Holding the runner.... on 3B.

[BrianC14]

Does this happen a lot in your area(s)?   Why do coaches either teach this or allow their players to do this?   Do any of you guys coach in addition to working the game allow or teach this?

A freshman (HS) level game recently, F5 consistently held R3 in hopes of a pickoff (I suppose).   Well, four innings in, he got his wish:  which F1 promptly air-mailed, and two runs scored.  

 

[Gfoley4]

The highest levels I've seen it is Babe Ruth (13-15 year olds). I actually do remember it happening once before in a MLB game. I think it was a shift situation with a LHB but they didn't want the runner on third drifting too far away. So F5 actually held him on with a RHP. Very weird to see.

[Mussgrass]

3 hours ago, BrianC14 said:

Does this happen a lot in your area(s)?   Why do coaches either teach this or allow their players to do this?   Do any of you guys coach in addition to working the game allow or teach this?

A freshman (HS) level game recently, F5 consistently held R3 in hopes of a pickoff (I suppose).   Well, four innings in, he got his wish:  which F1 promptly air-mailed, and two runs scored. 

Back when I coached my son's 14U teams we won in a walk-off when F1 did this very thing. My son was R3 and scampered home for the winning run.

I saw F5's holding runner often at that level and hated it every time...except that time!

[LMSANS]

Back in the stone ages when I was playing high school ball, we had RHP that coach would bring in specifically to pick off R3.  He was 100% successful with his move which was essentially a head fake.  Probably did it 12 - 15 times over 3 years.