Hello Fastpitch Fans,
Tonight’s Fastpitch Bulletin will be the first of many this season where I give you a situation to think about. It will be called, “You’re the Head Coach, what do you do here?”
So here is the first scenario for the season.
You’re the head coach when you find yourself in this situation. You’re playing a key game against an opponent whose talent is equal to your own. You have runners on second and third base with less than two outs. The runner at third is a fleet footed gal with a great understanding of the game. I and many others refer to that as “moxie.” The runner at second isn’t as quick on her feet as the runner at third but she’s faster than most players and has moxie to boot. The batter has above average speed and is good hitter and an excellent bunter.
Of course there are a plethora of other factors I could include in this situation but let’s just say everyone at the game, the coaches the players, the managers, the umpires, the scoreboard operator, official scorekeeper and all of the people there to watch know this game will be a great one to watch.
What will you do here? Do you attempt to squeeze the run in and perhaps get lucky enough to get a wild throw and score two or do you go for the three-run bomb or gap shot to score both runs?
Let’s say that whatever you had planned doesn’t work out and you find yourself with a good contact batter still at the plate with two strikes on her. You’re the Coach so what do you do now?
Here is what I did most of the time in this situation and others very similar.
I’d yell out to my runners, “Contact! You’re going on contact on any ball hit on the ground. Even if it is right back to the pitcher you are going home.”
The rest of deal here on the call is this: we practiced our “contact play” nearly every day. While working on rundowns we were teaching and trying to get better at handling rundowns but at the same time we were working on getting safely out of them. Our contact rule simply meant that the runner at third was heading for home the very moment that she realizes that the ball was going to be a ground ball somewhere. As she sprinted toward home she didn’t do it with her eyes on home plate. She did it with her eyes on the ball. She was required to track the ball all the way to the fielder if one was in the way of the ball. If the ball makes it through we are probably scoring two runs. However, if the pitcher or an infielder fields the ball, the runner must slam on the breaks and get into a rundown. At the same time the runner at second must sprint to third base and not go back to second for any reason. If the runner at third is going to be safe she must be safe at home and not third base.
Here is where a first base coach with moxie comes in. When that coach hears the head coach shout “Contact” the stage is set to make sure the batter does not over-run first base but instead rounds the bag and heads for second base. Of course we’d expect our batter to realize that she is going to second and must watch the play between third and home once she realizes there will not be a play on her at first.
If the runner at third gets put out in the rundown and our batter-runner is standing on second and our girl who was on second is now standing atop third, it probably means that we made the defense make two throws to get the out rather than one throw to first. When the play is over we still have runners on second and third and have a chance to score two or more without having to take a pitch in order to steal second base on the first pitch to the subsequent batter.
Here is the second part of the Contact play.
If the runner at third is a slow runner and can’t force the defense to make two throws, we would shout “Contact” but secretly call it off. Over the course of 41 years we often wound up with bases loaded with one of our slow runners at third because the defense heard us call “Contact” and the fielder threw the ball to the catcher expecting our runner at third to be headed for the plate.
A number of years ago we were playing a very good team with a great shortstop. We shouted “Contact” the first time we had the situation. The ball was hit to third but the third sacker threw to first and we easily scored that run. They did get us out at first but we had a runner at third with one out and squeezed her home. Later in the game we had runners at two and three with less than two outs and again and called “Contact”. The ball was hit to that shortstop and she threw a bullet to the catcher who then started the rundown. Our lead runner was in the two throw rundown long enough to get the batter runner to second. Later in the game that same situation presented itself but with one of our slow runners. We called “Contact” but secretly took it off. Once again the shortstop fielded the ball and instantly threw to the catcher. The problem was we weren’t going on contact and we then had the bases loaded with less than two out.
It's strategy that we used every time we had runners on second and third and less than two outs. However, it needs to be practiced regularly. Yes, it takes up some practice time. It takes teaching time. The question is – what is a run in a key game worth to you?
There are many 1-0, 2-1, 3-2 games in a season. A rundown can be a positive thing for the team at bat. If there is an errant throw or a missed throw in one of those rundowns a team might score two runs or even three if a “fire drill” takes place with the defense throwing the ball all over the place.
Earlier today the WFSCA has a post on the wissports.net website with a look at the some of the top statewide contenders to watch this season. Take a look at the list I published yesterday with the teams I and the people I talk to think is a short list of Final Four contenders and compare the two lists. It's all great reading for any fastpitch follower who has a hunger for information.
Have a great day! Have a tremendous season! To the at least 68 new head coaches in the state here’s wishing you the best of things.
Keep it Rising!
Bob
