By: Bob McCreary

Provided by: Baseball By The Yard

I recently heard an inspiring true story from a friend/coach. It goes like this...

Captain Charlie Plumb was a fighter pilot in the 60's during the Vietnam War. While on a mission, his jet was shot down. He was able to eject but unfortunately for him, he had to parachute down into enemy territory. He was quickly captured by the communist Vietnamese and sent to a prison camp. He spent the next six years surviving as a POW under the Vietcong.

Several years after his release, Captain Plumb was eating in a restaurant with his wife when he noticed a man staring at him from a couple tables away. He didn't recognize the man and grew uncomfortable with the man who kept staring. The man eventually got up and walked over to Plumb's table and said "You're Captain Plumb. You flew jet fighters in Vietnam. You were on the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down. You parachuted into enemy hands and spent six years as a prisoner of war."

Captain Plumb responded with "Yes. I'm Captain Plumb. How in the world did you know all that?"

The man replied, "Because, I packed your parachute."

Plumb apparently couldn't sleep that night because he wondered how many times he walked by the man (and others like him) while on the ship before his final mission and hadn't once given them the time of day. The man literally saved his life and Plumb now realized that he never once thought about the guy who packed his chute let alone thanked him for it. People undoubtedly thanked Plumb for his service and probably praised him for his bravery in handling his grueling captivity. However, Plumb (and everyone else for that matter) never once thought about the man/men who made every event after being shot down possible...the guy(s) who properly and meticulously packed his parachute.

There are several take-aways from this story but here is one for the baseball world.

Sometimes, your job is to pack the parachutes. Sitting on the bench and being a role player is the hardest job in baseball. This is why role players at the MLB level are never young/rookie players. The mental toll it can take to perform that role well can be overwhelming. It takes an experienced and very emotionally mature person to handle that job. Now imagine a 9 or 10 year old who has that role for the first time. But in baseball, as in life, not everyone can be the glamorous pilot. On any team there will be stars and there will be role players. Everyone wants to be the star pitcher or the stud three hitter and get all the publicity and accolades. Captain Plumb's story reminds us that every role on a team has value. It's hard to take pride in activities that are never/rarely recognized but never lose sight of your value to your team.

If you are currently a role player, keep working hard every day and maybe someday you can be the star.

Until then...pack a mean parachute.

By: Coach Bob McCreary  

Provided by: Baseball By The Yard

Assuming you're just a hitter.  It is true that many great hitters who have lost a step on defense get put over at first base but that doesn't mean the position should be taken lightly.  Only those who have never played with a great first baseman say the position is overrated.  Virtually every play in the infield involves the first baseman in some capacity.  Take great pride in your defense.  Practice, study, and master the position.  Your teammates in the infield will love you!

Stretching too soon.  Most first basemen know to stretch with their glove-side foot first.  However, many don't wait for the throw to be made before stepping.  In other words, they assume it is going to be a good throw and have already committed their feet.  Good first basemen get to the bag and place both heels near the bag.  After they see where the throw is they step to the ball, square up to block it, jump, or do whatever else is called for.  To be a great first baseman, master your footwork around the bag and be ready for any scenario on every play.

Relying on the catcher too much on relays.  First of all, good players know where they are on the field at all times.  A good first baseman should never have to rely on the catcher to line him up on a relay throw.  Many stadiums at the higher levels are too loud on plays like that for the first baseman to hear "Left!" or "Right!" anyway.  It's the first baseman's job to get himself lined up properly.  Second, a good first baseman doesn't wait to hear for the catcher to yell "Cut, home!"  He can see the throw himself and judge if the throw is off-line or if it doesn't have the carry to reach home plate.  In those situations, he cuts it regardless of what the catcher says or doesn't say.

Letting balls get past them.  It is considered a "cardinal sin" to allow a playable ball to get past you as a first baseman.  A first baseman can knock a ball down, kick it, step on it, bobble it again, and still get to first before the runner.  He even has the help of the pitcher in covering first base.  A first baseman doesn't have to have tremendous hands.  However, he does have to do everything in his power to keep the ball in front of him.  Tip:  Practice diving for ground balls regularly.  It's great fun and you get a chance to practice your own "web gems!"

By: Coach Bob McCreary

Provided by: Baseball By The Yard

For anyone who has ever seen me coach, the title of this post may seem more than a little hypocritical. That's because I never shut up once the game starts. I don't think I'm alone when it comes to coaches who are working with young players. At the younger levels there is a constant need to remind players of things during the course of the game. Watch me coach and these are just some of the things that I will say over and over throughout the game.

