Catching: Proper Footwork Starts with the Feet

Posted on June 2, 2008

Nearly every catching instructor you speak to, and every published book and article on catching, will point out that footwork is the key to success for a backstop.

However, most of these sources either don’t elaborate on how your feet should be, or they offer information that does more harm than good.

For example, I remember being taught to get my weight forward, on the balls of my feet, because that is a “strong athletic position”. Unfortunately, with your weight forward you can naturally move only one way: forward. If you need to block a ball to either side, or need to throw a runner out, you will have to waste time shifting your weight back before doing anything else.

That’s not to say, however, that your weight should be back on your heels (though, you’re probably better off back there than forward). Instead, your weight in the catcher’s stance — both with and without runners on — should be evenly distributed on your feet. A better way to say this may be that your weight should be ON TOP of your feet.

Ideally, your toes should be pointing up the the foul lines, positioned outside your knees, with the outside edges of your feet slightly off the ground, and the majority of your weight resting on top of your instep. While at first it may feel strange to have your weight on your insteps, you should otherwise feel balanced. Set this way, you will be an ideal position to move in any direction necessary, with quickness and control.

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Hitting: Wait and Weight

Posted on March 25, 2008

There is a simple, old school hitting philosophy that continues to make a lot of sense for hitters at every level: wait and weight.

This “reminder” has been used by some of the greatest hitters in MLB history. For example, Wade Boggs, Don Mattingly, Rod Carew, and George Brett have all, at some point, admitted that “wait and weight” was something they kept in their mind while in the batter’s box. A fairly impressive group, wouldn’t you agree?

So what is “wait and weight”?

“Wait???????? ????? ????????” is waiting for the pitch to get to you — another way of saying “let the ball get deep”.

“Weight” is keeping your weight back while you’re “waiting” for the pitch. Some coaches say “keep your weight on top of your back foot”.

In other words, one of the fundamental keys to successful hitting is to stay back — refrain from committing to swinging — as long as possible. The longer you can wait for the ball, while also keeping your weight and your hands back, the better your strike zone judgment will be and the better chance you’ll have of hitting the baseball.

Of course, if you see a pitch you like, don’t wait so long that the ball ends up in the catcher’s mitt! There’s a fine line, and it takes hours and hours of practice for you to learn how long you can wait. Next time you are in BP, try it: wait just a millisecond longer than normal before starting your swing. Keep trying to wait longer and longer on each pitch — particularly pitches that are “middle - out” — before committing (pitches on the inside part of the plate require you to swing earlier, or you won’t get the barrel on the ball). Get to the point where you’re almost missing the ball on purpose because you’re waiting so long. Eventually — and this won’t happen in one session — you’ll start to learn how long you can wait before starting your swing.

Trust your hands — they’re faster than you think, particularly when you keep them back and in unison with your weight.

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Pitching With Eyes Closed

Posted on February 20, 2008

Being from the NY-Metro area, I’m a big Mets fan and regularly watch SNY (the Mets’ cable TV network). This evening one of their on-air personalities, Kevin Burkhardt, was reporting on the Mets’ spring training and one of his big news items was the fact that Pedro Martinez was pitching with his eyes closed.

First of all, this is not a new nor cutting-edge development. Pitchers under my supervision have used “eyes closed” drills going back to the early 1990s, and even then it wasn’t a new concept — certainly nothing I invented but rather a training method that had been handed down from previous generations of pitching “gurus”.

In any case, I’m glad the story came up, because now is a good time to apply the technique. Essentially, it is what it sounds like: you go through your entire motion and pitch with your eyes closed (this should be done in bullpens / side sessions; it should be obvious that you don’t try this in a game situation). If you have solid mechanics, and total control over your body, you should be able to throw strikes. When I coached at the D1 level, and we were working out indoors (preseason) my pitchers were not allowed to advance to breaking pitches until they could throw their fastball and changeup for strikes with their eyes closed. This may sound drastic and a little nuts, but that was my way of confirming that each pitcher’s mechanics were understood, “felt”, and repeatable.

