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Tips From Coach John Peter: Baserunning & Sliding
The two most frequent injuries in baseball are both preventable:
Headfirst Slides can get you a broken finger, jammed wrist, stitches or in the case of Atlanta infielder Rafael Furcal last year, a separated shoulder.
Solution - Feet first slides can help keep you out of harm's way.
Hint - Learn the inside and outside hook slide to help you avoid tags!
Leaping At The 1st Base Bag
can earn you a sprained or broken ankle if you land wrong on the front, back or side of the bag.
Solution - Run through the bag with your natural running stride, landing on top of the bag with either foot.
Hint - Actually make a habit to stomp on the bag. This will help your muscles memorize the correct way to get to the bag quickly and safely!
More on Sliding
Sliding into 1st Base - It definitely is not faster than running through the bag. There is only one reason to slide into 1st: To avoid the tag from an inaccurate infield throw.
Other than that...don't even think about it.
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Baseball Bytes: Baserunning
Stu Southworth
From the book High Percentage Baserunning
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Running Through the First Base Bag
In general, when running to first base, the runner tries to make himself run 95 feet through the bag, not 90 feet to it. This will eliminate any tendency to slow down near the bag. The runner should hit the front of the bag with either foot and as the next stride carries him over the bag, glance quickly over his right shoulder to see if the throw has gotten past the first baseman. If it has and the ball has rolled far enough, the runner knows immediately, without the first base coaching telling him, that he can advance to second base.
Running Between the Chalk Lines
When running from home to first base after hitting a high pop-up that a pitcher, catcher, or first baseman may try to field, the batter should run down the line between the chalk lines. That is his right-of-way. If, however, the infielder needs to catch the ball in that area between the two lines, the runner must go around him to first base. He can't bump, touch, or in any way interfere with the fielder attempting to catch the ball. If he does, he will be called out on runner interference.
Base Stealing Basics
Players should remember that the catcher must throw a greater distance to second base than to any other, exactly 127.26 feet from the plate. If the runner has a 15-foot lead, he has to run only 75 feet. The race is almost always a tie.
In Colt, Pony, and all leagues below, the catcher's arm and pitcher's speed are slower than the runner due to the physical development of young players.
Prior excerpts from High Percentage Baserunning available in Baseball Tips Newsletter # 23
How to Steal Second Base Off Left-Handed & Right-Handed Pitchers
High Percentage Baserunning - Only $17.95
Learn game winning baserunning techniques. Stu Southworth, a veteran coach and mathematics instructor, has calculated the probability of success for each of 28 baserunning plays with 114 vividly illustrated diagrams, charts, and figures.
206 pages, includes a glossary and baseball's official rulebook on running.
"Baserunning is a skill so often overlooked in baseball..Good baserunning - or bad running - will win or lose more games for you than any other aspect of the game." |
| - Don Zimmer, Yankees Bench Coach |
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Featured Article
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Sliding
by Tom O'Connell (Princeton University)
Coach O'Connell's article discusses methods that are used to teach young players how to slide. His drills can be employed with equal success indoors or outdoors and are aimed at teaching players that have had little to no formal instruction in sliding. The Bent-Leg, Hook Slide, and multiple variations of each are covered.
Read the full article
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Questions & Answers
Coach JP Answers Your E-Mail
My situation is that my son is only 10-years old. He is the best pitcher in his league; the problem is the all-star coach. He seems to think my son needs to throw more "junk" to be a quality all-star pitcher. I don't want my son to throw junk, but I also don't want to hurt his chances of making the all-star team. He missed the team last year with a broken leg. How do I tell the coach no?
Coach JP
The batter may stride forward onto a firm front leg, but the head remains centered between both legs and the hands stay back and cocked until the swing is initiated.
(Consider a triangle in which the head is at the top point and each leg are the other two points). The front knee does not collapse in most all pro players.
| Firm Front Leg |
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To complicate things, if you take a look at Jeff Bagwell of the Astros, he actually lifts his front foot up and puts it down inside of the original stance/front leg.
A stride or no stride can both achieve success, but it is not correct to allow a player to move his weight forward toward the pitcher and let the front leg collapse at the knee. It is way too difficult for most to consider this mechanically sound.
Remember, nothing much happens until the front foot lands...try swinging with your leg still in the air...you cannot really swing until that front leg hits and initiates most of the torque and power.
If you are uncertain as how to teach this, I would highly recommend that you purchase one of our hitting videos. For the youngest players, the Coach Dave Altopp series is a great one. I would highly recommend Rob Ellis videos for any and all ages. He makes a lot of sense and is easy for you to teach to your own kids.