**To the pitcher with a runner on first - "ball hit back to you, know who you got." With a lefty up - "get over on a ground ball."

**To the infielders - "Make sure of one", "back up throws to the pitcher," "keep the ball in front," with two outs and a runner on second base - "got to be diving."

**To outfielders, "come up throwing" and "throw it through the cut-off man."

There is nothing wrong with giving these reminders throughout the game. I encourage my players to communicate this way as well. When I say "communication is overrated," I am referring to several plays where communication is totally unnecessary. It can even be problematic. Here are some examples.

With a runner on first, the catcher yells out to his middle infielders and wants to know who is covering second on the steal. There is no need for the catcher to know this information. The catcher's job is to come up and throw a strike to second base no matter who is there. There's no need for him to know who is covering. If the shortstop says "I got it" then the other team now knows where to hit the ball.

On a 3-6-3 double play you will often hear either the first baseman or the shortstop yell "inside" or "outside" to let the thrower or receiver know where the ball is going to be. This is also unnecessary. It's pretty simple, if the first baseman fields the ball on the infield side of the baseline he throws to the inside part of second base where the shortstop needs to be positioned. If the first baseman fields the ball on the outfield side of the baseline then he throws to the outfield side of second base where the shortstop needs to be positioned. There is no need to yell anything. All players involved simply need to know where to throw the ball or where to be. There is no need to say anything. This is also the case when catchers throw to first base on bunts and dropped third strikes. If the throw comes from fair territory, the first baseman sets up in fair territory. If the catcher throws from foul territory, the first baseman sets up in foul territory. No "inside" or "outside" needs to be said.

When 1st and 3rd basemen become cut-off men on throws from the outfield, there is no need for the catcher to yell "left" or "right" to line up the fielder. Cut-off men should correctly do that themselves. They also can see for themselves if a throw is off-line or not going to carry to home plate as well. There is no need for the catcher to say "cut home." If the cut-off man see that the throw is off-line or not going to reach home, he cuts it regardless of what a catcher says.

With no one on base and a ball hit in the gap, a base runner does not need to hear from the third base coach as to whether or not to continue to third base. When the runner rounds first base he can see where the ball is and should be able to determine for himself whether he can make it to third base. Watch a major league batter hit a triple and you will almost never see him pick up the 3rd base coach for help. The only exception is when there are runners ahead of him on base.

During a rundown, a player receiving a throw from a teammate yells "Now!" when he wants the ball. Totally unnecessary. The player with the ball should need no help in determining when to throw it. He can see all the variables right in front of him.

A critic might say "there is no harm in saying all this so why not encourage them to do so. The more communication the better, right?" In many cases, I would agree. However, in the cases explained above and some others as well, communication of this kind can cause players to rely too much on what other people say instead of improving their own instincts and awareness of what's going on around them. Besides, an excited crowd may cause players not to hear things at all because of their cheering. They won't always hear it so they shouldn't rely on it. Players can also use all this as an excuse for their mistakes. "Nobody said anything" or "He said it too late" deflects responsibility to others and prevents the player from growing their own awareness.

There are many things that players just need to know - like where to be and where to throw - without being told during a play. The game happens too quick for many of these in-play communications to be relied on anyway.

Watch the game and think for yourself.

By: Coach Bob McCreary

Provided by: Baseball By The Yard

Sooner or later, everyone will catch a cold just like every batter will find himself in a rut or a slump.  The two are very similar because no matter what you do, you are going to have both for a few days.  Neither one has a cure and both are a nuisance.

Although a common cold and a hitting slump are alike in several ways, most hitters do not react to their slump the same way they react to a cold.

They should.

When a typical person gets a cold, they accept a few things right off the bat.  They accept it will take a few days to work through their system.  They accept that they may need to rest a little more, drink more fluids, and carry around a box of tissues.  The cold may slow them down a little but other than that, most just carry on with their normal lives as best they can.  They go to work and they go to school. It's usually not a big deal

Unfortunately, the young hitter who finds himself in a slump typically panics.  They exhaust themselves taking hundreds of additional swings to iron out their mechanics.  They watch hours of film from when they were successful and compare it to their current swing.  They agonize over their drop in production and lose hours of sleep.  They mentally beat themselves up after at-bats and let it carry over to other areas of the game.  As a result, the small rut turns into a bad week, a bad month, or even a bad year.