Pitching (or doing anything athletic) with your eyes closed is tied strongly to visualization, but it is also an immediate way to “feel” what the body is doing. With the eyes open, your attention is split by all kinds of distractions — most of them visual. When you are “blind”, and expected to throw to the catcher’s glove, you absolutely, positively, must focus on controlling your body and its movements. Concentrating so narrowly on balance and movement, the mind is less susceptible to outside distractions that could cause the body to fall off course. In addition, if a particular part of your mechanics or timing doesn’t feel “right”, it is a more glaring and identifiable issue with the eyes closed. You will be amazed at how quickly you can correct mechanical issues simply by throwing a few pitches with your eyes closed.

Finally, there is the benefit of self-assurance. Prove to yourself that you can throw a strike with your eyes closed — literally — and you are suddenly armed (pardon the pun) with a supreme confidence to throw strikes at will.

By the way, this method can be applied to batting, though it’s limited to hitting off a tee.

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Pitching: Dragging the Back Foot

Posted on February 17, 2008

The other day I went to a batting center that included tunnels where pitching lessons were being taught. Over and over I heard the same phrase from the instructor: “drag your back foot!”.

To me that sounded a bit perplexing, and thought perhaps the coach was teaching the change-up. After ten minutes, I realized the coach was using his “drag your back foot” instruction as a means of teaching the fastball.

A few days later I witnessed another pitcher, in another facility, consciously dragging his back foot on all pitches per the instruction of a completely different “pitching coach”.

Now I’m really befuddled.

Perhaps I’ve missed something, but what I have been taught is that you want to do anything BUT drag your back foot if you’re interested in increasing velocity on your fastball. In fact, what you should do on your fastball is push off the rubber with your back foot — much like a sprinter does off the starting blocks — and as a result the back foot should fly up in the air, high over your butt, after the stride foot lands. The back foot pushes, the front foot pulls, and if you get them working in sync, you’ll be using your legs to power the ball (now you know why pitchers do so much running!).

The only time a pitcher would drag his back foot, as mentioned earlier, is on a change-up. If your back foot — or more specifically, your toes — drags along the dirt in front of the rubber as your stride (front) foot lands, then it should help take a few MPH off the change-up. However, that is a pretty advanced technique, and should only be practiced by those who have a very solid understanding and execution of sound pitching mechanics, and whose changeup needs to be just a bit slower.

If I’m missing something with this “drag the back foot thing” — perhaps I’m misinterpreting a newfangled, cutting-edge technique — please let me know in the comments below.

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Choking Part Two

Posted on October 16, 2007

(click here for Part One)

Last week we examined some of the situations where baseball players “choke”, and found that “pressing” usually results in “choking”.

Now we’re going to learn how not to press and therefore not choke.

Prepare - Physically, and Visually

Preparation is the key to success in any sport (or business, for that matter). When you practice, you are prepared, and when you are prepared, you are confident. When you’re confident, the worries go away. Without worries, you won’t feel the need to “press”, or otherwise attempt to go above and beyond your capabilities.

Naturally you will practice your skills before a “big” game — you should be practicing all the time, regardless of the “importance” of a particular contest. As with a “regular” game, you should be thinking about what, specifically, you need to address. For example, your opponent may be adept at stealing bases and bunting; in preparation, you (as a coach) would want to provide extra drills in those areas. As a batter, you may know that the opposition’s starting pitcher has a blazing fastball; therefore, you’ll want to dial up the pitching machine to acquaint yourself with the velocity. As a pitcher, you may be going into a park with unusually short fences; as a result, your plan might be to spend extra time in bullpens pounding the bottom half of the plate.

In addition to your physical practice, mix in visualization. See yourself in various situations and moments in the “big” game. Close your eyes and picture the field, smell the grass, hear the crowd cheering. Always “feel” like it’s a 1-1 game, bottom of the ninth, two outs — so that when and if that situation does come up, you’ve already been there (sort of).

Stay Within Yourself

I think I heard this cliche about ten thousand times during my high school career (this and “Keep It Simple Stupid” were the catch-phrases in sports during the 1980s). But unlike many buzz words, this one has some validity.

If you’ve never heard it, or numbed yourself from its meaning, “stay within yourself” means to to understand your skills and limitations and perform within them. Some people confuse this idea with a lack of effort, but that would be misunderstanding the concept. For example, if you’ve never thrown a baseball more than 82 MPH, don’t go out and try to crack 90. Instead, do all that you can do with that 82 — thread a needle, make it dance, change locations, work something offspeed from it. Similarly, if you are a contact hitter with 3 career homers in 10 years of competition, and you find yourself at the plate with the bases-loaded, two outs, and your team down by three, don’t swing for the fence. Stay within your limitations — as you would in any other at-bat — and do your best to put the bat on the ball. Focus on the pitch, find the ball, get the barrel out to it — from there, whatever happens, happens.

