tie breaker situations he would have them swinging for the fence rather than put down a bunt, and on every occasion I can remember it backfired on him. Far more opportunities occur to score from 3rd than from 2nd.

Yep....and I believe I was the umpire on some of those games....

 

[redhotcoach]

1. Fake bunt. Runner steals 3rd.
2. Bunt (runner on 3rd leads, but holds (fake squeeze) to get runner on 1st).
3. Hit. Runners go on contact, hopefully not a fly. Best case is 3rd scores, and runners on 1st and 3rd. Worst case, 3rd is thrown out at home and you have runners on 1st and 2nd or 1st and 3rd or 2nd and 3rd with one out.

 

[Steve Huff]

I have thought a lot about this and here is what I do now. Not what I would possibly do, but what I actually do.
Visitor: I want that 1 run. A 3-3 game does not give me a warm fuzzy feeling that we can open up a big rally. Bunt the runner over to 3rd and take your chances with 1 out. Next batter gives you options, maybe a squeeze. Otherwise swing away. Any hit to the right side (infield) the runner has to go!

Home tied: I still believe the odds are in your favor by bunting the runner to 3rd and working it from there. Even if you are down by 1 run, my philosophy is the same. I want just that 1 run. If the defense gives you more or your bats come alive, obviously take all you can get. After that 1 run, I tend to be more aggressive and take bigger chances.

Of course if you are home and down by 2 or more runs, save the out and do not sac your runner to 3rd base. Depending on the batter & runner you better pull something else out of your hat!

I am normally too aggressive on the bases, I think. I've made some bonehead decisions that haunt me to this day. However, in ITB, you are on your last 3 outs to score & my conservative side kicks in.

Any input would be appreciated.

I think you are right on the money! I want to say that on Offense, things are a little more nebulous than with Defense. There are options and variations that really are educated guesses at best. I myself have a tendency to play for one run, unless the Defense tries to get the out at 3rd and fails. Then especially with the bases loaded, options become limited. But there are no bad answers here that I have read in anyone's posts. Everyone is using calculated logic.

One thing though, the easiest infield ground ball to score on is one that gets past the pitcher (up the middle).

 

[Steve Huff]

I am of the school that you should always bunt the runner to third. Even if your big hitters are up. In order to score from second, it requires a solid base hit. With one out and a runner on third, you have many more ways to score...sac fly, passed ball, infield hit, infield error, squeeze, etc.

Also a good reason to work on bunting with your ENTIRE lineup. No matter where you are in the batting order, that player should be able to get a successful bunt down to advance that runner.

I have a tendency to coach these situations like you Ajaywill and Comp.

 

[Steve Huff]

This thread brings back bad memories of a tournament my GDD's team (12u) played last year. Her team was in the losers bracket and had played 3 or 4 great games and was 1 game away from the championship game. The game went into an ITB. The other team was the visitors and scored two runs in the top half. GDD's team scores 1 run with 1 out being registered. I forget how, but the team got the bases loaded with two outs. The most powerful hitter on the team came up to bat and was having a good game, 2 for 3 with a double. I liked the chances of scoring. Lo and behold the hitter is up there bunting, the third time all year. She put a bunt down the third base line. Unfortunately it did not go far enough, the catcher was able to pick the ball up and tag home for the third out. Ouch!

The coach apologized for a stupid call, his reasoning - surprise. I told him not to worry about it, he just surprised the wrong team. LOL

The main thing I am taking from the two threads, ITB offense and defense, is the strategy depends on the age group and abilities of not only your own team, but that of the other team. One strategy may work for one team but not the other. And even if the perfect strategy is called, it still may not work.

I really liked your post!

I view the strategies and even that of your coach to be typical in game. If the winning run is on 3rd, less than 2 outs and you pull up the infield and outfield, and a hard hit ground ball goes off the SS glove, well then you are an idiot! That is how parents view it anyway. In some situations you are improving your chances, but not guaranteeing success! Pulling the fielders up with "0" outs for example may improve your chances from 10% to 15%, but more than likely you are still screwed! What you are doing is gambling on the odds, improving your chances "on paper", but miracles don't happen all that often!

I think it is similar in these situations in the ITB. You can have a hunch, but that hunch isn't guaranteed. And when you get bit in the seat of the pants, you feel like a fool.