Treat a slump the same way you treat a cold.  Accept that you will have it for a few days.  Sleep a little more to give your body some additional energy.  Eat and drink right for the same reason.  Go about your day and carry on with your life the way you normally would as best you can.  Work hard but don't exhaust yourself and certainly don't beat yourself up.  You wouldn't do that when you get a cold so don't do it over a slump.  All areas of your life don't have to be affected by your cold just like a hitting slump does not have to affect your fielding, base running, or you being a good teammate.

Both a slump and a cold just take time.  Accept that and your hitting slump typically will last just a few days/games.  Panic and you often prolong the very thing you intend to stop.

By: Bob McCreary

Provided by: Baseball By The Yard

One of the many things you need to teach young players as they get older is that there are very few (if any) absolutes in baseball.  There are so many examples of this but today I'll deal with one of them.  It involves the difference between a relay and a redirect.  For this post, I'll use the third baseman as my example, but it could apply to a first baseman and/or a middle infielder as well. When a third baseman sets himself up for a relay throw from the left fielder, he typically goes to about where the X is located as shown here...

However, that spot should vary depending on two factors - the arm strength of the left fielder and the direction of the left fielder's momentum when he catches the ball.  In reality, the area he should go to looks more like this...

Here are three scenarios that show this.

Scenario #1: The left fielder has to go to his left or right in order to catch the ball before throwing.  Because his momentum is not in the direction of home plate, he will have a tough time getting a lot on his throw.  Therefore, the third basemen will need to be closer to the left fielder like this...

In this case, the left fielder gets the ball to the third baseman who will need to provide the power on the throw to home plate.  This is a relay.

Scenario #2: The left fielder is charging the ball and will have a lot of momentum built up in the direction of home plate.  Because of that, the third baseman should allow the left fielder to use all the power he has generated by backing up and setting up here...

In this case, the left fielder is able to supply the power so the third baseman's job is NOT to relay but only to redirect the throw if it is off-line.

Another example of this would be Scenario #3 where the left fielder has to go back to the fence to get the ball.  The shortstop heads out and typically will be able to supply a lot of power on his relay towards home plate.  The third baseman's job is to again set up here...

...and redirect only if necessary like before.

Of course, this can all vary based on the arm strength of the left fielder and the shortstop.  If they both have brutal arms, the third baseman may always need to move closer to them and act like a relay man.  If the thrower has a cannon, he may be able to back up towards home plate more often and do more redirecting.  The key is knowing beforehand how good the arm strengths are.

As coaches, we need to make sure our players know the difference between relay & redirect and understand that where they go is never absolute.

By: Coach Bob McCreary

Provided by: Baseball By The Yard

When I work with young infielders, I always coach them as if they are shortstops. I do this because a shortstop typically has to have the most efficient footwork of all the fielders. Shortstops have the longest throw to first base and are often the farthest from the batter. Add those two realities together and any inefficient footwork on the part of the shortstop will more likely result in a safe runner at first base.

To complete the fielding and throwing motion, a shortstop only needs four steps - two to catch the ball and two to throw the ball. Any additional steps (especially after catching the ball) significantly slow down the fielder's ability to make the play.

This is why all my fielders learn the four step process to fielding ground balls no matter where they play in the infield. It's the most efficient way to effectively catch and throw. For an old video I did on how to approach a ground ball, click HERE.

If a third baseman or second baseman has more time on a ground ball, they can always add steps as needed. However, when a fast runner hits a slower ground ball, all fielders will need to use those four steps for greater efficiency. If they are used to practicing those four steps then reverting back to them will be much easier. Getting your body in the habit of taking 5, 6, or 7 steps will make it much harder to cut your steps down to four.

It's always easier to add steps than subtract steps so get your fielders' feet used to making the plays in four steps.

By: Coach McCreary

Provided by:  Baseball By The Yard

We've all seen it a thousand times...the catcher yells "Comin' down!" before the last warm-up pitch by the pitcher.  At the higher levels, the catcher just puts his throwing arm out to the side and doesn't yell anything.  The extended arm alerts the middle-infielder to be at the bag after the next warm-up pitch.  Regardless of how it is communicated, many pitchers come set and lob the last pitch to home plate.  The typical catcher receives it, casually stands up, and lobs a throw to second base.  The ball is returned to the pitcher and the inning starts.

...and my blood boils every time.

There are a thousand things a team can do to set themselves apart from other teams they play.  Most of these little things go unnoticed by just about everyone on or close to the field.  Properly handling this last warm-up pitch before the inning is one of them.

Here are three MUSTS in order to get it right.