We used Alex Rodriguez as an example of someone in the big leagues who presses in the postseason. He’s arguably the best hitter in all MLB, yet once the playoff start he (admittedly) has a tendency to get away from the best use of his talents by expanding the strike zone (swinging at pitches that are not strikes). That’s a prime example of not staying within one’s self — because part of A-Rod’s success is his ability to recognize and demolish pitches in certain areas of the strike zone, and the moment he changed the approach of waiting for those pitches, he was no longer the future Hall of Famer named Alex Rodriguez. After all, not even A-Rod can hit everything.

Put Things Into Proper Perspective

This can be the hardest part, and really is the root of pressing and choking: perspective. The reason athletes press is because they place undeserving importance on an event. Yes, a particular game may seem to mean everything to you, but stand back from the situation for a moment and look at game for what it is in grand scheme of life and the world — it’s a game.

I’ve used quotation marks in this article when talking about “big” games and “important” games because they’re only “big” if someone thinks they’re “big”. Realistically, how truly “important” can a baseball game be? This isn’t a bullfight or an encounter with a black bear — it’s a baseball game, and no one dies at the end. Even at the big league level, if A-Rod hits a homerun to help the Yankees win a playoff game, it’s not like cancer will be cured. At the end of the game, when the final score is burned into the scoreboard, it’s still a game — one relatively meaningless pin in the haystack of life.

One of my semipro coaches from a long time ago addressed it this way:

“You think there’s pressure in getting a squeeze down in the bottom of the ninth down one run? That’s not pressure, that’s fun. Pressure is when you have a wife, a kid, another on the way, a mortgage to pay, and you’ve just lost your job — THAT is pressure, son, not something that happens in a baseball game.”

Look, we all know that people wouldn’t play baseball if it wasn’t important to them. Of course there is importance, and there are “big” games in our lives. But the point is, if you can feel that apple swelling in your throat just from thinking about the “big” game, the easiest way to reduce the swelling is to reduce its importance — think about where it truly fits into the grand scheme of things, and you’ll likely begin to feel the tension subsiding.

Focus and Control

There may be some folks who don’t buy into the reduction of importance. For some, to quote Vince Lombardi, “winning isn’t everything — it’s the only thing”.

Problem is, few people know the rest of that famous quote. It goes like this:

Winning is not a sometime thing; it’s an all time thing. You don’t win once in a while, you don’t do things right once in a while, you do them right all the time. Winning is habit.

People mistake Lombardi’s “winning” as being defined by final scores and team records. In fact, what Lombardi meant was that “winning” was a way of life, the way you conducted yourself — and if you always conducted yourself as a winner, and fostered winning habits, then in the end you had the best chance of being on the winning side of a final score.

During the course of a baseball game, yes, you absolutely must know the score (and the outs). But it doesn’t help your cause to worry about the score, or to concern yourself with what the final score will be — because it’s out of your control. You may think that you can directly impact the final score with a solo homer — and you can — but you can’t control what the pitcher is going to throw, nor where he will throw it. You can think “if the pitcher throws me a first-pitch fastball, chest high, inside part of the plate, I’m going to hammer it”, but you can’t think, “I’m going to hit a homerun”. There are simply too many factors out of your control (the wind, a leaping outfielder, an intentional walk, etc.).

Playing baseball is difficult enough when you have intense focus — the minute you allow other things to enter your mind (such as the final score), you’re taking away from that focus. For example, much is said about players’ batting averages with men in scoring position. When there are men on second and third, and it’s a tight ballgame, of course you want to get a hit. But if you think that broadly, and think about something out of your control (the hit itself), then you are not applying your best focus to the task at hand.

Instead of thinking about “getting a hit”, narrow your focus to what is in your control: seeing the ball, recognizing the pitch speed and location, deciphering whether you can get good wood on it, and then telling your hands to get the sweet spot of the barrel through the middle of the baseball. Remember you need to think about all this in a few tenths of a second — so that last thing you want to do is cloud your focus with useless thoughts (such as “getting a hit” or the final score). If you are intensely, narrowly focused on a specific task, you won’t have to worry about pressing or choking — your brain won’t have room for it.

