Scoring Runs Without Hitting: Part III: Getting runs across.
In this installment of “Scoring Runs Without Hitting,” we will look at how to score runners from third primarily with less than two outs, and a few techniques you can use to improve your chances of scoring a runner from third with two outs.
Squeeze bunt:
I am not a big fan of the suicide squeeze play. When it works, it looks glamorous and there is virtually no chance of throwing the runner out. When it doesn’t work, it can lead to game changing outs. My personal belief is that the reward doesn’t out weight the risk in virtually all cases. If the pitcher throws a pitch that is unbuntable, if the the batter bunts through the pitch, or if the batter pops the ball up, you are staring one or two outs straight in the face.
I do believe that a safety squeeze can be a the a good strategy in the right situation. Again, knowing your personnel is crucial when deciding if you should attempt a safety squeeze. You will want an average or above average runner at third and an average or above average bunter at the plate. The batter squares late (like a suicide) and tries to bunt the ball to the first basemen (sorry to pick on them but they are usually the worst athlete on the infield). The runner from third takes a slightly bigger than usual secondary lead and breaks toward the plate when the ball is down. This much safer than, and equally effective to a suicide squeeze.
A very good time to attempt a safety squeeze is with runners at first and third and nobody out and your #9, #1, or #2 hitters at the plate (again depending on personnel). The plus side of a safety squeeze at this point in the game is you will likely score the run from third and move a runner into scoring position with one out. The negative of a safety squeeze in that situation is that you will likely make an out and may take yourself out of a potential big inning.
Hitting with runner on third and less than two outs:
There are two main types of balls in play that will score runs with a runner at third and less than two outs, groundballs infielders playing deep, or flyballs of medium or deep depth. Your players should know what type of hitters they are and should know use that knowledge to know what their objective is in their at bat. Stronger hitters should be looking to drive the ball to the outfield early in the count, then just put the ball in play late in the count. Weaker hitters should be trying to put the ball in play on the ground (even with a drawn in infield, think lots of holes) in all counts.
The biggest goal for all hitters in all counts in with a runner at third and less than two outs should be to put the ball in play and hope something good happens. This may mean shortening your swing with one strike instead of two. Strikeouts with less than two outs and a runner on third can kill a team in a close, low scoring game. I would not recommend swinging at pitches that you would not normally swing at. Remember, taking a walk in almost any situation is a good outcome.
A few other tactics:
With one out, runners at first and second and a potential double play ground ball, if your runner is average or above average at second and goes hard between second and third, automatically send the runner from second home. In the event that they don’t turn the double play, or they bobble the ball at first, you may be able to steal a cheap run.
When you have runners at third and two outs, have your runner be a little more aggressive on passed balls and wild pitches. As soon as they see the down angle of the ball, they should take an extra step or shuffle, and be ready to break for the plate if the ball bounces far enough from the catcher.
1st and 3rd offense:
I will not get specific with the techniques of different first and third offenses, but putting in some good first and third plays to steal a run could be a good idea. A few of the ones to investigate are walk off from first base, run and stop, delayed steal from first, double steal and many others (sounds like another possible topic!).
Summary:
Even when you are not hitting, if you can get a runner to third base, there are a lot of different ways you can score them from there. Work with, and talk to your players to get them to understand the different possible situations they may be put in if the game is low scoring, close and late.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Scoring Runs Without Hitting: Part II, Moving runners over
“Get ‘em on, Get ‘em over, Get ‘em in.” This is the motto of many coaches who believe in generating runs though small ball. As we discussed in Part I, there are some days where your team just will not hit. On those days, hopefully you get good pitching and you are able to get a few runners on base (see Part I). When you do get runners on, the coach has to make a difficult decision. Do you try to make something happen by putting runners in motion or bunting, or do you let your hitters try to break through and come up with a few big hits.
To many coaches, the answer is clear, you try to force the issue and try to make something happen. Even though this may seem obvious, I caution you not to just automatically put on a sacrifice bunt, straight steal or hit and run in an attempt to break through. I encourage you to consider the situation carefully to determine which of those methods will work best in any given situation.
