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"A True Story That Shows The Importance
of Running Out Everything To First Base."
It was a high school game. The home team was batting, down one run,
3-1, with bases loaded and two outs. The count was 3-2 and runners were moving on the pitch. The batter, who was the home
team's #2 hitter, got a fastball on the outter half. He was expecting it and he got "all of it"! He ripped a hard linedrive
right at the second baseman's open glove.
The batter seeing the ball go into the fielder's glove immediately slumped
in disappointment half way to first. He goes down to his knees with his face in his hands. He was basically "feeling sorry
for himself". In the meanwhile he wasn't aware that the ball went through the webbing of the secondbaseman's glove. The secondbaseman
had to look behind himself, go get the ball and throw to first for the out. The secondbaseman was quick as a cat so this didn't
really take long. However, the batter has great speed and would have been safe at first. The saddest fact of all is that the
two runners moving on the pitch crossed homeplate. They both would have scored and the home team would have won the game if
the batter would have just done what his coaches had told him hundreds of times since his Little League days, "Run Everything
Out, Don't Assume Anything & Don't Think Until You Know!
Baserunners Should Always Be Taught
To:
1. Always know the situation.
2. The player's job is to start
movement to the next base.
The coach's job is to stop it.
3. Anticipate the "dirt ball" pitch. Expect the ball
in the dirt. Read the "dirt ball" and use the off speed or fastball in the dirtto advance or take the next base.
Start
yourself! "Make a decision and live with it! Trust your eyes!
3. Take the proper lead depending on the situation and
number of outs.
4. Pick up the 3rd base coach early.
Things Every Batter Must Be Remember:
1. "Think YES, YES, YES, On Every Pitch" Prepare yourself
to hit every pitch. Convert to no or "hold off" only when you see that the pitch is a ball.
2. Track the ball from
the pitchers hand to the cather's mitt.
3. Expect the fastball, adjust to off speed pitchers. Expect the ball away,
adjust to the ball on the inner half.
4. With a runner in a "steal situation" get depth in the box.
5. Move
up in the box when the bunt might be on.
6. Never look back at the umpire after a "called" strike.
7. Never
speak or exchange words with the catcher.
8. Know the speed and tendencies of the pitcher. They will determine whether
you are up or back in the box.
9. Be ready to attack a first pitch fastball. It may be the best pitch that you get.
10. If the color is "green" attack the first pitch that you like. If the coloe is "red", do not swing
until the
pitcher throws a strike. "Red" is called when baserunners are needed badly or when the pitcher has walked two of the last
three batters.
Good Sayings For Communicating
With Batters in the Box.
Players should Know All Hitting Terms.
"See
it out, See it in, See it off!" - Tells the hitter to keep the head down and see the ball out of the pitcher's
hand, into
the strike zone, and off the bat!"
"If it is close enough to call, its close enough to hit!"Reminds a hitter with
two strike to swing at anything close. Do not go down "looking".
"31-Zone, Nothing Above, Nothing Below!" The batter
with a 3-1 count is looking to hit a perfect pitch to hit in a tight zone. The batter should lay off anything above or
below
that zone.
"Base Hit, Ball Four, Something Good For Us On this Pitch". The batter has a 3 ball count. The batter
is
looking to hit the pitch hard or get a base on balls.
"Don't Guess - See, Read & React" Tells the batter who has
two strikes to even the stance and hit anything close. Do not gues or look for a certain pitch but rather hit the ball "where
it is pitched". Pull or Punch.
"Nothing Above the Hands" If a batter has a tendency to chase high stuff out of the
zone, this reminds the batter to start with the hands at the top of the zone
and do not chase anything above those hands.
"Squash The Bug" or "Shoelaces to Pitcher" - The correct action of the hitters back foot.
"Trigger"-The hitters
final inside turn movement before the swing.
"See The Ball Flat"-See the ball until it goes flat against the bat and
comes off.
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