Conclusion

Again, it’s easier said than done, but perhaps if you understand why players choke, and how to combat the “pressure” of a baseball game, you will have a head start on playing to your peak performance — regardless of the “importance” (or “unimportance”) of a specific game.

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Why Players Choke

Posted on October 9, 2007

(This is the first of a two-part article)

Unfortunately, I’m a Mets fan, and if you’ve followed their 2007 season, you may have heard about “the greatest collapse in baseball history” — their loss of the NL Eastern Division title despite being in first place by seven games with only 17 to play. There have been many excuses given for their demise, but to lose that many games in such a short span has more to do than what’s happening on the field — it’s something in their minds.

Interestingly, the “other” team in New York — the Yankees — also had a disappointing end to their season, albeit in the playoffs. One player in particular that everyone has focused on is Alex Rodriguez, who is perhaps the greatest baseball player of all-time, yet cannot duplicate his regular season production in the postseason. His playoff malaise has reached epic proportions: in his last 59 postseason at-bats as a Yankee, he accumulated only 8 hits (.136 average). Among those 59 ABs, 27 came with runners on base — and he was 0-for-27 with 11 strikeouts.

How could the most talented man in baseball be so horrific? Yes, players go through slumps but are we to believe that A-Rod coincidentally hits a slump in the first week of every October? Or could have have an issue that it theorized about the Mets — that it’s something in his head?

In short, did these players choke?

Regardless of what you want to believe about Alex Rodriguez and the New York Mets, the fact remains: athletes DO choke. Many players when the “pressure” is on, play at less than their ability. It’s a mental thing. But why does it happen, and how can it be avoided?

Rising to the Occasion - Myth?

Some players have no problem with “pressure”; in fact, they thrive on it. Reggie Jackson — particularly after his 5-HR World Series in 1977 — was nicknamed “Mr. October” for his ability to hit well in the postseason. Current Yankee Derek Jeter has been identified as a “clutch” player, and his teammates Bernie Williams, Mariano Rivera, and Paul O’Neill could “rise to the occasion”. Jack Morris was known as a “big game” pitcher, as was Curt Schilling and Bob Gibson. Why are some players seemingly able to “elevate” their game in “important” situations while others fail?

First, you have to take “clutch” performance for what it really is: a player achieving his potential in what is perceived as an “important” situation. The aforementioned players — Jeter, Jackson, Schilling, etc. — were all very good to outstanding players in the regular season. If you look at their career postseason numbers, they’re not significantly different from their career regular season numbers (generally speaking). So they didn’t necessarily “elevate” their game as much as they maintained it. An example: Reggie Jackson had a career .262 average and hit one homer every 17.5 ABs in regular season; in the postseason, he hit .278 with one homer every 15.6 ABs. Considering that he came to bat nearly 10,000 times in 21 MLB regular seasons, and his postseason numbers cover a comparatively measly 281 at-bats, I think it’s safe to say that “Mr. October” wasn’t significantly better than “Mr. April”, “Mr. May”, etc.

And yes, there are some cases of players who played remarkably better in the postseason, but their stats are based on a small sample of work — and could have been affected more by a hot streak than a mental elevation. The bottom line is, players who routinely “come through in the clutch” are the same players who regularly out-perform their peers.

Identifying and Defining Pressure

So if a Reggie Jackson was great in October because he was great from April to September as well, what is the problem with A-Rod? Why can’t he maintain his extremely high level of performance when “it counts”?

It’s simple, really: he, like nearly everyone else, identifies the games in October as being “more important”. As a result, he buys into the theory that he must “elevate his game”, when in fact all he needs to do is continue doing the same things he always does. The minute a person tries to go above and beyond what he or she is capable of doing — in any sport, and nearly any activity — that person is doomed to failure. For example, how would a featherweight boxer do against a heavyweight? Can you trust an auto mechanic to fix the space shuttle? Do you think a poet can ace a CPA exam?

This is also called “pressing” — putting more pressure on oneself than is necessary to complete a task. Many players look at a particular ballgame, and believe they have to “step it up”. Unless they’ve been dogging it, nothing could be further from the truth. You can’t do more than you’re capable of doing, and if you haven’t been performing at your peak level, that’s a problem with the past, not the future. For example, Alex Rodriguez had just completed one of the greatest offensive seasons in New York history — whatever he did to swat 54 HRs and drive in 156 RBI from April to September would have been more than acceptable in October. Just because it’s the ALDS doesn’t mean Paul Byrd will suddenly gain 10 MPH on his fastball. C.C. Sabathia won’t suddenly discover two new devastating pitches. The ball doesn’t change its size, and the fences aren’t moved back. It’s the same game, and requires the same approach, the same technique, and the same execution that had been repeated for the past six months.

