Base Coach and Base Runner Responsibilities
"We follow the order of Ball, Signs, Scoreboard, and Defensive Alignment." -George Lombard (Los Angeles Dodgers First Base Coach
When it comes to orchestrating an offense, base coaches have an important responsibility. It is that responsibility that can appear to be daunting to base coaches who are doing it for the first time or who are inexperienced and do not know exactly what to do. Today I am going to go over a few tips that I received from Los Angeles Dodgers First Base Coach George Lombard that can help all coaches orchestrate an offense better as a base coach.
As the quotation suggests, the Dodgers follow a simple system that helps their coaches and players be prepared for each play. If you would forget any of the order of the system, Coach Lombard suggested to write on the inside of your hand to remember the steps to follow as a base coach to be on the same page as his base runners. This is a quick tip to help the base coach be at his best with the base runners.
The first step to follow as a base coach is ball. As the hitter has hit the ball, the base coach needs to find the ball. Odds are the hitter has seen the ball off of contact and has a good idea of where to go. The first base coach will be giving signals whether to run through the bag or to round first base on a single. Where it gets tricky is when the batter-runner knows he has a double or more. It is when the ball is behind the vision of the batter runner, is when it is very important for the base coaches to understand what to do. The third base coach will be the one directing the base runner in this case because the batter runner will have already rounded first base, and is looking at the third base coach for instructions.
After the batter runner is on base, it is up for him to see the signs. As the player gets back to first base, the first base coach will point to the third base coach for the player to pick up the signs. It is important for the player to always signal back the number of outs and to pick up the signs from the third base coach. This allows for the player to process all of the information and be on the same page as the base coaches.
The next part of the sequence is the scoreboard. The scoreboard will dictate a lot of what we do as players and coaches. Depending on philosophy, some teams will be aggressive early and passive late in a game. It could be vice versa for other teams as well. With that being said, if your team is up 10-0 in the 4th inning, it is time to not be so aggressive out of respect of the opponent. In a pitchers duel early in a game it might be time to be aggressive on the bases because you are not sure if your team will get many opportunities to score. As a base coach it is important to understand all of this so that you don't put your team in a disadvantaged opportunity.
The last part of this sequence is understanding the defensive alignment. At the professional and college level many teams are starting to shift and shift often. At the high school and lower levels, shifting is slowly coming along. As a base coach and player both parties need to understand what the defense is giving them. For example with a runner on first, a heavily shifted right handed hitter hitting, the defense will be mostly on the left side of the field. If by chance the hitter hits the ball the opposite way and the ball gets in the corner the base runner needs to be prepared to score from first in that situation. At the least, the base runner needs to be able to get to third base in that situation.
As you read, the base coach and base runner relationship is intertwined. The player needs the help of the base coach to have success and the skill set of the player helps the coaches make decisions. One cannot succeed without the other. As a base coach and player there is quite a bit to take into consideration. But if you have a system such as this in place, it makes coaching the bases a lot easier to do and clears up your mind to make proper decisions. A piece of suggestion when implementing this system is to teach the players about it. If we do this then we can get a feedback loop from them and the coaches and players will be able to work and tweak things to improve the system as a whole. With all of this being said, I hope this post was helpful for you and will improve your team.
After the batter runner is on base, it is up for him to see the signs. As the player gets back to first base, the first base coach will point to the third base coach for the player to pick up the signs. It is important for the player to always signal back the number of outs and to pick up the signs from the third base coach. This allows for the player to process all of the information and be on the same page as the base coaches.
The next part of the sequence is the scoreboard. The scoreboard will dictate a lot of what we do as players and coaches. Depending on philosophy, some teams will be aggressive early and passive late in a game. It could be vice versa for other teams as well. With that being said, if your team is up 10-0 in the 4th inning, it is time to not be so aggressive out of respect of the opponent. In a pitchers duel early in a game it might be time to be aggressive on the bases because you are not sure if your team will get many opportunities to score. As a base coach it is important to understand all of this so that you don't put your team in a disadvantaged opportunity.
The last part of this sequence is understanding the defensive alignment. At the professional and college level many teams are starting to shift and shift often. At the high school and lower levels, shifting is slowly coming along. As a base coach and player both parties need to understand what the defense is giving them. For example with a runner on first, a heavily shifted right handed hitter hitting, the defense will be mostly on the left side of the field. If by chance the hitter hits the ball the opposite way and the ball gets in the corner the base runner needs to be prepared to score from first in that situation. At the least, the base runner needs to be able to get to third base in that situation.
As you read, the base coach and base runner relationship is intertwined. The player needs the help of the base coach to have success and the skill set of the player helps the coaches make decisions. One cannot succeed without the other. As a base coach and player there is quite a bit to take into consideration. But if you have a system such as this in place, it makes coaching the bases a lot easier to do and clears up your mind to make proper decisions. A piece of suggestion when implementing this system is to teach the players about it. If we do this then we can get a feedback loop from them and the coaches and players will be able to work and tweak things to improve the system as a whole. With all of this being said, I hope this post was helpful for you and will improve your team.
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