Basically Baseball; Specialties

The basic things that we've discussed already in the series hitting. Fielding. And pitching. There are things. We will call special. Such as players double plays. And base right. Thank. God I'm not a very good writer. I throw a forefinger changeup and or three things as well for the grip of these two fingers and I try to put the ball as far back in my hand as I possibly can and this gives a Tennessee to give you the same arm action but you can't throw the ball very hard and I just kind of follow through and I try to fold out with a stiff wrist and then just turn the ball over the whole bit and it enables me to throw a ball at a

much lesser rate of speed. There's different ways of drawing change at the best success on the pitch is had as another whereas you hold the fastball this way. You have to do it this way home a fastball. Now you just let that ball for all the back the three fingers a coming over the ball all the finger tips are off the ball the thumb is off the ball not up was throwing more or less on the palm of your hand and throw it exactly like a fast ball. Exactly. Now to help take the speed off take if you're a right hand push it turn that wrist a little bit and this direction. Now when I throw the ball I'm let my arm go in front of me. I can't get the proper wrist if I throw from here. My wrist is going like that. Change any. Our heading is all timing. And now this pitch will come in with 10 15 miles an hour slower than a fastball. Now you hit or is off stride he she reaches out in a ball is now

yeah he's offside seating is timing the idea and pitching is to throw his timing off. And see what changes. There's two ways and thrown a slider. Most pitches will hold I think on this. Same. Again. But still this has no bearing on whether you can hold this way. Whichever way you can do it the best. There's no set way and hold the ball. But most will hold on the same there was two ways and one off the fastball. And one with the stiff wrist. I do not recommend the stiff wrist on the slider. All I do is turn it even a little more and it's almost the same a release as a fastball instead of being straight though the ball is a little bit off center in your hand and it's a little turn of your fingers and your wrist. I don't try not to a lot of pressure on the elbow because it seems to cause some pain in that area. Now the second most boys. I lose will come natural. The whole brawl between the

two saves. Now if the ball doesn't sink they help along a little bit. When I released the ball they kind of give a little flip this way. Just exactly the opposite of the slide is going to give up that way and this will make the ball. Go down as a second. I'll go to knuckleball. We have no pitches on our club the throws a knuckleball. But the way it will how annoyed he throw it is he gripped his fingernails into the ball the fingernail that the knuckles and he moved up on the side of the ball. And it just broke. Now I could never do this. Nine out of 10 people can do it I think maybe he was just gifted in doing that. The screwball my quest was a schoolboy and I was a throw screwball again. We'll get this thing around the same this thing will get a loadable Now when we release the ball down hands going to be this way and a ball is coming out so therefore the force seems as working

this way to make the ball. Go down to the first thing you want to do is get a position behind the plate where you give your sign to the pitcher without without the third base coach or anybody else seeing the sign is your pitcher the second baseman a shortstop. What I'd like to do and most pitchers do is you take your glove glove and set it on your knee right here right outside the shin guard so that their base coach can see the sign. But your second baseman the shortstop in that that you want to get our hand back in your elbow tucked in tight now because when you give signs like this with your elbow move you'll get any movement in your elbow at all to keep your elbow in there get your hands back in here where nobody can see the sign of your players out on the field but really have his catcher just suggests a picture of the pitch the pitch the pitcher throws in a simple reason that a pitcher is 100 percent responsible for the

pitch. Therefore he has to have the confidence that it's the right pitch. And as a catcher in a certain situation once a curveball and you want to throw a fastball if he's just hard headed enough to curve on your heart and with a fastball what you should do is stop and have a conference. Because if I give in to him and when I'm winding up it's always terrible I know in my mind that this is what I want to throw so nine chances out of ten you can make a bad pitch. We use basic signs one for a fastball two for a curve three for slide or wiggle for a change. The main thing is not get your hand to get your hand to the people in the dugout underneath you just keep it in good signs. I mean on giving a good target you've got to remember it when you give a target to the pitcher the pitchers and they concentrate soley on you and it helps him throw strikes. So we want to do is get a good target with a glove or the pitcher can see the hole at all times. A lot