Of course, it’s easy to say — much harder to overcome (for some).

In the second part of this article, we’ll dive straight into the anatomy of what causes players to choke, and how to avoid it (or, “maintain” your game).

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Why You Should Watch Tom Glavine

Posted on September 19, 2007

Pitchers of all ages should do what they can to watch Tom Glavine pitch at least a few times this year. Glavine has been, and remains, the consummate pitcher’s pitcher — a guy who relies on guile rather than overpowering stuff to succeed.

Glavine never threw very hard — even in his youth — and now tops out around 85-87 MPH with his best fastball. Yet, he continues to get big-league hitters out on a consistent basis. More importantly, he does everything in his power to help his team win — on the mound, as a fielder, and on offense. Many more talented hurlers spend less time on the “other” aspects of pitching — i.e., holding runners on, fielding, bunting, etc. — and therefore rely solely on their ability to dominate hitters. While this approach can work, it’s a much better plan for a pitcher to work on all aspects of his game involvement. Glavine is proficient in every area of a pitcher’s responsibility, and as a result helps his team win even when his pitching is sub-par.

Here is how Tom Glavine wins games:

Pitching

Tom Glavine shows smooth pitching delivery for the New York Mets Simple, Repeatable Motion - There are no herky-jerky motions, or complicated hand movements, in Tom Glavine’s delivery. His mechanics are simple, easy, balanced, and as smooth as butter. Glavine uses four “checkpoints” in his delivery — certain spots in his motion that he’s aware of where his body, weight, and the ball need to be. Very little can go wrong with the simplicity of his mechanics, and as a result his delivery is easily repeatable, and not strenuous. This is the key to consistent command of your pitches and in dominating the strike zone: to repeat your mechanics. If your body moves in the exact same way every time you throw the baseball, you have a much better chance of putting the ball exactly where you want.

Pinpoint control - Glavine only throws two pitches, but has tremendous command of both. Compare that to a high school pitcher who has 4 pitches in his repertoire but can’t hit spots with any of them more than 50% of the time.

Great change-up - Glavine throws a change-up that is about 10 MPH slower than his fastball and moves. He keeps it down in the zone and on the sides of the plate, so that when it does get hit, it’s a harmless ground ball.

Changing speeds - Did I say Glavine threw “A” change-up? I meant to say he threw two. Or maybe three — it all depends on your definition of a change-up. In reality, Glavine purposely throws his fastball at two or three different speeds during a game, and matches each one with a complementing change-up. You will almost never see Glavine throw two pitches in a row at the same velocity.

Show pitch - I lied again — he doesn’t throw two pitches, he throws three. Glavine has a curveball in his arsenal, something he rarely threw until two years ago. Even today, he’ll throw it at most five times a game — sometimes not at all. It’s an “extra” pitch he’ll “show” the other team, for the explicit reason to put it in the batter’s head. He may not throw it again for the rest of the game, but the fact that he might is enough to give him an edge and keep the hitters “honest”.

Controlling the Running Game

Watching Glavine’s pickoff move, you may be disappointed that it isn’t extraordinary. After all, shouldn’t lefties have devastating moves, such as the one Andy Pettitte possesses?

It’s true — Glavine doesn’t pick off too many runners. But he also doesn’t allow too many stolen bases, either. He controls the running game by mixing up his moves, holding the ball for varied time lengths, repeatedly throwing over to first, and — most importantly — getting the ball to the plate quickly. As a result, runners do not get good jumps and Glavine gives his catcher a good opportunity to throw out would-be basestealers. Another one of those small things, but an advantage that helps win ballgames.

