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Aug 2, 2008
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How should a pitcher cover and set up for runner stealing from 3rd on a past ball to best prevent injury.

Mike
 

halskinner

Banned
May 7, 2008
2,681
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How should a pitcher cover and set up for runner stealing from 3rd on a past ball to best prevent injury.

Mike

Instead of telling the pitcher that she IS going to throw a wild pitch, (or give up a hit) and destroying whatever confidence she has built up, why not tell her to pitch in the higher part of the zone and cause a pop-up. Nobody steals on a pop up to the infield.

You are supposed to instill confidence in your players. That includes the pitcher. If you are a defense oriented coach, one of those coaches that tells every infield player on your team what they should do when the ball gets hit to them, I wish I was in the stands when you did that. I would make you feel as foolish as you make them feel. I hope you are not one of those.

Inspire confidence in what you say during the game.
 
May 13, 2008
831
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Hal, you seem to be reading a lot into Mike's question. To me he just seems to be asking how the pitcher should cover the plate in the event of a passed ball. It happens at all levels and some time in practice should be devoted to covering home plate in the event of a passed ball or wild pitch.

Ideally your pitcher should get to the first base side of home plate (without blocking the plate - avoid that blindside hit) and get her glove two feet off the ground and two feet up the third base line. That doesn't always happen, but regardless of where the glove should be, the catcher should always throw to the same target; the pitcher's glove, wherever that is.
 
Nov 21, 2008
9
0
Hal, I was under the assumption that you were a bright guy.....oh well. You make alot of assumtions based on a simple question, and you know what happens when we assume. I should clarify that this is 10-U and I am also talking about practice. Along with positive rienforcement I also coach based on reality, and the reality is there are going to be past balls, and rather than have our pitchers freeze or risk injury I want them to react appropriately based on proper training. I am sure that others know how to teach a pitcher to react on a past ball, how to set up at the plate, tag with one hand or two, or anything else they can add from expierence.

Mike

p.s. I should note this is the same mike that posted the original question, I have 2 different logins.
 

halskinner

Banned
May 7, 2008
2,681
0
Hal, I was under the assumption that you were a bright guy.....oh well. You make alot of assumtions based on a simple question, and you know what happens when we assume. I should clarify that this is 10-U and I am also talking about practice. Along with positive rienforcement I also coach based on reality, and the reality is there are going to be past balls, and rather than have our pitchers freeze or risk injury I want them to react appropriately based on proper training. I am sure that others know how to teach a pitcher to react on a past ball, how to set up at the plate, tag with one hand or two, or anything else they can add from expierence.

Mike

p.s. I should note this is the same mike that posted the original question, I have 2 different logins.
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Yeah, I did make an assumption. Since no mention of 10u (different base running rules) I assumed 12u or older.

Maybe my memory is foggy but, can you steal home on a passed ball in 10u competition? I thought you could not. Dont have a 10u rulebook.

The catcher is the one geared up to survive a collision at home plate.

Myself, I wouldnt risk my pitcher, the catcher makes the play if she can. If not, the run scores.
 
May 22, 2008
351
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NW Pennsylvania
Wow- I have never saw that approach Hal. At any level I have watched, the pitcher was trained on any passed ball, or even a pitch in the dirt, she should break for home to cover while the catcher chases the ball back to the backstop & throws out. In our league at 10u, & 12u, there are LOTS of passed balls & if the backstop is very deep, you are gonna give away a lot of runs with catcher only coverage.

As to the question, we teach the pitcher to straddle the plate facing 3rd with glove out front on the 3b line. basiclly the same as coverage of second base on a stolen base except backwards. All of this good planning usually goes down the drain whan the pitcher is late.
 
Jan 6, 2009
8
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yes you can steal home in 10u A ball. I don't remember if they passed the rule for B ball to steal home or not.. it's been a couple years since we have been in 10u...
 
Jan 15, 2009
585
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ASA eliminated the "can't steal home" and no advance on dropped third strike provisions for 10U ball 2 years ago. Rec leagues and local ASA associations are free to put those rules back in place and many do.