Know your personnel:
It sounds very simple, but many coaches do not truly know who on their team can bunt, bunt for a hit, run, get good jumps, or put the ball in play consistently. In order to obtain this knowledge, you should take time out of practice to watch baserunners stealing live against pitchers and catcher, watch hitters sacrifice and bunt for hits against live pitching. You should also take time out of practice to time players in the 60 yard dash, home to first, first to third, and from their leadoff to second base. All of this information will play a role in your decision to bunt, hit and run, straight steal, or let your hitters try to move the runners on their own.
Sacrifice bunt:
If you read the introduction to my blog, you know I am a bit of a numbers guy and you can probably guess that I am not a huge fan of the sacrifice bunt. This doesn’t mean that I don’t see value in bunting, I just don’t believe that trading an out for 90 feet is a good idea in most situations.
On a day when you are not hitting, or you are facing a pitcher who doesn’t give up too many hits, I see very little value in bunting a runner from first to second. Remember, you are not likely to get a hit on this day. If you bunt a runner to second, you still need one of your next two hitters to get a hit in order to score a run. If you are only likely to get a few hits, the chances that they will occur on one of the next few at bats is not very good. I feel that moving a runner from first to second with a sacrifice bunt should be used only when the batter is a weak hitter, doesn’t handle the bat well, cannot bunt for a hit, and isn’t likely to get on base via base on balls. If that is the case, you might want to consider pinch hitting for that player anyways.
I do believe that moving a runner from second to third, or from first and second to second and third is a much better move, especially in a close and late situation. Getting a runner to third with less than two outs in a low scoring game is a big deal. There are several ways you can score from third with less than two outs (see Part III) and in a game where you may not score many runs, every run is precious.
How do you know when you should sacrifice bunt a runner from second to third? If the middle of our order is up, or one of your better hitters is up, I would recommend letting them swing away. Even though you aren’t hitting much on that day, I still believe it is a bad idea to take the bat out of your best hitters hands to move a runner 90 feet. I would also advise against bunting a runner to third if you have a very fast, good baserunner on second. If you have one of your best baserunners on second, it may be a good idea to let your hitter swing away with no outs, then try to steal third with one out if he doesn’t move the runner or come up with a big hit.
Moving a runner to third by a sacrifice bunt is a good idea when you need only one run late in the game, or if have weak hitters who put the ball in play coming up. They may not be likely to get a hit, but they may be able to hit a ground ball or sacrifice fly to score the runner. Likewise, it is a bad idea to bunt a runner to third in front of someone who strikes out on a regular basis.
A lesson that I learned early in my coaching career is to be careful bunting runners over to put your best hitter at the plate. During one of my first years of coaching, we had runners on first and second late in the game with our number two hitter up. Our third hitter was by far our best hitter, so I bunted the runners to second and third hoping he could come up with a hit to give us the lead (we were down one run). As you might expect, the opposing coach intentionally walked our best hitter to set up a double play, which our number four hitter inevitably grounded into. Lesson learned.
Bunt for a hit
If you feel as I do that giving up an out to move a runner 90 feet is not a good trade in many situations, bunt for a hit is a much better alternative to sacrifice bunt. Bunting for a hit (as a method to move runners) is best used when there are no strikes, nobody out and runners on first, second or first and second.
When bunting for a hit, your hitters show a little later (around the pitchers foot strike), and try to put the ball on the third base line. When we are bunting for a hit we are trying to put pressure on the defense. The best possible outcome is that we will cause the infielders to rush their throws and we will be able to advance multiple bases on an error. The next best outcome is that we will beat the throw to first. A neutral outcome would be if we make an out but advance the runner. Anything other than that would be considered a negative outcome.
Be sure that you practice bunting for a hit as much, or more than you practice sacrifice bunting since it is a more difficult skill to master (different bunting techniques will likely be a future blog topic). Next time you feel compelled to sacrifice bunt, give bunt for a hit a try. If your hitter goes to one strike, then you can use another method of trying to move the runner.