Fielding

Tom Glavine fields position exceptionally well — if it weren’t for his former teammate Greg Maddux (another pitcher who does EVERYTHING well), Glavine might have a few Gold Glove awards. Glavine’s follow-through puts his body in position to field the ball easily, so he gobbles up ground balls hit back to him and pounces quickly on bunts. Just as important, he completes the play — properly setting his feet and making an accurate, strong throw to the intended target. It seems like a little thing, but the little things add up. Watch one of Glavine’s games and you’ll see him make at least three or four plays that most other pitchers don’t. As a pitcher, every out counts — regardless of whether it’s a strikeout, a popup, or a ground ball. If you as a pitcher can take care of five or six outs a game, it’s as good as adding those outs to your strikeout total.

There’s something else about Glavine’s defense that gets forgotten, and is largely unnoticed — he’s always backing up bases. Too often, you’ll see pitchers throw a ball, watch it get hit somewhere, then stand on the mound motionless. I see it at every level from little league to the big leagues, and don’t understand it. There is absolutely nothing a pitcher can contribute to a play by remaining on the mound after the ball is pitched. Don’t just stand there — do something! If it’s not covering first then it has to be backing up a base. Glavine knows which base needs to be backed up and hustles there immediately. It’s possible you’ll back up a base 99 times and it not make a difference, but that 100th time could mean the ballgame.

To field well, by the way, is completely up to you. You don’t need any special skills to be an excellent fielding pitcher. All it takes is hard work and plenty of repetition. You have only yourself to blame by not handling those 3-5 outs per game — not to mention making your outing that much more difficult.

Offense

In the age of the Designated Hitter, and pitchers specializing on the mound at a very early age, it’s rare to see a good-hitting pitcher at the Major League level. And although Tom Glavine has never batted .300 — heck, he usually struggles to bat .200 over the course of a season — he has won 4 Silver Slugger awards and is well-respected as a threat at the plate. Why? Mostly because he has laid down the most sacrifice bunts in MLB history — well over 200 and counting. Again, it seems like a little thing, but how often does a runner bunted to second come around to score? How often has a failed sacrifice attempt impaired a team’s ability to garner a run?

Like defense, bunting is an art that requires little skill — it’s all about using the proper technique and repeating it over and over. Kind of boring, to bunt the ball 40-50 times instead of swinging away during batting practice — but Glavine knows his skillset and the importance of execution. Any batter — be it a pitcher, infielder, or outfielder — can and should become adept at bunting.

But Glavine doesn’t only bunt, he also handles the bat fairly well for a pitcher. In his younger years, he hit in the .220-.240 range — better than some position players — and has a knack for getting the bat on the ball. As a result, his managers have been confident calling the hit-and-run when he’s at the plate, creating more scoring opportunities. Glavine also has a keen sense of the strike zone as a hitter, and forces the opposing pitcher to throw pitches. Since he’s not looking to hit the ball over the fence, Glavine will often take a strike — or two — then foul pitches off with a short, choppy swing. Again, doesn’t seem like a big deal, but every pitch he makes the opposing hurler throw is one more away from being removed from the game.

Conclusion

Anyone who has watched Glavine through the years can see that he carries himself as a winner. If all you do is watch his stuff — which isn’t particularly extraordinary — you might come away thinking, “how the heck did this guy win 300+ games?”. Don’t feel bad — even Albert Pujols was scratching his head after a 2006 NLCS loss, telling the press after the game, “He wasn’t good. He wasn’t good at all.” Pujols was right — if he was talking only about Glavine’s stuff. But Pujols, like many, didn’t “see the forest for the trees”, as they say. The bottom line is, Glavine knows how to win, and knows that if you do every single little thing, they all add up and can be the difference in a ballgame.

If you have an opportunity, watch Tom Glavine this year (he may be retiring). You can learn quite a bit by watching EVERYTHING he does on the field.

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Baserunning: Find the Third-base Coach

Posted on July 23, 2007

Too often — especially at the Major League level — I see a runner round second base and keeping an eye on the outfielder, looking over his shoulder. Inevitably, the runner is thrown out at third by a step. No doubt you’ve seen this yourself, as a coach, or been guilty of it as a player. Taking an extra base is aggressive baserunning, and can help win a ballgame. At the same time, you want to be smart and aggressive, because it is too easy to run yourself out of an inning.

Going from first to third, however, can be difficult for runners, particularly when the ball is hit to rightfield and behind them. When is it best to stay at second, or try for third?