Throw a hard fastball.  A pitcher should NEVER just casually lob a pitch to the catcher on his last warm-up pitch before the inning.  Give your catcher a chance to work on a pitch that replicates a real pitch he will have to deal with during a game-like steal attempt by the other team.  A firm fastball thrown down the middle does that.  A ball that is lobbed in no way helps the catcher do what he needs to do to get himself ready for the inning.  Every pitcher wants his catcher to throw out a stealing runner at second base.  Help him do that by giving him a good, last pitch to practice with.

Make a realistic throw.  Now it's the catcher's turn to take things seriously.  Once you get that good, firm throw on the last warm-up pitch, make a realistic throw to second base.  Have a fast transition from catching to throwing.  Use the same footwork needed on a real steal.  And most importantly, throw a STRIKE to second base thigh high right on the bag.  Every time!  Do it right every time on your practice throws and you are more likely to do it right when it counts.  It also helps with recruiting.  When a college coach or pro scout is at the game and is watching you behind the plate and nobody tries to steal during the game, how does he ever get the chance to see your receiving, footwork, transition, arm strength, and accuracy?  If you don't take your pre-inning throw to second base seriously, the answer is he doesn't.  Take that procedure seriously and he/they will get 7-9 chances to see what you can do.

On another note, should the last warm-up pitch be a bad one that gets back to the backstop, DO NOT walk back to the ball, pick it up, and launch a throw from the backstop all the way to second base.  You will almost never do that in a game so don't do it prior to the inning.  If the ball gets past you, run back to get it, pick it up, jog back to your spot behind the plate, squat down with the ball in your glove, and then pop-up to make a good, realistic throw to second base.  And after the inning, remind your pitcher to give you a good pitch on his last warm-up throw.

By: Bob McCreary

Provided by: Baseball By The Yard

Tryouts begin for public schools in Pennsylvania tomorrow. Coaches all over the state will be running their players through multiple drills to gauge ability and potential. Outfielders will catch fly balls and make some long throws, pitchers will throw off a mound, catchers will receive and throw, and hitters will hit. However, for infielders it's a bit more complicated. There are four infield positions behind the pitcher and each one carries with it a number of separate responsibilities. They will have to catch grounders and pop-ups, do run-downs , tag runners, turn double plays, cover bases on tag and force plays, field bunts, and backhand the ball. That's a lot of drills to get done. It got me thinking. If I was given five minutes to evaluate players - thankfully I don't - and only could do one drill, what would it be?

This play is what separates the men from the boys. It's a play that involves a fielder charging a slowly hit ball where he must field and throw on the run. So why would I pick this drill? Because it allows the coach to see all of the following in just a few reps:

Aggressiveness to the ball. To make this play, you have to fly through the ball. Any tentativeness on this play and the runner is safe.

Quickness. Quick first steps, quickness to the ball, quick footwork, and quick hands all have to be there for the runner to be out.

Balance. Charging, fielding, and throwing aggressively requires balance especially since the fielder will be throwing off the other foot.

Agility and athleticism. This play involves difficult body movements that are not typical on most ground balls.

Arm strength. Slow rollers require some arm strength because the fielder is usually not moving towards his target before throwing. His momentum is usually traveling towards home plate and has to use just his arm strength to get the ball to first base.

Footwork technique. Players who have had good coaching in the past have probably been taught some basics about this play. The play becomes much easier for an infielder who knows which foot goes where when catching and throwing. It's a little technical so that will have to be a future post. In a nutshell, left foot forward to catch, right forward to throw.

Throwing technique. Good infielders are able to use any arm angle to throw. From right over the top to almost touching the ground with their knuckles. Variations of this drill allow coaches to see if the player can throw from multiple angles.

Softness of hands. This play involves some finesse glove work in a short period of time. Players who have softer hands usually fare better. Having “soft hands” means balls rarely bounce out of a player's glove. Think of catching an egg. If you keep your hands still when you catch the egg, the egg will break. If you have “soft hands” and can give a little after catching the egg, the egg will not break. The same principle applies to catching a baseball whether it's thrown or hit at you.

Quick release. The ability to catch and throw quickly is what will allow a player to keep moving up the ladder in terms of their defense. As kids get older, the game gets faster. Catching and getting rid of it quickly is a must. A quick release can also offset problems with arm strength. It is usually better to have a very quick release and an average arm instead of a great arm that takes forever to throw.

By: Bob McCreary

Provided by: Baseball By The Yard

In my opinion, one of the most underrated plays in baseball is the push bunt from right handed hitters. Someday I'll make a video demonstrating how to do it properly but today we'll just get into the benefits and the purposes of it.