of catchers especially smaller catchers in the league and high school ball also to get targets like this were all a part of the form to concentrate with the strike where the target is at all times to keep the target out. You can move it around if you want but basically just keep the target up where they can see the holes all the time. Also Green a target. You talk about hitters before ball games if you want to throw certain hitters outside certain Kompany catcher and what he's doing he'll know where you're trying to sell these guys no problem. And if there's a time where you might want to pitch in the catcher gives a target a lot of time you see pictures almost want him back off the mound. Maybe what happen and you go back on and talk about that he went to the wrong spot. What I like to do with my right foot back just a little bit from my left shoulder with my way to evenly distributed very easily.

Also when you're in a position to catch a ball especially with runners you want to keep your back turned a little bit. Be in a receiving position with your back and you can see this when you go to. It's not a good position to be in because you can't move what you want to do is position your back is arched a little bit. He's going to get it.

Well the first. Talk a little bit about blocking pitches in the dirt now. The basic fundamentals of blocking the Maunder is not to catch the ball. The object here is to stop the ball and keep the ball in funny you someplace. It's tough to catch your balls and nobody recommend you try and catch unless the man is running with a man still and then you got to go ahead and try and snag the ball and throw him out. But when they're not running the idea is just to keep the ball in front. Now when the ball is going to when the pitcher throws a ball directly in front of you here the correct way to do this is both knees come down at the same time. Otherwise you're in a position to catch now. And now you see that the ball's going in front of you.

This glove here falls into a position between this hole here where the ball can't get through. There was a ball the block is down. Time to leave the room at home. If you watch the ball off the bat if you. Look at the ball before you make a break out of your position and pick up the ball. It's easy to catch pop fly. Well usually one right hander is hitting in a language. You know over your right shoulder with a left handed hitting you know go over your left shoulder. It's simple I mean it's simple to me because I've gone through it over the years but it's it's tough to tell a kid.

First. If he's the type of individual to take it easy. You gotta let his mind just a little bit during a ball game and he better not be a catcher you have to make up his mind it is something that is going to have to dedicate himself to his going to have to work hard. Going to have to put up with a lot of the lakes and pains. Oh you know but I'd also tell him that the rewards are great for a guy who becomes a proficient catcher and that's certainly a job worth having. It's a tough position to play in so now you get to pick yourself in a tail. Maybe three out of. Three out of seven games in a week if you're going to play you can really get a kick yourself. You cannot reply Well I just. I don't feel like doing it today. But if you're going to be first catching catch every day you get to tell yourself This is my job I'm going to go back and do a good job. And that's where it all starts when you come to the ballpark and

talk yourself into it and to plan a good ballgame that night. OK you know we talk about some plays. I'm going to second base to your shortstop for the double play. First of all take ground balls right at me and just do this in first one close to the bag and right there you saw what I did. If it's close to the bag you're here you want to stay in front of the ball keep the ball right in front of you so that you know in case of a big noise knock it down get your one out at least so you know the ball properly you're here and you come with an underhand toss now some players come this way. That's fine no matter which way you like to do it. The important thing here is that you can control it. And the key to this is the ball the ball and your body don't have to be just all armor all wrist because it than control it quite as well as if when you catch the ball here and follow it with your body and just run right toward a second baseman with the ball that way you're

in a control a lot a lot more it's a key thing to remember is trying to grow. Right there. And you follow it with your body. OK now a ball hit right at you. Or maybe a step or two to your left hammy or step to my left. You want to pivot catch a ball here. Just turn. And throw right there and stay down low. Don't don't waste your time in coming up don't catch the ball here. Stand up and throw. Just stay right there. Catch a ball and throw right from there. Try once more. Right there. You don't really need to take a step. All it is a turn if you can remember on this one ground ball situation. As you come into the ball as you face it and as you catch it open your stance just a little bit. The idea is.