First, the two “rules” of running to third:

1. Never, ever be the first or third out at third.

You can usually score from second base on a hit, so it doesn’t make sense to be the first out at second when you can be moved to third with a sacrifice bunt — and still have a second out to use as a scoring opportunity (i.e., sac fly, groundout, etc.). Similarly, you don’t want to be the third out at third because then the inning is over — and even if you make it to third, it’s still going to take a base hit to score you. This is especially the case on many youth and high school fields that have a backstop just a few feet behind home plate — where wild pitches don’t score runners from third.

2. Do not go to third when the play is in front of you.

There are a handful of exceptions to this rule, but generally speaking, if the ball is being fielded in front of you — by the third baseman, shortstop, or leftfielder — then stay on second (unless being forced, of course). The obvious reason is the short throw it will take to get you out.

So, with the above understood, here is the situation: you are on first base, there is one out, the ball is hit to the outfield, and either the centerfielder or rightfielder is going after it. Before the ball was hit, you should already have taken note of where the outfielders were positioned — deep, shallow, cheating one way or the other — and therefore you should get a good “read” on whether the ball will drop safely or not. If you are unsure, then you run about three-quarter speed toward second, and look ONCE over your shoulder, BEFORE you reach second base. Based on what you see, make your decision then and there about whether you’re going to try for third — you should have made your decision by the time you are 2-3 steps from the second base bag. Regardless of whether you’ve made a decision or not, find the third base coach at this time as well — and do what he says. If it’s stop, then stop. If it’s come to third, then put your head down, get a good sharp turn around second (remember to touch the bag on the inside corner, pushing off it like a starting block), and run hard to third, eyes on the coach — he’ll tell you to get down and slide or stay up.

That may sound contradictory; why trouble yourself to make a decision if you’re going to do what the coach says regardless? A few reasons:

1. The coach may see something you didn’t. For example, maybe the fielder bobbled the ball, or let it skip by him, after your one look behind your shoulder. You may have decided to stop, but this new development gives you the opportunity to take an extra base.

2. The coach may not make the decision as quickly as you. Many coaches — particularly at lower levels — may not tell you what to do until after you’ve rounded second. By that time, it could be too late to take the extra base if you’re not going full speed. Or, maybe the coach was too busy waving the runner ahead of you home, and you are left to “coach” yourself until he can turn his attention to you.

3. Your reaction to the play will influence the coach’s decision. If you see an opportunity to take the extra base, and are running full speed to second, the coach will take this into consideration and wave you toward third.

If you’re ever unsure about what to do on the bases, the best plan is to run hard, expect to take the extra base, and look forward toward the coach. Don’t ever look back more than once, because by looking back as you run, you are not running at your top speed. Use the third-base coach to your advantage — that’s why he’s standing there, to be the eyes behind your head. He will tell you whether to continue toward him to third or to stay at second.

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Learn to Breathe

Posted on July 19, 2007

Learn to breathe? Who needs to “learn” how to breathe? Didn’t we figure that out about three seconds after emerging from the womb?

Well, yeah, but, not really.

You learned to breathe to survive, not necessarily for optimum efficiency. Possibly, some knucklehead gym teach along the way taught you puff out your chest and suck wind out of your upper lungs — which is exactly the wrong thing to do. Or maybe you were told by someone to “take a deep breath” to relax, which is only half-right.

Luckily, breathing correctly is simple, will take almost no time to learn, and can be performed accurately with just a little practice and paying attention. Why is it worth the effort? Because by breathing properly, you will get more air to your lungs, in turn getting more oxygen to your muscles, and allow your body to move more efficiently. Good breathing will also relieve any tension in your muscles and mind. And anyone who has played baseball for any length of time will tell you that it is a game that is best played tension-free.

On with it already — how to breathe.

1. Breathe through your nose, taking in long, even breaths of air.
2. Breathe air into your stomach — never your chest. You should be able to see your belly expanding as the air is drawn in.
3. Keep drawing the breath in until just before the point of discomfort — fill that belly with air completely.
4. Once the belly is full, hold it for a moment, then exhale slowly — as slowly as possible — through either your mouth or nose.

That’s it!

Easy, right? Now there are two things to understand. First, you’re not really breathing into your stomach, but into your lungs (duh). But it’s easier to explain by saying “breathe into your belly” (other instructors might refer to it as “breathing into the diaphragm”). Secondly, you’re not going to be breathing like this all the time — for example, your breaths are likely to be shorter when you’re running. However, you should try to breathe this way anytime you need to relax, and any other time you find yourself conscious of breathing.