I had a team in the State Championships one year. I lost my starting pitcher to a broken tibia sliding into 2b. I then lost my SS to a broken hand, all in the same tournament. I had my no. 2 pitcher go home when she heard that Mt. St. Helens was erupting again. She and her mom had all the team funds, and they went to her grandparents and no one could reach them.
We were down 1 run in the bottom of the 7th in the title game with 2 OUTS. I had my worst hitter at bat; a girl who hit about .130 and was just a fill in and rarely played. The tying run was on 3rd base, and she was a whippet! The crowd was going nuts for the local team, the noise was deafening, and I thought it might be a good time to steal home as the ball was returned to the pitcher, who kept turning toward 1st base on the throw back from the catcher. I called time, told the batter to bunt through the ball, and told my runner to get a "walking lead", and to take off on the throw back to the pitcher. The batter as soon as she faked a bunt jumped back toward the backstop, out of the box, which got everyone's attention. The pitcher didn't do her turn toward 1st, and the girl was nailed at the plate by 3 feet. Coulda, woulda, shoulda? I think I heard more swear words that day than a Rahm Emanuel speech to a Ladies of the Evening Convention! And what do you do to defend yourself? Do you tell the violent blood-thirsty throngs that your no. 9 can't hit?

 

[Steve Huff]

1. Fake bunt. Runner steals 3rd.
2. Bunt (runner on 3rd leads, but holds (fake squeeze) to get runner on 1st).
3. Hit. Runners go on contact, hopefully not a fly. Best case is 3rd scores, and runners on 1st and 3rd. Worst case, 3rd is thrown out at home and you have runners on 1st and 2nd or 1st and 3rd or 2nd and 3rd with one out.

Very creative! And in some circumstances might work!
But what if the catcher is competent, and the SS slides over to cover 3rd? Now you have 1 out and nobody on. This is a good example of why coaches shouldn't be watching a game, but taking notes. If you see the middle infield breaking late, cheating, playing in front of the base-line, making specific weak throws, a pitcher who can't throw over-hand, an outfielder who takes 4 steps to load up for a throw, play a role in the choices. This is exactly what cursed Italy in the EFS/ISF Championships. The coaches were watching, not coaching.

 

[redhotcoach]

Fake bunt steal third: it is a simple race with ss. Except runner (who I would instruct to push the early leave, rarely is anyone called for leaving 2nd early, knows it is coming. Catch has to make a perfect throw, batter is in the way, ss has to haul ss to stay ahead of runner, catch ball, make tag, all while runner is sliding in.
Worth the risk.

Get the batter on 1st with bunt, fake squeeze, you have the very difficult to defend 1st and 3rd. Personally I steal 1st to 2nd and run the angle down.

 

[Steve Huff]

Fake bunt steal third: it is a simple race with ss. Except runner (who I would instruct to push the early leave, rarely is anyone called for leaving 2nd early, knows it is coming. Catch has to make a perfect throw, batter is in the way, ss has to haul ss to stay ahead of runner, catch ball, make tag, all while runner is sliding in.
Worth the risk.

Get the batter on 1st with bunt, fake squeeze, you have the very difficult to defend 1st and 3rd. Personally I steal 1st to 2nd and run the angle down.

I can't argue that it is viable. I might also add that an overthrow is possible, as well as 3B getting in the way of the play, touching the ball, blocking the view, or moving back to the base, none of which she should be doing. It is one of those coaching guesses that can work. Sometimes you get bit in the shorts, and sometimes you get a slap on the butt!

This might be a good time to mention that runners should be looking at outfielder's positions before every pitch!

 

[BB875]

I am trying to be as respectful as possible, but a steal to 3rd base? I don't know the statistics on safe steals to 3rd in NCAA, but I do know around my parts 14U TB catchers will gun you down unless you can catch them off guard or the SS is sleeping. I like being gutsy, but that is off the charts for me.

Steve, I liked your story on the steal home. You had to do something except pray for a hit out of a .130 batter.

When my TB team was a young 10U team I faced my first ITB, and i'll never forget it. I did not bunt the runner over because very few players on my team could bunt well. I had no confidence the kid at the plate could get the bunt down, so I let her swing away & ultimately we lost the game because of our inability to bunt. So, we worked and worked and worked on bunting from then on. A year later as an older 10U team, I got a compliment from an umpire in which he had no idea how good it made me feel...He said after a meaningless game that I had a great bunting team.

I love the pressure a good bunt inflicts!