First, the benefits.

It confuses the 1st baseman and the pitcher. The dotted line in the photo shows the path that push bunts should take. Placing it on that path at the correct speed puts both the pitcher and the first baseman in a difficult situation. Who goes for the ball and who covers first base? Very often, both go for the ball and nobody covers first.

Slow runners can succeed at it. This is due to what was just said above … nobody is able to cover first base if the bunt is positioned correctly at the proper speed. It gives slower runners another option at gettingon base.

It helps you beat a good pitcher. Sometimes a pitcher is so good that he just shuts down your offense. If you have numerous bunters on your team, however, you still can do some damage. Base-hit bunting forces the other team to make plays instead of just being able to sit back and watch their pitcher dominate every hitter. Put the ball in play and you'll be amazed at what can happen.

You bunt it towards the two worst fielders. There are always exceptions to this but very often the two worst infielders on a team are the pitcher and the first baseman. The push bunt keeps it away from the fielders who are accustomed to working on fielding and decision making most often.

They think you are bunting to third. Pitchers and first basemen most often assume the base hit bunt will be hit towards third base. As a result, many pitchers instinctively move towards the third base side even before the bunt is made. First basemen often do not even charge when they see the batter turn to bunt. Both actions make it easier for batters.

And now the purposes.

To get a hit. A lot of hitters hate to bunt. These days you almost never see it on TV either so most players don't even consider it an option. Don't make that mistake. Being a good push-bunter gives a hitter another option to get on base with a hit particularly when they happen to be in a slump. Base-hit bunts keep them contributing even though their swing may currently be a mess.

To move the runner from 2nd to 3rd. I've heard several players say thattheir high school and/or college coach made it mandatory that if the lead-off hitter of an inning hit a double, the following batter automatically push-bunted towards first. You may get a hit but the very least you are going to do is move the runner to 3rd base.

To safety squeeze. With less than 2 outs and a runner on third base, pay attention to where the first baseman is playing. If he plays behind the bag then he is giving you the opportunity to safety squeeze. The batter push-bunts towards first and the runner (afterseeing if the bunt is properly placed) breaks for home plate.

Just like any other base-hit bunt, the push bunt can be demoralizing to the other team and can fire up your own. It takes a lot of practice and attention to detail but the push-bunt can be extremely effective in making you more of a threat at the plate and allow you to be a more complete offensive player.

]]> https://coachesinsider.com/baseball/the-underrated-push-bunt/feed/ 0 47504 https://coachesinsider.com/baseball/how-to-instantly-improve-your-infield-range/ https://coachesinsider.com/baseball/how-to-instantly-improve-your-infield-range/#respond Wed, 25 Sep 2019 08:00:55 +0000 https://coachesinsider.com/?p=43559

By: Bob McCreary

Provided by: Baseball By The Yard

When infielders start out in baseball, they mostly get instructed to charge the ball. You'll hear tee-ball, coach-pitch, and Little League coaches frequently say "move in on the pitch," "move to the ball!" or "go get the ball!" This is all good advice since young infielders who are just starting out have a tendency to wait for the ball to come to them. Unfortunately, old habits don't die quickly.

When infielders get older, their range needs to improve. This is where the habit of always moving forward to the ball comes back to bite them. Below is a graphic of the player's range when this happens.

(Key: the yellow lines represent batted balls to the left and right; the X is the infielder; the green lines are the path the infielder takes to the ball; the white line equals the infielder's range).

To widen their range, players need to develop the ability to go backwards on harder hit balls. Here is the same graphic that shows a first step that goes backwards.

You can see how much the player's range increases in the second graphic. The player did not get quicker, stronger, or faster. All he did was learn to take a different path to the ball when the ball is hit harder. Of course, if the player were to take this path on slowly hit balls, they would never get the runner out a first base. That's why it is important to practice not only the proper path but also the ability to quickly recognize when to move forward and when to move backwards. Here is a picture of how a coach could organize a good three-part drill for accomplishing both.

The cones show the player the correct angles to take to the ball. First, start by rolling/hitting a ball slowly so the player moves forward to get to the ball more quickly. Second, roll/hit them harder to get the player used to their first step being backwards (as shown in the photo). Third, mix up slowly rolled/hit balls with harder ones to get the player used to correctly reading the speed of the ball himself. Put cones on the other side of the player and repeat.

My players are probably so sick of hearing me say that "baseball is played from the ground up." However, I won't stop saying that because when a player puts his feet in the right place at the right time, they immediately improve.