![]() |
|||||||
Who's responsibility is it to tell the runner if a fly ball is an out or a ball in play?
by Mandy
Keeping the pressure on the defense
Mandy asked: My son hit a deep fly ball to left field. He ran the baseline to first base and thought that he heard the umpire yell "out". While the batter is taking care of his responsibilities, the first base coach would be telling him to make his turn and take a look, stop him or send him, depending on what happens in the outfield. If the outfielder comes up with the ball cleanly, stop him and back to first. A bobble, slowness getting to the ball, backhanding the ball, any little edge provided by the outfielder tells you to take a shot at second; but only if the batter has put himself in position for that shot by hustling out of the box. It is an old Baseball Axiom, doubles and triples are made "out of the batter's box". If just those two entities, batter and first base coach, work together in this situation, it eliminates the confusion that occured. It is all a part of onfield communication, an essential building block of teamwork. The third base coach should never have to be an active part of this play. Once it played out as it did, he had the opportunity to alert the batter that the ball had dropped in, as did the first base coach and all the players in the dugout. Players and coaches need to have each other's back. All you have on the field are each other, the other team will not be looking out for your best interests. Things, at times, don't always go as planned in the course of a game, it's the nature of baseball. Teamwork and comradery are the glues that hold the individual players and coaches together, when it seems like things are falling apart all around them. They get you through the rough times. If you are playing or coaching this game, you will make mistakes. It comes with the territory. When teammates and coaches pick each other up, the team is able move forward and special things happen, memories made and never forgotten. Good luck as you move forward. You are building family memories with your son that will last a lifetime. Yours in baseball, Rick
|
![]() |
||||||
![]() |
|||||||
|