How much green light for players?

By this I mean (at the various levels like advanced travel ball, legion, HS, showcase, college).......how much can players be given the green light to steal on their own, sacrifice bunt, drag bunt for base hit, hit behind the runner, etc without getting a signal from a coach?

 

None of the above...

a sac bunt sign has to be given so the baserunner or runners know what to do , maybe get the early jump...

a hit n run or hit behind the runner has to be a sign so the runner also knows what to expect...

the drag but would have to be a fast runner or already a coach has given the green light to do so.

and the steal would also need to be a sign so the batter knows what to do , protect the runner etc.. although i have given my players the green light once they can be in the batters box , swing the bat and run to second base in less than 6 seconds... :newsmile42:

in my opinion if a coach starts allowing this you get into an "I" situation instead of the "TEAM" concept....

just my opinion and i know nothing....

 

I agree with IC....ther are very, very few mature base runners at the levels mentioned above. There is a fine art to base running...very few know what it is, and that doesn't even include how and when to take the extra base.

Heck, we have already discussed the fact that effective bunting is a lost skill.

 

We have had a few very fast kids that have had the green light to bunt for hits over the years, but that is all.

 

I think our coach would get just a bbbbbiiiittttt upset if any of our boys did any of that. The coach above is correct in all cases. While all those situations may appear to be individual acts, they in fact require others to do their job as part of the team. It's a team game.

 

None...

at all..They doo not understand the game at the hs level from either an indiv or a team standpoint simple as that YO Bravo PM me I gotta question for ya if you don t mind?
Coach H (JMHO)
No diff than college and Pro QB s calling the plays etc....

 

I agree completely with Int.Coach. And to illustrate, how many times have you seen a TEAM threatening to score, but a baserunner gets thrown out attempting to steal 3rd base with great hitters at the plate,,, and everyone yells "what the heck",,,,,,,,,,, but ultimately that out at 3rd base completely changes the whole inning and you end up not scoring at all.

I have heard certain coaches say that they give certain players the green light to steal,,,,,,,, and I don't have a problem with it in general, as long as IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS that coach also has a red light to control whats going on. Because its a team game, its just unfair to the whole team when an individual takes it upon his self to try and be the hero.

It "IS" a team game.

 

Who's fault is it?

Obviously a hit and run or sac bunt situation is dictated by the coach making the call. And as far as stealing a base this is how I see it. Players need to understand the game situation. They need to know that they are under the controll of the guy in the 3B coaching box. But I do not want robots on the bases. If the pitcher looks once everytime and the middle is not holding them and they know they can take 3b I want them to play baseball. If they see cb out of the pitchers hand I want them to lengthen their secondary lead and be ready to take 2b on the dirtball and get dirty getting back if its not. I want our players to play the game and not be looking for someone to tell them things that they should already know. On a hit and run no one should have to tell them to take third when the ball is hit behind them. If they are waiting for the coach to bring them its too late. If kids do not know how to run the bases who's fault is it? Its not their fault its the coaches fault. I want our players to be agressive , know the game situation , know the outfielders arms and force the other team to make plays. There is a big difference in players deciding to steal on their own and being instinctive and playing the game one step ahead of the other team. If you play static and the other team attacks you are in trouble imo. Teach your players how to run the bases and teach them how to make good agressive decisions. Sometimes you are going to get out. But over the course of a season this attitude will bear more sweet fruit than sour. In my opinion you coach your butt off in practice so you dont have to coach your butt off during the game.

 

on bunt to sac

question: I see a lot of runners doubled off first base on a sac bunt that is popped up.
don't they still teach to see that the ball is going to be on the ground before taking off for 2b?

 

I have watched HS coaches every practice spend a great deal of time on baserunning, bunting, etc, etc. Come game time, the players get picked off, thrown out at crucial times and miss advancing runners through a poorly executed bunt. It makes the coach look bad, but in honesty it's just poor execution.

That's why I admire the teams that can play small ball. I recall an Independence team that took their well executed small ball all the way to the 4A State Championship (only to lose in 3 games). They were fun to watch and yet, they did not have the best talent in their conference let alone in the Western part of the state. Just great coaching and great execution by the players