Proper breathing relieves tension, which makes it a good idea to take those deep breaths and long exhales just prior to an at-bat (if you’re a batter) or before making a pitch (if you’re a pitcher). For relaxation purposes, the emphasis is on the exhale — too many people take a good deep breath, but then let it all out too quickly, and thus null the full effectiveness of breathing. Make sure you exhale slowly and with length, and you’ll be certain to release all the tenstion in your body.

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Power Hitting: On-deck Prep

Posted on June 5, 2007

What do you do when you’re in the on-deck circle? Any of the following?

Swing a weighted bat
Stretch out arms, wrists, back, legs
Take practice swings
Apply pine tar to the bat
Adjust batting gloves and socks
Check out the people in the stands
Nibble on sunflower seeds
All of the above

The first five options are somewhat helpful, but only part of what you can be doing in preparation for your upcoming at bat. First and foremost, you should be aware of the game situation — at the very least, know how many outs there are, the score, and the runners on base. Also, if one of the baserunners heads for home, you must be ready to clear the basepath of the bat and to give the runner proper direction (slide, stand, go around, etc.). But you already knew that, right?

While you’re lugging around two bats with donuts and spitting sunflower seeds, you can also be watching the pitcher. And the catcher. And the infielders and outfielders. Check where the fielders are playing; for example, is the third baseman playing back? Are the middle infielders cheating toward second for a double play? See what they’re doing before you get up, and what they do when you get up. Their positioning may affect what you try to do during the at-bat, and when/if you become a baserunner.

You can also take a look at the catcher — how he’s positioning himself behind the plate, and where he’s catching the ball. Is he in the same spot all the time, or moving around back there? Will you be able to see him move toward his proposed target, out of the corner of your eye, while you’re up at the plate? And is the pitcher hitting his spots, or is the catcher doing a lot of reaching for balls? This information could indicate whether the pitcher is tiring, or having trouble with his command (remember, most pitchers will fall back on the fastball when they can’t find the strike zone). And while you’re watching the catcher, take note of the umpire’s calls. Does he have a “high” strike zone or a “low” one? Is he giving the pitcher the corners? Has the strike zone expanded, or reduced, since the beginning of the game? How he’s calling at this point in the game is important if the count goes to two strikes against you.

Finally, observe the pitcher. No, actually, study him. Watch his face, his hands, his unique tics / movements. Does he do something different when a curveball is coming, as opposed to a fastball? Maybe he slows down, or throws different pitches at different arm angles. He might squint, or dig his fingers into the glove, or touch his hat, or otherwise unconsciously “telegraph” his pitches.

Also watch his body language and facial expressions. Is he looking confident, weary, confused? Is he allowing emotions affect his performance? Can you use this against him?

How is he following through? Is he wildly off to one side, leaving the other open for an easy bunt hit?

What kind of pitches is he throwing? Is he relying solely on breaking stuff, hard stuff, or mixing it up? Does he fall into patterns? For example, has he started everyone off with a fastball? Is he high or low in the zone? Can you tell if his pitches are breaking horizontally or vertically?

After or while gathering all this extraneous data, you will want to get in your batting stance, preferably in the same angle you will be when at the plate. Some parks (and umpires) allow you to take your practice swings directly behind the backstop — if so, by all means take advantage. Otherwise, get into your stance, as close to the batter’s box as possible, with a good view of the pitcher. As he goes into his windup, find a comfortable spot of his upper body to focus on, then look for his arm slot — which will eventually lead to his release point. Try to develop a synchronicity between his rhythm and yours. This is the time to get your timing down: when he goes back, you go back. Though you are in the on-deck circle, you want to visualize being in the batter’s box, and emulate an actual at-bat as closely as possible. Start with your stance, and as he moves, you make the same movements you would as if you were already at-bat, all the way to the stride and the swing. This will help you “time” his pitches, and give you the best possible preparation before you dig into the box.

Any more ideas on what you can do to prepare for an at-bat while waiting in the on-deck circle? Please share them with us in the comments below.

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Catching: Proper Footwork Starts with the Feet

Hitting: Wait and Weight

Pitching With Eyes Closed

Pitching: Dragging the Back Foot

Choking Part Two

Why Players Choke

Why You Should Watch Tom Glavine

Baserunning: Find the Third-base Coach

Learn to Breathe

Power Hitting: On-deck Prep

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