Hit and Run
Hit and run is a good tactic to use when you have a good runner on (not a great runner), when you have someone at the plate who handles the bat well and is able to put the ball in play. I will generally try a hit and run in a fastball count (1-0, 2-1) or after a pitcher throws a ball with a curveball with less than two strikes (very rarely will a pitcher throw a curveball for a ball then come back with another).
If you are unable to move the runner with no outs, you should consider using a hit and run with one out. A hit and run opens up the infield, it puts pressure on the opposing defense, and creates an opportunity for a big inning. If your hit and run is successful, you will have moved the runner to 3rd (not just to 2nd) with one out.
Straight Steal
Obviously a straight steal has a high “risk/reward” play. To minimize the risk and maximize the reward, choosing the appropriate time to run is key. Trying to move a runner into scoring position with two outs, or trying to move a runner to third with one out are examples of times when the reward of a successful steal attempt may outweigh the risk of being thrown out.
I personally believe that a straight steal can be a good strategy when used in the correct situation. One of the biggest keys is to know the numbers. Make sure that you time the pitchers delivery to home, and the catchers “pop” time (the time from his glove to the glove at the base). You should also know your players leadoff to second base times in a game situation (you can get these times during practice by setting up realistic. If the pitchers delivery time plus the catcher’s pop time is less than your runner’s leadoff to second time, stealing may be difficult. If the pop time plus pitcher’s deliver time is more than your runner’s time, you should have success stealing.
That is a very simplistic view of stealing a base, and we all know there are many more variables that go into it. Another key to stealing a base is choosing a curveball count. Curveball counts are any count where the pitcher is ahead (0-1, 1-2, 0-2) or any even count where the pitcher threw a fastball strike on the previous pitch. Additionally, knowing how a pitcher has attacked different hitters in your lineup may help you pick a curveball to run on. A full count is also a good time to run when you have a hitter who puts the ball in play.
Another strategy you can use to help your runners in this case is to have your hitter “protect” the runner with less than two strikes. If you put the straight steam on with less than two strikes, your hitter should swing through any pitch they don’t want to hit in order to give protection to your runner. Make sure they swing slightly after the ball has crossed the hitting zone and that they do not interfere with the catcher.
Summary
While those are not the only means to move a runner 90 feet, they should give you a good idea of when and how you can move the runners. Ultimately, coaches should choose which strategy matches the individual situation and their team’s personnel. Remember, the goal in this scenario is to move runners when you are not hitting. Each of these strategies comes with its own risks and rewards. As you can see, your decision of how to move the runner is not as easy as it seems from the outside, there is a lot that goes into deciding when to bunt, when to steal, or when to hit and run. All you can do is prepare yourself with enough knowledge to make the best decision for your situation.
In Part 3, we will explore the ways to get runners in from third when you are not hitting.
NOTE: I will discuss more of the technical aspects of the sacrifice bunt, bunt for hit, hit and run and straight steal in future posts.
To many coaches, the answer is clear, you try to force the issue and try to make something happen. Even though this may seem obvious, I caution you not to just automatically put on a sacrifice bunt, straight steal or hit and run in an attempt to break through. I encourage you to consider the situation carefully to determine which of those methods will work best in any given situation.
Know your personnel:
It sounds very simple, but many coaches do not truly know who on their team can bunt, bunt for a hit, run, get good jumps, or put the ball in play consistently. In order to obtain this knowledge, you should take time out of practice to watch baserunners stealing live against pitchers and catcher, watch hitters sacrifice and bunt for hits against live pitching. You should also take time out of practice to time players in the 60 yard dash, home to first, first to third, and from their leadoff to second base. All of this information will play a role in your decision to bunt, hit and run, straight steal, or let your hitters try to move the runners on their own.
Sacrifice bunt:
If you read the introduction to my blog, you know I am a bit of a numbers guy and you can probably guess that I am not a huge fan of the sacrifice bunt. This doesn’t mean that I don’t see value in bunting, I just don’t believe that trading an out for 90 feet is a good idea in most situations.
