Baserunning – Runner on Second Base

By: Todd Guilliams

Originally Published in: High-Scoring Baseball

Provided by: Human Kinetics

Knowing the positioning of the defense is more important when you are on second base because more balls will be hit behind you. By knowing where the defensive players are positioned you can make most of your decisions with-out having to turn around and wait for the play to develop. The depth of the lead is determined by the number of outs. With no outs you are in a straight line with third. With two outs you take two steps straight back of the base line to facilitate the turn at third base in the event of a base hit. Know your verbal commands from the coach and what they mean. For example, "OK" means take another step, "Careful" means stop, and "Back" means exactly that. You need to keep your eyes on the pitcher when taking your lead. The coach is responsible for not letting the runner get too far off the bag and learning which runners can react quickly and which ones are slower to react.

Checklist: Runner on Second

1. With less than two outs when you are the only runner on base at second, you should never advance to third until you see the ball pass the pitcher on the ground and not hit firmly in front of him.
2. Vault back on all head-high line drives.
3. When advancing to third, slide feet first, not headfirst. The feet-first slide allows you to get up more quickly and score if the ball gets by the third baseman.
4. Understand the halfway principle. With less than two outs on a fly ball you read the ball from the halfway mark, or the point halfway between your secondary lead and the base. Do not read the fly ball from the base. The halfway principal allows you to take a few steps back to touch the base, tag, and go to the next base or to score from the halfway mark if the ball falls.
5. Check the positioning of the outfielders by rotating your head back and forth like a windshield wiper. Do your homework.
6. On a ground ball hit at you, go.
7. Run on the swing with two strikes and two outs.
8. Never make either the first or second out at the plate.
9. With two outs when attempting to score from second base on a base hit, you must run full-out through home plate to ensure that you score in the event that the batter gets thrown out at second.
10. A tight turn when rounding third base could mean the difference between a run scored and an out.

Primary Lead and Secondary Lead

The same rules apply at second base as at first base when taking your primary and secondary lead. The difference is in the distance of each and the increased reaction time in responding to the pitcher's pickoff move. The distance of the primary, non-stealing lead is 17 feet (5.2 m) (figure 7.9). Start with your right foot and takes five steps followed by one sideways shuffle, bringing your left foot to your right foot and resetting your feet. The secondary lead at second base is 29 feet (8.9 m) (figure 7.10). This aggressive secondary lead must be practiced, but it will ultimately lead to more runs scored. We have all seen runners get thrown out at the plate on bang-bang plays. A better jump and a better lead increase the odds of being safe.