Stealing home in HS ball this year?

With all the ESPN hype about Ellsbury stealing home the other day, I was wondering if anyone saw a straight steal of home this year in HS baseball. Ellsbury timed the pitcher and broke for the plate after Pettite committed to the windup. Jason Werth of the Phillies stole home the other night after timing the catcher's throw back to the mound and breaking for the plate just as the catcher was releasing the ball. Of course, I'm not talking about wild pitches, passed balls and other inadvertant situations...just the premeditated theft of home using guile and speed. Anyone seen it? Who was the player and how did he do it?

 

Safe or Out only a camera can be sure.....

I was the home plate umpire at the Impact Invitational back in March when Desean Anderson for Ragsdale broke for home against the lefty Tyler Joyner of Northern Nash. He came flying in like a speeding bullet and dove head first to the plate BUT the pitch was a strike and the catcher tagged Desean on the hand as hand, glove, dust all arrived at the same time. What a play!!!!

 

west carteret stolen home 3 times this year. one of them last night in the first round playoff game

 

My SS stole home against Ashbrook last year, but the lefty was in the wind and was a 3.6 to the plate.... he had to slow down the last few steps so as to not slide into the ball, but it was still pretty fun to watch... first time I have ever called for it, and the last time so far. I had to go sit down on the bench I was so excited by the play!

 

William Head at Asheville High stole home twice this year and twice last year.

 

alex cagide at Lake Norman stole home to give lake norman jv the lead in the top of the 8th against west rowan!!!

 

I know its an exciting

play but I dont like to do it. I am always afraid someone is going to get hurt. Its a dangerous play with several things that can go wrong. You got to know the hitter has the sign. I mean you have to know. You could have a hitter not clear in time and get his knee tore up , Ive seen this before when the runner slid into the hitter and the catcher went through the hitter to apply a tag on the runner. You can have a runner try and go headfirst behind the pitch and the catcher dive into the headfirst slider for a block on the plate. So many things can go wrong I just have never thought the risks were worth the reward.

Again , its an exciting play but really to me its just not worth it.

 

dangerous, unless you are stealing on the throwback

Coach,

You are right...it's as dangerous as a cocked cannon. Jason Werth of the Phillies stole home a few nights ago on ESPN by timing the throw back to the pitcher from the catcher, and then taking off....no danger there except getting your a** called out!

 

Ragsdale has pulled it off twice. But I'm like 27, if you're the batter you better not miss a signal.

Hey Stretchy, that was a close play but you got it right.

 

Southwest Guilford has pulled this off a few times over the past few years, but none this year to my knowledge.

It's certainly an exciting play to watch, and it requires a lot of things:

1) It has to be the right situation in the game. Preferably 2 outs, man on 3rd, weak hitter at the plate. It's not worth it to risk it with less than 2 outs or with multiple runners on base, in my opinion

2) The pitcher needs to be going from the windup. Also the pitcher preferably needs to be a lefty so that his back is to the runner as the runner breaks, but I guess it's not that important what hand he throws with.

3) The runner on third base has to be a great baserunner with good instincts and good speed, and he has to have worked on it before. Southwest works on stealing home at practice probably once a week. There's an art to it. You have to be on 3rd base timing the pitcher up to see if you can get a read for exactly when he's about to start his rocker step. If you wait until he actually TAKES his rocker step to get your jump, it's probably too late. You have to be creeping, creeping, creeping and anticipating his rocker step, so that your feet are already moving and then you just kick it into high gear when he steps back.

4) Most importantly, THE BATTER HAS TO KNOW IT'S COMING. For us, if the sign was given, we always had a signal that the batter would give the 3rd base coach to ensure the coach that the batter had indeed picked up the sign and knew that the runner was coming. This is obviously for safety because the runner is in serious danger if the hitter misses the sign and swings away. If the batter doesn't give that sign, the play is off and the coach tells the runner to stay. Once the batter gets the sign, he gets as far back in the box as he can in order to move that catcher as far back from the plate as possible. There was one time where I was able to steal home my sophomore year in our conference tournament in which the ball beat me to the plate, but due to the catcher being so far behind home plate I was able to get in there safely before he lunged to the plate.



I personally think stealing home is perhaps the most exciting play in baseball. I understand that some people think it's too dangerous but if you really want it to be part of your arsenal you can eliminate the danger, as long as you take the time to make sure the batter gives a sign to let the coach and the baserunner know that he's successfully received the sign and knows what's coming.