On a day when you are not hitting, or you are facing a pitcher who doesn’t give up too many hits, I see very little value in bunting a runner from first to second. Remember, you are not likely to get a hit on this day. If you bunt a runner to second, you still need one of your next two hitters to get a hit in order to score a run. If you are only likely to get a few hits, the chances that they will occur on one of the next few at bats is not very good. I feel that moving a runner from first to second with a sacrifice bunt should be used only when the batter is a weak hitter, doesn’t handle the bat well, cannot bunt for a hit, and isn’t likely to get on base via base on balls. If that is the case, you might want to consider pinch hitting for that player anyways.
I do believe that moving a runner from second to third, or from first and second to second and third is a much better move, especially in a close and late situation. Getting a runner to third with less than two outs in a low scoring game is a big deal. There are several ways you can score from third with less than two outs (see Part III) and in a game where you may not score many runs, every run is precious.
How do you know when you should sacrifice bunt a runner from second to third? If the middle of our order is up, or one of your better hitters is up, I would recommend letting them swing away. Even though you aren’t hitting much on that day, I still believe it is a bad idea to take the bat out of your best hitters hands to move a runner 90 feet. I would also advise against bunting a runner to third if you have a very fast, good baserunner on second. If you have one of your best baserunners on second, it may be a good idea to let your hitter swing away with no outs, then try to steal third with one out if he doesn’t move the runner or come up with a big hit.
Moving a runner to third by a sacrifice bunt is a good idea when you need only one run late in the game, or if have weak hitters who put the ball in play coming up. They may not be likely to get a hit, but they may be able to hit a ground ball or sacrifice fly to score the runner. Likewise, it is a bad idea to bunt a runner to third in front of someone who strikes out on a regular basis.
A lesson that I learned early in my coaching career is to be careful bunting runners over to put your best hitter at the plate. During one of my first years of coaching, we had runners on first and second late in the game with our number two hitter up. Our third hitter was by far our best hitter, so I bunted the runners to second and third hoping he could come up with a hit to give us the lead (we were down one run). As you might expect, the opposing coach intentionally walked our best hitter to set up a double play, which our number four hitter inevitably grounded into. Lesson learned.
Bunt for a hit
If you feel as I do that giving up an out to move a runner 90 feet is not a good trade in many situations, bunt for a hit is a much better alternative to sacrifice bunt. Bunting for a hit (as a method to move runners) is best used when there are no strikes, nobody out and runners on first, second or first and second.
When bunting for a hit, your hitters show a little later (around the pitchers foot strike), and try to put the ball on the third base line. When we are bunting for a hit we are trying to put pressure on the defense. The best possible outcome is that we will cause the infielders to rush their throws and we will be able to advance multiple bases on an error. The next best outcome is that we will beat the throw to first. A neutral outcome would be if we make an out but advance the runner. Anything other than that would be considered a negative outcome.
Be sure that you practice bunting for a hit as much, or more than you practice sacrifice bunting since it is a more difficult skill to master (different bunting techniques will likely be a future blog topic). Next time you feel compelled to sacrifice bunt, give bunt for a hit a try. If your hitter goes to one strike, then you can use another method of trying to move the runner.
Hit and Run
Hit and run is a good tactic to use when you have a good runner on (not a great runner), when you have someone at the plate who handles the bat well and is able to put the ball in play. I will generally try a hit and run in a fastball count (1-0, 2-1) or after a pitcher throws a ball with a curveball with less than two strikes (very rarely will a pitcher throw a curveball for a ball then come back with another).
If you are unable to move the runner with no outs, you should consider using a hit and run with one out. A hit and run opens up the infield, it puts pressure on the opposing defense, and creates an opportunity for a big inning. If your hit and run is successful, you will have moved the runner to 3rd (not just to 2nd) with one out.
Straight Steal
Obviously a straight steal has a high “risk/reward” play. To minimize the risk and maximize the reward, choosing the appropriate time to run is key. Trying to move a runner into scoring position with two outs, or trying to move a runner to third with one out are examples of times when the reward of a successful steal attempt may outweigh the risk of being thrown out.
I personally believe that a straight steal can be a good strategy when used in the correct situation. One of the biggest keys is to know the numbers. Make sure that you time the pitchers delivery to home, and the catchers “pop” time (the time from his glove to the glove at the base). You should also know your players leadoff to second base times in a game situation (you can get these times during practice by setting up realistic. If the pitchers delivery time plus the catcher’s pop time is less than your runner’s leadoff to second time, stealing may be difficult. If the pop time plus pitcher’s deliver time is more than your runner’s time, you should have success stealing.
That is a very simplistic view of stealing a base, and we all know there are many more variables that go into it. Another key to stealing a base is choosing a curveball count. Curveball counts are any count where the pitcher is ahead (0-1, 1-2, 0-2) or any even count where the pitcher threw a fastball strike on the previous pitch. Additionally, knowing how a pitcher has attacked different hitters in your lineup may help you pick a curveball to run on. A full count is also a good time to run when you have a hitter who puts the ball in play.
Another strategy you can use to help your runners in this case is to have your hitter “protect” the runner with less than two strikes. If you put the straight steam on with less than two strikes, your hitter should swing through any pitch they don’t want to hit in order to give protection to your runner. Make sure they swing slightly after the ball has crossed the hitting zone and that they do not interfere with the catcher.
Summary
While those are not the only means to move a runner 90 feet, they should give you a good idea of when and how you can move the runners. Ultimately, coaches should choose which strategy matches the individual situation and their team’s personnel. Remember, the goal in this scenario is to move runners when you are not hitting. Each of these strategies comes with its own risks and rewards. As you can see, your decision of how to move the runner is not as easy as it seems from the outside, there is a lot that goes into deciding when to bunt, when to steal, or when to hit and run. All you can do is prepare yourself with enough knowledge to make the best decision for your situation.
In Part 3, we will explore the ways to get runners in from third when you are not hitting.
NOTE: I will discuss more of the technical aspects of the sacrifice bunt, bunt for hit, hit and run and straight steal in future posts.
Friday, June 22, 2012
The Purpose of My Blog
I have been coaching high school baseball for the past 8 years. One of the reasons I love baseball so much is because each practice and every game presents new challenges to the way I perceive the game, its tactics and it techniques. This blog will sometimes focus on obvious issues within the game, and sometimes it will focus on the smaller nuances of the game that often go unnoticed. All of the posts will be motivated by things I see in my coaching career. I obviously have my own baseball ideology which some of you will agree with and some of you will disagree with. I am a firm believer that there is more than one way to play this game, and I will do my best to explain why I believe that my way works well for me and my teams.
In order to understand some of my logic, it may help to know a little background on me. As I mentioned above, I am a high school baseball coach. I also teach Algebra and Statistics at a medium sized school in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago. As you might imagine, my statistics background fits in nicely with being a baseball coach. I am not a slave to what the numbers say, but I do listen to them and consider their point of view.
In my 8 years of coaching, my teams have had very good records on the field, and more importantly I feel that we have turned out some very quality individuals off the field. In spite of the success we have had on the field, I am often left with a sense of "we should have done more" and "we should have prepared them better." I am hoping that writing my thoughts down and listening to what some of you have to say will help me figure out what areas I need to improve so I can give my athletes the best experience possible.
As a part of my quest to become a better coach (and in an attempt to break of some of the monotony that goes with being a teacher and coach), I took a job as an assistant coach in a new college summer baseball league. I would like to coach in college or at the professional level some day, so I thought this league will be a good way for me to build my resume, make some connections, and begin to learn how to work with college athletes.
I hope you enjoy reading my thoughts as much as I will enjoy putting them on "paper.'"
In order to understand some of my logic, it may help to know a little background on me. As I mentioned above, I am a high school baseball coach. I also teach Algebra and Statistics at a medium sized school in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago. As you might imagine, my statistics background fits in nicely with being a baseball coach. I am not a slave to what the numbers say, but I do listen to them and consider their point of view.
