Keep your eyes everlastingly on the ball...

[grayhawk]

Browsing youtube today and came across this.  Rather than pile on this guy for his poor mechanics, let's use this as a learning tool.  You're BU and this play happens.  Describe what you are doing initially, and after F5 boots the ball.

 

 

[johnnyg08]

What a great teaching example of chest to ball and keeping your eyes everlastingly on the ball!

 

That's all there is to say about it.  I'm not doing anything differently than I normally would do.  

[guyinaredhat]

I'm stepping towards 1st base and moving across the working area gaining distance towards 1st . I keep my head towards the ball while I'm moving . I let the throw turn me and I settle in as soon as I read throw.

[KLAH316]

Nobody mentioned the plate guy in powder and base guy in black.....

[Jocko]

I never saw another baserunner. Why was he in B?

When I find myself potentially in the throwing lane, I step up or back, depending on where the ball was hit. Originally I was thinking that he had R2 and should have been reading the play. Now, I think he just forgot to go to A.

I'm not gonna blast the guy. He fkd up and paid for it. I just hope others here will learn from his mistake as well

[T-Rav]

Nobody mentioned the plate guy in powder and base guy in black.....

Or the fact that the PU is one very large dude, I highly doubt he will be able to cover third base as the PU in a 2 man system. 

[alex7]

Nobody mentioned the plate guy in powder and base guy in black.....

 

Obviously, the base guy is the veteran.   

[guyinaredhat]

looked like there was R 3 .

[umpstu]

I would have stepped forward with my right foot and pivoted towards the ball.  Eyes on the ball, head on a swivel.  

[umpstu]

I would have stepped forward with my right foot and pivoted towards the ball.  Eyes on the ball, head on a swivel.  

And what kind of glasses was he wearing and did the plate umpire wear a west vest and were those Smitty shirts?

[Jocko]

@guyinaredhat - you sir are correct. Still, B?

[boyinr]

I wouldn't rub it. 

[bam]

I'm in B with R3 and 2 out.  

[stl_ump]

I ALWAYS hear.. "We got ice"

[KenBAZ]

Step up with the foot on the ball side, chest to the ball, let the throw turn you. Looks like the poor guy just anticipated a throw rather then saw one.

[noumpere]

It's actually a little tough because BU is in about the right position (although he could be drifting to first) if F5 fields the ball.  When it gets through him, BU has to be in a different lane and that's tough to adapt to.

 

BU can move back toward the 1b-2b baseline (edge of the grass) on this hit with no runners (other than R3) to be out of the way of both fielders, but that feels "unnatural" for most of us at first.

[grayhawk]

I would have stepped forward with my right foot and pivoted towards the ball.  Eyes on the ball, head on a swivel.  

 

 

Step up with the foot on the ball side, chest to the ball, let the throw turn you. Looks like the poor guy just anticipated a throw rather then saw one.

 

Agreed with both of these statements.  Proper footwork, as I have been taught, is to step with the foot that corresponds to the side the ball is hit - in this case, the right foot.  Pivot towards the ball (putting chest to ball), make any necessary adjustments necessary to ensure you are not in the path of the throw, and turn with the throw.  BU's critical error here was never getting chest to ball, which gave him no means of adjusting for F5 booting the play which changed the throwing lane when F6 fielded it.

 

With chest to ball, and seeing F6 now fielding the ball and making a throw, he has two options.  (1)  Step up further into the working area (close to the mound), or (2) step back as @noumpere describes above.  I believe (2) would be the better choice because it would give a better angle for a pulled foot.  Stepping up would make you almost straight lined.

 

Would love to get @MidAmUmp's thoughts on how he teaches handling a play like this.

[Jocko]

I would have stepped forward with my right foot and pivoted towards the ball.  Eyes on the ball, head on a swivel.

 

 

Step up with the foot on the ball side, chest to the ball, let the throw turn you. Looks like the poor guy just anticipated a throw rather then saw one.

 

Agreed with both of these statements.  Proper footwork, as I have been taught, is to step with the foot that corresponds to the side the ball is hit - in this case, the right foot.  Pivot towards the ball (putting chest to ball), make any necessary adjustments necessary to ensure you are not in the path of the throw, and turn with the throw.  BU's critical error here was never getting chest to ball, which gave him no means of adjusting for F5 booting the play which changed the throwing lane when F6 fielded it.

 

With chest to ball, and seeing F6 now fielding the ball and making a throw, he has two options.  (1)  Step up further into the working area (close to the mound), or (2) step back as @noumpere describes above.  I believe (2) would be the better choice because it would give a better angle for a pulled foot.  Stepping up would make you almost straight lined.

 

Would love to get @MidAmUmp's thoughts on how he teaches handling a play like this.right or wrong, I tend to driftin towards the mound on goofy plays like this, depending on where my fielders are playing. (Yes. I said MY ) Moving in just seems natural and clears the throwing lane. This guy's crucial mistake was never opening the gate. 99% of the time I dont think. I just trust my training and react. The 1% is when I feel like there's something Im SUPPOSED to be doing and theres not.

[KenBAZ]

What happened to, "let the ball take you to the play"? I can see this kind of thing happening if we violate that principle.

[DVA7130]

Nobody mentioned the plate guy in powder and base guy in black.....

Ironic they were wearing black and blue?

[umpstu]

Nobody mentioned the plate guy in powder and base guy in black.....

Ironic they were wearing black and blue?

Now that's funny. I say his biggest mistake was taking his eyes off the ball way too early.