Questions for the Coach
Do you need advice on coaching your son or team? Are you a player that is struggling with some facet of your game? Why not ask an expert? Send an e-mail to coachjp@baseballtips.com
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Featured Drill
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Chair Drill
From Gordie Gillespie's Baseball Drill Book
Purpose: To make sure that the front side is not leaving too soon, getting the head too far out in front causing a "power shortage."
Players and Equipment Needed: One player, folding chair, bat
Description: Player takes batting stance facing the phantom pitcher with the chair pressed against his back leg. He then practices swings to see how much space he has between his leg and the chair. If he has a tendency to get out too soon, there will be a large space between his hip and the chair. He must learn to stay back and hit off the back side if he is going to hit with any power.
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Featured Products at Baseball Tips.com
International Baseball
Team USA Getting Ready For Olympic Qualifier
Winning another gold medal will be tough, but qualifying for the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece may be more difficult.
That task will belong to Montreal Expos manager Frank Robinson, who will guide the U.S. national baseball team at the Qualifying Tournament for the Americas in Panama City, Panama from October 31 through November 11.
The 13 country competition will feature international powerhouses Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Venezuela, but only the top two finishers in the event qualify for the Olympics.
| USA Olympic Qualifier Schedule |
Oct. 31
Nov. 1
Nov. 2
Nov. 3
Nov. 5
Nov. 6
Nov. 8-9
Nov. 10
Nov. 11
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Colombia
Mexico
Puerto Rico
Brazil
Bahamas
Panama
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Finals |
| Games played in Panama City, Panama |
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During the tournament, each country will be placed into two pools, and each team will play one game against every other team in their pool. After the round-robin, the teams ranked 1 through 4 in each pool advance to the quarterfinals.
Pool A consists of Aruba, Canada, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.
Team USA has been placed into Pool B, with the Bahamas, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Panama, and Puerto Rico.
Robinson's USA roster will include 24 minor league prospects and young major leaguers. To reach that number, USA Baseball has invited 31 players to the Olympic Qualifying Team Trials in Phoenix. The team began training in the Arizona Fall League on October 3, and are in the midst of playing 12 exhibition games against each of the league's six teams.
Robinson and his staff, which includes former Major Leaguers Dave Stewart (pitching coach) and Thad Bosley (hitting coach), have until October 24 to make cuts.
Among those vying for a spot on the Qualfying team are Braves starting pitcher Horacio Ramirez. The full 31-player roster is available at the USA Baseball website at http://www.usabaseball.com/oq_players.html.
Even if the United States is one of the two teams to qualify for Greece, it is unlikely that either Robinson or any of his players will be a part of the roster for the 2004 Games, which will be held during the MLB and Minor League regular season from August 15-25, 2004. Countries that qualify for the Olympics do not have to use the same rosters that they qualified with.
The United States, led by Tommy Lasorda, earned the gold medal at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia by upsetting Cuba 4-0 in the championship game. The Americans finished the tournament with an 8-1 record, while earning the first ever official Olympic gold medal for USA Baseball. Korea won the bronze.
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The Ultimate Baseball Team Vacation
Culture, Education & Baseball
International Baseball & Softball For Teams 12 Years & Up Through College
by Coach JP
Did you know that youth baseball and softball teams are playing against local competition in winter places like Aruba and Curacao (home to Big Leaguers Andrew Jones and Sidney Ponson) as well as Argentina?
No, I am not kidding!
Would you like your team (and yes... moms, dads, siblings and grandparents too) to experience the cultures of places like Italy, Germany, Holland, Spain, or South Africa next Easter or Summer?
Or how about China, Japan or Australia? (The China trip is raved about and unbelievably economical.)
Hawaii is also available for the feint of heart or less adventurous!
You really can be American Ambassadors of America's game! Guided, no-worry trips designed around years of experience and geared toward American-style luxury. Great 4 and 5 star hotels, food kids will love, plenty of time for sightseeing and relaxation plus...baseball!
Each program is individually created to give each team the finest athletic experience young athletes can imagine, as well as give them cultural and educational experiences that will be with them the rest of their lives.
Want to talk about it?
Think in terms of a practical timeframe in 2004, check the school calendar, plus league and school team schedules,
talk to your team parents first...
Then fill out the Contact Form or give me a call. My direct line is 770-487-9798 between 9-6 Eastern.
It just might be the best Christmas present a family could ever save for!
--Coach John Peter
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Baseball Quotes, Wit & Wisdom
Coaches have success, then they lean on those methods that got them there, and they get lazy and fail to be innovative. They quit growing.
John Wooden
People of mediocre ability sometimes achieve outstanding success because they don't know when to quit. Most men succeed because they are determined to.
George Allen
My office is at Yankee Stadium. Yes, dreams do come true.
Derek Jeter
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Teaches Infielders to Use Both Hands With Every Play