Running Bases and Headfirst slides

I am interested on getting feedback concerning the above topics. I, as a young man was taught early on by some Major Leaguers you probably never heard of (Junior Gilliam and Bobby Richardson) that when legging out a double or triple etc., you touch the outside part of the base with your left foot and swing your right foot, arm and shoulder toward the next base. I have chatted with many HS and College Coaches who tell me they dont really care which foot the boys (men) touch with as long as they touch it. Also when diving or sliding head first (which i dont condone, except diving back to first), I teach my young players to reach out with their left hand(toward the right field part of the base) when diving back to first since the 1st basemen will sweep tag to the inside of the base. At second and third base they reach out with their right hand away from the sweep tag of the 2nd basemen and 3rd basemen. Also I teach to hold their batting gloves or dirt in their hands so when they slide feet first their hands remain up and back and will avoid injuries to fingers and wrists. Im open to all opinions. Thanks

 

Good Teachers..
Bobby Richardson was cool..

 

Bobby Richardson spoke at our fca banquet this year and he is a suplerative speaker. if he is ever around i strongly suggest going to hear him. plus he is spreading the word of god to our young people and that is always a good thing.

fun fact about bobby richardson, 1960 world series mvp. the yankees lost that world series on mazeroski's homerun in game 7. to my knowledge the only world series mvp from a losing team

 

In another lifetime, I once played for Coach Richardson, I was taught the same way. It's old school, but perhaps the best school. I have never been a fan of the headfirst slide....witnessed too many career threatening injuries with that slide.

It's funny, if you ask a kid now "what is a hookslide?"...they'll look at you like your crazy

 

In that "(other) lifetime" Braves, Coach Richardson probably counselled against the head-first slide because he was afraid you guys would catch those very "blousy" knickers on the bag when you slid by! Just guessin'.

 

You'd be surprised. I saw a game last year where the ball easily beat the player to the bag but he used a hook slide and got around it and was safe.

 

That is surprising. I can't recall seeing anybody use that slide in the years I have watched amateur baseball...it's nice to hear about it though.

That's okay Prep...I loved those old, hot, sweaty jerseys. Better than those 3finger gloves you guys used up at Carolina

 

Right or wrong I am not so sure anymore; these days it seems more important that the player does not miss the bag. Miss a bag in my day and you would feel pine and not in your hands. Not to date Old Guy Coach; we were also taught to hit the bag with the left foot and cross over by possibly the best college coach of all time, Eddie Stankey at the U of South Alabama, in the early 70's.
We were not allowed to slide head first unless it was a do or die and agree totally that the art of the hook slide is almost lost. I will tell you the guys who have learned it get the calls, probably because umpires do not expect it.

 

Head first Slides

The only bad part i would see in head first slides would be ok everywhere but to homeplate.I can remember back in 1992 watching the nationals in NC a player was hurt.Due to the extent of the injury he is not able to play ball.In backing up my answer to this,it comes down to a safety issue because of the catcher being there.Any other base but there would be ok.I have told my players to go head first to a base only if the time is right.So hopefully that gave you some idea.

 

These pictures show what can happen when you slide headfirst into a base. It's easy to see how the wrist, fingers, face, and shoulders can be injured as they hit a fielder's legs and hands.

The first picture is a slide into third base going for a triple, and the second picture is a dive back into second base avoiding a pickoff attempt. Fortunately, he wasn't hurt from these slides, but he very easily could have been.