In my 8 years of coaching, my teams have had very good records on the field, and more importantly I feel that we have turned out some very quality individuals off the field. In spite of the success we have had on the field, I am often left with a sense of "we should have done more" and "we should have prepared them better." I am hoping that writing my thoughts down and listening to what some of you have to say will help me figure out what areas I need to improve so I can give my athletes the best experience possible.
As a part of my quest to become a better coach (and in an attempt to break of some of the monotony that goes with being a teacher and coach), I took a job as an assistant coach in a new college summer baseball league. I would like to coach in college or at the professional level some day, so I thought this league will be a good way for me to build my resume, make some connections, and begin to learn how to work with college athletes.
I hope you enjoy reading my thoughts as much as I will enjoy putting them on "paper.'"
Scoring Runs Without Hitting: Part I, Getting on base
Many times, you will hear coaches and players mistakenly refer to offense strictly as "hitting." They will say things such as "we just didn't hit today," or "we could not hit that pitcher." There is no doubt that on a day when you don't score many runs, those statements are true, however this rationale shows an imperfect understanding of how runs are scored. Coaches and players need to realize that some days, you will not be able to “hit” the pitcher. On days like these, you need to be able to score runs without hitting. This four part series will look at the various ways to generate offense without hitting.
Part I: Getting on base
There are seven different ways a batter can reach base safely. Two of the seven, are largely out of the control of the hitter (catcher’s interference, drop third strike), and one of them (fielder’s choice) requires that someone already be on base and gives no real offensive advantage. Other than getting a hit, there are three ways to get on base that offense has control over: walk, hit by pitch, or reaching base due to an error. Let’s examine each of those three carefully to determine how your players can give themselves the best chance to get on base without getting a hit.
Hit by pitch:
Watch a high school or college game and you will hear screams of “wear it!” or “we got ice!” coming from the offensive teams dugout anytime a player jumps out of the way of a pitch. Whether you teach your kids to stand in the box and take a pitch off their body or not is an ethical dilemma that each coach and player will have to sort out. Usually there is little negative side effect from getting hit by a pitch other than a bruise, however it is undeniable that getting hit by a baseball poses some risk for injury, and puts a player’s safety at risk.
There is one area where most coaches and players will agree, and that is hanging in on breaking balls. When a hitter sees a breaking ball inside, they need to hold their ground. Sometimes the ball will take the break, and end up in the strike zone, other times it won’t and will end up inside, and may hit the batter. Either way, holding in the box is a winning strategy, you increase the possibility of hitting a breaking ball, and you increase the chances of getting on base via a hit by pitch.
Reaching on an error:
It may not be apparent how the offensive team can affect the defense’s ability to make a play. There are two basic ways the offense can impact the defense’s ability to make plays. The first is by hitting the ball hard, but remember this is a day when we are not hitting well, so hitting the ball hard may not happen very often. The second is simply to hustle out of the box on every single ball put in play. The more pressure you put on the opposing defense by hustling out of the box, even if you are not that fast, will increase the chances they make an error by trying to hurry a throw.
As a coach, you have the ability increase your players’ willingness to hustle in several ways, many of them depend on your individual coaching style and may vary from coach to coach. One proven method is to point out to the whole team examples of players whose hustle causes opponents errors. I have found that positive reinforcement is a great tool for molding behavior.
Taking walks:
It is a misconception that a walk is only the result of a wild pitcher. It is no coincidence that the same players are at or near the top of MLB in walks year after year after year. One of the keys to taking walks on a regular basis is having a patient approach at the plate. This approach is not one that actively seeks walks. This approach has one simple goal, getting a good pitch to hit. This approach requires your players to do three things. First, your players must be patient. Second, they must not swing at pitches just because they are strikes and thirdly, players cannot be afraid to hit with two strikes on the count.