Rule 8 Section 4G: (10-Under Class B Fast Pitch) Comments: The section on stealing and running the bases in 10-Under now only applies to 10-Under Class B Fast Pitch. 10-Under Class A Fast Pitch will play by the same rules as the other Junior Olympic Fast Pitch age classifications.
2007 ASA Rule Changes

If I wanted to teach the kid how to cover home plate as a pitcher on a passed and I wanted it to translate to how they will eventually play in high school, I would tell them to get there feet into position ~2 ft from the 3rd base line such that when the throw comes they can drop the tag between home plate and the runner (exact placement varies for righty and lefty) . If they get too close to the 3rd base line with their body they run the risk of #1 being called for interference and #2 getting creamed. As they get older and play high school ball getting creamed includes metal cleats.

The most commong mistake I see is that the pitcher over pursues (toward backstop) in their setup and ends up tagging on the plate or having to reach back to tag up the line.

As to the question, we teach the pitcher to straddle the plate facing 3rd with glove out front on the 3b line. basiclly the same as coverage of second base on a stolen base except backwards. All of this good planning usually goes down the drain whan the pitcher is late.

At a coaches clinic recently a local college coach explained to me that he coaches his SS to take the following position on a throw down to 2nd base on a steal. SS moves into a position with left foot on the third base side of second base and receives the ball there and sweeps a tag around the bag. Throws that are off the mark are tracked down by going towards first base rather than accross the running lane. This philosophy is based on again #1 don't get called for interference #2 Don't lose your short stop due to an injury sustained with metal cleats.

Straddling the bag seems like a bad idea to me because if the throw doesn't make it in time, the runner is under no obligation to slide either at 2nd base on a steal or at home on a passed ball. They can get in trouble if they collide standing up with a fielder with the ball, but only the fielder can get in trouble on the collision if they don't have the ball. So your catcher throws high and your SS stands up straddling the bag and can't reach the ball, KABBOOM!! next thing you know the SS is on her back in LF after being blasted by the rounding baserunner and the umpires got his arm out calling interference on your daised and confused SS.
 
May 18, 2009
1,314
38
ASA eliminated the "can't steal home" and no advance on dropped third strike provisions for 10U ball 2 years ago. Rec leagues and local ASA associations are free to put those rules back in place and many do.



If I wanted to teach the kid how to cover home plate as a pitcher on a passed and I wanted it to translate to how they will eventually play in high school, I would tell them to get there feet into position ~2 ft from the 3rd base line such that when the throw comes they can drop the tag between home plate and the runner (exact placement varies for righty and lefty) . If they get too close to the 3rd base line with their body they run the risk of #1 being called for interference and #2 getting creamed. As they get older and play high school ball getting creamed includes metal cleats.

The most commong mistake I see is that the pitcher over pursues (toward backstop) in their setup and ends up tagging on the plate or having to reach back to tag up the line.



At a coaches clinic recently a local college coach explained to me that he coaches his SS to take the following position on a throw down to 2nd base on a steal. SS moves into a position with left foot on the third base side of second base and receives the ball there and sweeps a tag around the bag. Throws that are off the mark are tracked down by going towards first base rather than accross the running lane. This philosophy is based on again #1 don't get called for interference #2 Don't lose your short stop due to an injury sustained with metal cleats.

Straddling the bag seems like a bad idea to me because if the throw doesn't make it in time, the runner is under no obligation to slide either at 2nd base on a steal or at home on a passed ball. They can get in trouble if they collide standing up with a fielder with the ball, but only the fielder can get in trouble on the collision if they don't have the ball. So your catcher throws high and your SS stands up straddling the bag and can't reach the ball, KABBOOM!! next thing you know the SS is on her back in LF after being blasted by the rounding baserunner and the umpires got his arm out calling interference on your daised and confused SS.

This is very sound advice and what our coaches teach. 2 ft in front and 2ft to the side. Drop the glove in front of the runner well before the base. If your on the base the runner will be called safe the majority of the time.
 

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