More Baseball Strategies
Teach all your players to bunt and slap a pitched ball. Show them how to control their hit and put the ball exactly where they want. A bunt will be needed at a specific time, so that batter should know what he or she is doing.
Players think a bunt is a wimpy way to hit the ball and they hate having to run real fast to beat the throw to 1st-base. But most often a bunt is a sacrifice-play and the batter is expected to be out. So no fast running. And bunts create runs, not whimpy at all!
In certain situations, a bunt is the best play: a runner on 2nd or 3rd-base ready to score, a 3rd-baseman not paying attention, or bases loaded. Additionally, a bunt-play creates havoc because the young players haven’t learned what to do. Expect overthrows, confusion, yelling, and misguided actions. (And have your players practice bunt-defense!)
The Tao Te Ching says, “To make big plays, play small.” Bunting is a simple play that often yields great results. As too in life: small actions often create winning results.
Bunting — Baseball's Secret Power pLay
Runner On 2nd base — Run on It's Way
A runner on 2nd is not half-way home. He's really 80% the way there!
The runner on 2nd-base has many opportunities to advance. He, the base-coach, and batter need to make a plan.
The standard strategy is a long-ball hit to the outfield, giving the runner enough time to round 3rd and score. But it costs an out, is in not assured. There are better strategies.
Teach your players to watch and study the actions of their opponent's defense. Those players are under lots of pressure with a runner on second. Analyze each infield player’s actions, then act accordingly.
With the runner’s eye on the ball and quick action at the exact moment, the runner will have opportunities to steal 3rd or take it on an infield hit. If the runner is fast he’ll be looking towards homeplate.
Is the 3rd-baseman paying attention or talking to the left-fielder? Is the shortstop staying near you or wandering off? Are the catcher and pitcher paying attention? And most importantly, where is the ball?
If the 3rd-baseman is unfocused and the pitcher is more focused on the batter than the runner, then it's time to steal third. And in the confusion, look for a bad throw and the opportunity for the runner to get home.
If the batter hits an infield single, then the runner on second can can jump toward third and make the defence question: Do I throw it to first or third? A moment of indecision that will allow the batter to run safely to 1st-base.
The runner on 2nd should be vey active, visual, always moving, making the defence pay too much attention to him. This will upset the entire team's rhythm of play. When kids play ball, funny things happen and the ball often gets thrown to the wrong player.
The runner on 2nd and the coaches should be looking for that 'moment of opportunity', that brief one-second, and get the runner to third and then home. Watch, pay attention, and win.
Assign each player, each position, a ‘back-up’ task and position for each type of play. If the 3rd-baseman is throwing to 1st, the right-fielder runs to recover an over-thrown ball. If the 2nd-baseman or right-fielder throws the ball, then the catcher plays back-up.
Have one or two players playing back-up on every play. During every throw, every player should know where bak-up is needed.
Good back-up plays will save many runs and helps win many more games.
Backing-Up Stops Runs
Checking The Field
Take a good, up close look at the whole field. Walk it from center-field to homeplate. Look for anything unusual. Talk with the umpire about special home-field rules.
Have your players walk around the bases and visualize, imagine, running those bases in the game. Have them stand at their assigned position and imagine catching and throwing the ball during the game. Are they calm and balanced?
Are they ready to play? Are you? Is your team up to the task of winning the game and being a winner in their lives?
Coaching For Success
Success has many definitions but none of them are called ‘winning’. Winners often do not succeed, do not win. The scoreboard says one thing but the coach’s gut tells another.
Having your entire team yelling and cheering with satisfaction after playing a game they lost, is winning. Learning new skills is winning. Making your body and mind stronger is winning.
Let your team know the truth: winning is a choice. To choose winning is to choose a certain way to play the game, a confidence to play your life in a winning lifestyle. To play with integrity and respect; to enjoy the blissfulness of hitting a baseball and to enjoy the friendship of your teammates.
Learn how your team can win in every game, and then also score more runs than their opponent.