Baserunning

Baserunning is something that may not stand out on paper but is something that is vital to play the game. A good baserunner does not have to be fast, they have to be smart. They need to know the situation and what to do in that situation. If they don't, it can cause their team a chance to score a run.

The first thing you should do when getting on first base is to look at the third base coach. He will give you the sign on what to do. Next you should get a lead. A good, safe lead is a little over body length away from the plate. Your body should be in line with the base and you should be in an athletic stance. Once the pitcher throws the ball home then you get off a little bit further.

If your coach gives you the steal sign then your approach should be a little more aggressive. The distance between you and first base should increase a little bit but not too much because then it will be obvious. Once the pitcher starts his movement towards home you turn and run towards second base. According to my book Splitters, Squeezes, and Steals, "The most important thing about base stealing in general is to be alert" (Gentile 135). You need to know the situation at hand and what to do if something were to happen.

In baseball there are many different types of slides that you would use in certain situations. There's the normal feet first slide, the hook slide, and the face first slide. I wasn't able to find a base so I used this Frisbee to represent a base.

My personal preference is the feet first slide because it's the safest and easiest one to do. All you have to do is right before you get to the intended base you stick one leg out and place the other one under it. You can use this interchangeably with the face first slide.

The hook slide is the exact same slide as the feet first slide with one difference. This slide is used to avoid a tag so if you were going into a base you would slide normally but instead of going straight to the base you would go off to the side with your hand tagging the base. In Splitters, Squeezers, and Steals it says, "The hook slide happens when a baserunner slides into the bag feet first, but angles his body away from the bag" (Gentile 134).

The last one that can be the most dangerous is the face first slide. It is practically a superman dive at the base. If not done properly it can result in serious neck injuries. I only use this slide when I'm diving back to a base since it gives you the most momentum. You can also do a hook slide with this slide.

Q: Which type of slide do you prefer and why?
Citation: Gentile, Derek. Splitters, Squeezes, and Steals: The inside Story of Baseball's Greatest Techniques, Strategies, and Plays. New York: Black Dog & Leventhal, 2009. Print.