To. Catch the ball first of all. But in making the double play the key thing is to get the ball to the middle man and let him make the play. On that particular play there that was a slow to hop ball. He would probably rather than go to second base try and tag the runner because he'll be coming in. OK one more. Is on. Ramble away to your left and you can it's little bit too far and you're going. You know away from second base. So if your back is to second base there's no possible way you can catch it. And then pivot all around as quickly as you can catch it here. Plant your right foot on one step turn throw. All the times that I've put in high school he would always have one coach and one

manager and he couldn't really go over the 25 guys into 30 guys that he really handily So I think if a manager would take time out with his ball players he could help him to be very good ballplayers. I mean all around not just with the bat and with the club but one in the face because once you're running you can make a lot of things happen. At least. A third of the ball games of play. Are going to be decided. By one run. And the fellows that execute the fundamentals. And. Head of the other. So let's start right here at home plate. The rules state. That when you're running to first base. If there's a playmate on you that you have to be running in yes. But. You don't have to be. What I'm trying to cite here is the umpire can call you. If he feels that you have interfered with the play

and you're not in that area yet and I have it. Once you leave home plate. To run in that area. Come on down. Until you get down here. For the brake and the grass or or 12 or whatever there so once he reaches that point right here you really have to just pick up the bag of space right here because that's the main thing you have to touch first. You can roll the bag anyway you have to run the bank in the correct way. To get to second base or of course you can go until the guy pulls you up to now. If the ball is hit through the field. When you leave home plate. You're leaving with the idea that you're going at least a second by. Now. By a little turn. I mean when you come down here you take a little turn here you have the facts.

Right in the direction of our out second place. Now that particular time I hit the back with the left foot. Doesn't make any difference. The idea is to hit the bag on the side and go as much in a straight line. To second base as you can. One of the best guys going around first base is approx. He makes me nervous in a dugout thinking he's gone too far. You know I think you might not get back but he's never been caught. And if the guy does he gets a pretty good jump. But what you have to try to make yourself to one point here is when you get down here you know you've got a single. Even if it might be a double take care about it. Pick up first base and pick the ball up again that's hard to do. I can stand and tell you to do it but it's hard to do. Things you try to get the same lead all the time. Let me just pick it up. If you. Give me just. I'm going to do two and a half steps. What I said to have still for me was to have naturally

right. Sometimes you can just do it by taking too much in the future my No. Is going to over. The top. What you get out here just must have weight distributed on the balls. I can afford it not back here because you can't. Stand here. So once you get up here to this first your first step. Is right here. He's going home. He's going like this is coming the first day. You have to. You know line yourself up watching guys you know you can watch me. Because once you start like this he's going to play majority of the time. You're right. They. Don't stay. Right where you look over time. Sometimes you. Hear. What the phone. Call. That. Or depending on where the ball. But. Don't. Laugh.

Larry thank you had a second day. For you. Right. It's a. Long flight in the fall against the. Second phase of the Florida life. At the second baseman has to go on. He's already pointed out a ton of dough boy. That you can go in. And hit the guy. You know not. You know. The block or something keep him from. The first base. In taking you at the same time and. Doing. What you're trying to do. It's a start. Back. To first base. Make him. Go. Back to first base. Ball. The first. Time a guy at first base. Didn't get you. It would. Make it the second day. We've been good at this. You want to stay put. You want to get the base want. To

commend himself. That you got the ball. Now he gets me running. This morning so I can respond. There's no way to. Put on the brakes to. Come back. Not. This man down here in fact. Oh. Come. On. Man. Running. As hard as they're as hard as he possibly can this way. I want the man or any other and whether I don't care what. Running. Man or any other and I'm slow but when he gets we'll say 30 40 feet away. Give him the ball. These are. Easily. Marked. Mine start running in this way as hard as you can right. Not like I could holler. Another fight.

Before. And the man it's coming. Can I put on the brakes and stop go back. You try to tell me what. I tried. To. Conquer. Now what are you going to try to do is keep him from tax. