Baseball Talk: Hitting, Pitching, Catching Strategy

You're on defense...0-0..The other team is trying to make a "productive out"...get men on 2nd & 3rd with one out (probably). You have to defend the bunt and take that away as much as possible and depend on your reactions & reflexes in case they don't bunt.

Crash bunt coverage...1st charges on the pitch, has right side, pitcher has left side... 2nd has to cheat towards 1B and rolls to cover 1B, SS cheats up the middle toward 2B, 3B bluffs the charge and stays home. Try to get the lead runner if at all possible but GET AN OUT SOMEWHERE.

 

I believe if you're the home team you're in the field.

1st and 3rd in on the grass. Who's holding the runner at 2nd depends on the hitter, LH or RH. The hitter, if not sacrificing, should be trying to hit the ball to the right side.

If it's a bunt to 3rd do you run a "wheel" with the shortstop? Depends on how hard the bunt. Ball up the middle, play for two and let runner advance to 3rd. Ball directly to SS or backhand, take out at 3rd (depending on jump). Ball to 2nd, roll two. Ball to backhand hole, take the out at first. Bunt to 1B, depends on speed and distance. Maybe play to 3rd or 2nd, depending on jumps.

Where did my pitcher and 2nd basemen go to cover? Where'd the ball go?!

 

Depends on the team. At Ashbrook their are only a couple of seniors and they follow the lead of the juniors, who were also the team leaders as sophomores. These juniors are basically the kids who play yearround, who from the first day of school this fall, took their bats, gloves and shoes to school, and challenged, by example, all who wanted to be better to come work out.

It's the kids who show up when it's raining and try to get into the gym to throw. It's the kids, when it's cold outside, who bring their tennis shoes and head to the football stadium to run the track or the dredded "steps".

It's the pitcher who pats the infielder on the butt who just booted an easy groundball, or the kid who high fives his teammate for laying down a sac bunt.

Coaches can't teach or "will" this on a team, the players know and that's the kid they look to for leadership.

 

Base-running is one of the least taught fundamentals in the game but it's one of the most important. ( Remember Lonnie Smith?)
I was fortunate enough to learn from one of the best because when I was not scheduled to pitch I was used quite frequently as a pinch runner.
I had the privilege of learning the art of base-running from Maury Wills and Davey Lopes.
They taught reading pitchers, rounding bags, one way leads, getting back to the bag on pick off attempts, hit and run, noting where the outfielders are playing on particular pitches, steal counts, delayed steals, watching outfielders arms during their warm-ups to see if they are "runnable arms". etc.....

 

True..yet still aren't getting proper information

 

Agreed (I intentionally said "overcoached, not "over taught"). It is amazing to me how many coaches try to coach mechanics --without a real clue as to what they're talking about. I overheard a high school jv coach who is really a football coach telling a really good young pitcher that he needed to change his "arm slot." Jeez. But what really gets me is how high school coaches now almost all insist on calling pitches from the dugout -- guess they can see and sense a lot more from an angle 75 feet away than their pitchers and catchers can from on top the play.

You guys might disagree with me on this, but here goes. My view -- let the catcher make the call -- a firm suggestion, and make the pitcher be accountable for the pitches -- keep both of their minds in the game. One high school coach told me he started calling pitches because his pitchers wouldn't throw enough change-ups. Good point, but cure that by telling the pitcher and catcher you want a good dose of change-ups -- don't call every pitch. Do you really want your pitcher to throw a pitch he's not personally committed to? He's not going to shake you off -- he will shake off his catcher if he doesn't like the call. Another risk to calling pitches from the dugout -- you better be
good -- one high school assistant, a good young coach who pitched for a living for a while, told me he had every opponent coach's signs from the bench last year by the third inning. Probably an exaggeration, but it is a real risk.

Applejack, you want to weigh in on this one?

 

You've got my VOTE Dodgerblue ..of course, you already knew that!

 

Here you go DodgerBlue. This was AJ's response from another thread

Braves,
I think at the high school level it all depends on the maturity level of the pitcher.
Most guys at the high school level are throwers. If they are truly gifted it does not matter if the coach calls the pitch or not because they are basically getting by off natural God given talent.
Scouts like to see kids that challenge hitters and succeed because if they have the God given talent... you can always teach them how to pitch.
Let me put it this way, I've seen ** pitch on the side. He has the talent but he also has an idea as to what he wants to do with a hitter and where he wants to put the ball when doing it. I'd let ** call their game out there and analize the game afterwards by going over with him the hitters he faced and game film so that all season will be a learning process whether he wins or loses, same scenario.

 

Another response from AJ about the same topic

"It is a learning experience. For awhile, they seem to fall in love with a pitch' NCBballFan

This is one of the reasons that I personally would call pitches at this age level.
The fact remains that sooner or later a young pitcher of this age group could possibly develop a breaking pitch of some kind and fall in love with it. His arm more than likely can't tolerate the pressure of throwing a breaking ball and possibly ruin an arm.

At the major league level, catchers suggest what they would like for a pitcher to throw. Granted if the pitcher is fairly young and the catcher has vast experience then logically the young pitcher will go with the experienced catcher. This is one of the reasons I suggest all pitchers and catchers sit together between innings briefly to discuss hitters, situations, pitches etc... so that they will both be on the same page.

If this has worked for you in the past go for it. Do not fix a clock if it is'nt broken.

 

We've already discussed in this thread that the catcher is the "least taught" position, so when did they learn to call pitches? For that matter, when did the pitcher learn to call his own game? Until they both "learn the rules" neither is in a position to call a game.

So what are the "rules"? Throw 1st pitch strikes. Box the count. Get early contact. Establish the fastball. Establish the inside part of the plate. I'd rather see three 1st pitch outs, than three pitches for one out.

Also, I think it takes the pressure off of the pitcher if the coach calls the pitches. Then the pitcher only has to execute. They can shake off a pitch, but they better get good results from the one they choose.