Question about sliding into home

[stickemup]

What should a runner do if they need to slide into home and a bat is across the base path about 2 feet in front of the plate?

 

[MTR]

Slide into the bat early and hope for an extended slide. Nothing you can do. The catcher will probably move it on the way to the catch (or the ump will) out of habit.

Hopefully, it isn't the umpire and it may have been the catcher who put the bat there.

But you are right, slide short or try another path. Definitely wouldn't slide over the bat unless the player is more than just experienced and is wearing thigh pads.

 

[Coach JV]

hook slide to back of plate and swipe with hand

 

[MTR]

hook slide to back of plate and swipe with hand

While I agree with the move, that is not a hook slide. At least, not as it was taught in the last century.

It may be what some refer to as a hook slide, but I believe that is simply because more recent generations don't have another name for it. The purpose of both is the same, get flat and create a greater separation from the catcher, but there is no "hook" to a slide-by. Personally, I find the slide-by as a waste of effort and over-used unless going in hands first.

 

[Ken Krause]

I find the slide-by to be a valuable technique, especially when the ball beats the runner to the base. You can either slide into the tag or try to avoid it. The is to get out very wide - outside of arm's length - and then reach over. Slide-bys close to the base do nothing.

Girls who get good at it can save you a couple of outs per game. Also lets you execute steals with girls who don't have blazing speed. But it shouldn't be automatic. Fastest way to get to the base is sliding straight in.

 

[coach D'E]

I agree with Ken on the slide by slide. We practice this inside on a gym floor. The girls love it. The only problem is that there typically is a ditch, that the right handed batters have dug out throughout the day ,that makes the slide more difficult. Another question I have is: If an on-deck batter is allowed outside of the dug-out, is she allowed to move the bat before there is a play at the plate? And also another question would be: is the on-deck batter allowed to coach the runner coming home plate?

 

[stickemup]

I do think that the on deck batter can clear the bat as long as she doesn't interfere with play. A lot of times the catcher will clear it but in this instance they weren't paying attention.

This was my daughter running home and I want to talk with her so she knows what to do next time because she almost got tagged out due to slowing down and not sliding. I just wondered what the best approach was for a situation like this. To me it seemed like sliding before she got to the bat was the best bet as long as that was feasible. I feel pretty confident that the bat would just get pushed aside.

Thanks everybody

 

[Amy in AZ.]

The catcher should never touch the bat. That isn't her job. It was the batter's responsibility to properly dispose of the bat.
Is this rec ball and very young girls? I don't see an age group or reference to the girls ability.

 

[MTR]

It was the batter's responsibility to properly dispose of the bat.

This is the absolute response to every offense-based question regarding a discarded bat in softball.

 

[Greenmonsters]

If there's a chance of an outfield play involving a throw to the plate, the catcher has enough time to get the bat out of the way - to prevent a bounced throw from hitting it, to avoid stepping on it, or having it get in the middle of a play with a sliding runner.