Covering Second on a Steal Attempt
Normally the second baseman will cover second on a steal attempt with a
right-handed batter at the plate and the shortstop will cover second when a
left-handed batter is up. However, many youth coaches will ask the shortstop
to cover all throws from the catcher since he is the most reliable fielder. Try to position yourself so you can still cover
your area, but not so far away from second that you have to sprint to second
to get there ahead of the runner. Once they see a runner stealing, I teach
my Cubs to shuffle towards second until the ball has crossed the plate,
then to run hard to cover the base. By shuffling the first couple of steps
they are still squared up to home and can stop and go quickly to their right
if the ball is hit that way. This is something that really needs to be
practiced with the catchers throwing down in order for your players to get a
good feel for the timing required.
Double Play - Delivering the Ball
When you are starting a double play, you want to get the ball to the
second baseman quickly and accurately. You should be aiming to put the ball
on his glove hand side at chest level. This will allow the second baseman to
start his momentum moving toward first as the ball is coming. Make sure you
don't try to lead him off the base, your throw should be in line with the
inside of the bag. We try to teach the infielders to put the ball on
the bag and trust that the fielder will there. If the fielder is not
there we go back and reteach and if the fielder still can't remember to be
on the bag, we find a fielder who can remember. An infielder who is "lost"
in the position is just a much a safety issue for the player as a liability
for the team.
Quickly delivering the ball to second shouldn't be mistaken with rushing.
You want to make sure you get that out at second. We've seen, at all levels,
the fielder that makes a fielding error or a throwing error because he was
in such a rush to get the ball to the second baseman. Make sure you field
the ball first, then throw. The image above shows a throw being made from
the shortstop. This throw is being made from the "shirt sleeve". This is a
short throwing motion that allows the player to quickly deliver the ball a
short distance.
Ball Hit At You
On any ball hit directly at you or to your right that you can get in
front of, catch the ball as you normally would and instead of moving your
feet and body like you do when you're throwing to first, you will want to
throw from the fielding position. As you bring the ball up, step slightly
toward second with your left foot and use a small arm motion to deliver the
ball to second.
Ball Hit To Your Right
On a ball hit to your right that you have to field backhand, you will
want to plant your right leg after you make the catch and make a strong
accurate throw to second. You may be tempted to jump and throw in one motion
after catching the ball, but for most players the arm strength and accuracy
aren't there to make this play. It will be quicker and you'll have a better
chance if you plant and make a good hard throw to second.
Ball Hit To Your Left
On a ball hit to your left that you can get in front of, you will want to
deliver the ball underhanded to the second baseman. As you field the ball
out in front of you, turn your hips and clear as quickly as you can your
glove hand to the left of your body. This will allow the second baseman to
clearly see the ball as it's being delivered. As you underhand the ball step
with your right foot in the direction of second base. This will help you
follow through as you deliver the ball.
Sometimes you will field the ball behind second and won't be able to get
in front of it. Fielding the ball off your left side will put you in a
position that makes it difficult to underhand the ball. In this case you
will need to make a backhand toss to the second baseman. This is a difficult
skill and must be practiced over and over again to become good at. With the
backhand toss you will turn your thumb towards the ground and with your
elbow, toss the ball across your body.
Double Play - Covering Second
When covering second on a double play, the most natural way to make the
out and position yourself to throw to first, is to approach the bag and
straddle it. As the ball is being thrown, catch and drag your right foot
across the bag to make the out. The motion is kind of a hop where you will
drag your foot then perform a hop to position yourself out of the path of
the runner and squared up to throw.
Player Tip
Time your approach to second so you can go any direction to catch the
ball. The best way to do this is to hustle toward the bag and then as
you get closer take smaller steps to help you get to the bag as the ball
is being delivered. If the ball is on target you can continue across the
bag and make the throw. If the ball isn't on target you still have some
room to make an adjustment.
If the ball is thrown on the inside of the bag, you can use your left
foot to make the out and then push off toward the inside of the bag to clear
the base runner and make the throw. This play is much more difficult for a
shortstop to master because it's hard to get your body lined up to make a
throw. Younger players will need to push off and then take a step or two to
get lined up and throw. Older players with stronger arms should be able to
push off and rotate on their right foot to make the quick and accurate
throw.
Sometimes the ball will be delivered before you can get close to the bag.
In this case you can catch the ball and then use your lead throwing foot to
make the out. Simply step on the bag as part of your normal throwing motion.
You will make the out at second and the bag will provide you protection from
the base runner.