Other than producing more walks by being patient, waiting for your pitch and working counts deep, you are also running up the pitcher’s pitch count. On a day when you are not able to generate offense by hitting, the pitcher is unlikely to have to pitch in many tough situations and is unlikely to throw a lot of pitches. Since he is obviously difficult to hit, you would like to get him out of the game. It is possible through being patient to run up a starting pitcher’s pitch count that he will need to be removed from the game.
Summary:
Days when you cannot hit can be very frustrating for coaches and hitters alike, but rest assured, there are many things that are in your control that your team can do to get runners on base. As you know, getting runners on base is only one part of the run scoring equation. In the next installments we will be looking at ways to move runners over (part 2), ways to get runners in (part 3) and the mental side of offense when you aren’t hitting (part 4).
Part I: Getting on base
There are seven different ways a batter can reach base safely. Two of the seven, are largely out of the control of the hitter (catcher’s interference, drop third strike), and one of them (fielder’s choice) requires that someone already be on base and gives no real offensive advantage. Other than getting a hit, there are three ways to get on base that offense has control over: walk, hit by pitch, or reaching base due to an error. Let’s examine each of those three carefully to determine how your players can give themselves the best chance to get on base without getting a hit.
Hit by pitch:
Watch a high school or college game and you will hear screams of “wear it!” or “we got ice!” coming from the offensive teams dugout anytime a player jumps out of the way of a pitch. Whether you teach your kids to stand in the box and take a pitch off their body or not is an ethical dilemma that each coach and player will have to sort out. Usually there is little negative side effect from getting hit by a pitch other than a bruise, however it is undeniable that getting hit by a baseball poses some risk for injury, and puts a player’s safety at risk.
There is one area where most coaches and players will agree, and that is hanging in on breaking balls. When a hitter sees a breaking ball inside, they need to hold their ground. Sometimes the ball will take the break, and end up in the strike zone, other times it won’t and will end up inside, and may hit the batter. Either way, holding in the box is a winning strategy, you increase the possibility of hitting a breaking ball, and you increase the chances of getting on base via a hit by pitch.
Reaching on an error:
It may not be apparent how the offensive team can affect the defense’s ability to make a play. There are two basic ways the offense can impact the defense’s ability to make plays. The first is by hitting the ball hard, but remember this is a day when we are not hitting well, so hitting the ball hard may not happen very often. The second is simply to hustle out of the box on every single ball put in play. The more pressure you put on the opposing defense by hustling out of the box, even if you are not that fast, will increase the chances they make an error by trying to hurry a throw.
As a coach, you have the ability increase your players’ willingness to hustle in several ways, many of them depend on your individual coaching style and may vary from coach to coach. One proven method is to point out to the whole team examples of players whose hustle causes opponents errors. I have found that positive reinforcement is a great tool for molding behavior.
Taking walks:
It is a misconception that a walk is only the result of a wild pitcher. It is no coincidence that the same players are at or near the top of MLB in walks year after year after year. One of the keys to taking walks on a regular basis is having a patient approach at the plate. This approach is not one that actively seeks walks. This approach has one simple goal, getting a good pitch to hit. This approach requires your players to do three things. First, your players must be patient. Second, they must not swing at pitches just because they are strikes and thirdly, players cannot be afraid to hit with two strikes on the count.
Other than producing more walks by being patient, waiting for your pitch and working counts deep, you are also running up the pitcher’s pitch count. On a day when you are not able to generate offense by hitting, the pitcher is unlikely to have to pitch in many tough situations and is unlikely to throw a lot of pitches. Since he is obviously difficult to hit, you would like to get him out of the game. It is possible through being patient to run up a starting pitcher’s pitch count that he will need to be removed from the game.
Summary:
Days when you cannot hit can be very frustrating for coaches and hitters alike, but rest assured, there are many things that are in your control that your team can do to get runners on base. As you know, getting runners on base is only one part of the run scoring equation. In the next installments we will be looking at ways to move runners over (part 2), ways to get runners in (part 3) and the mental side of offense when you aren’t hitting (part 4).
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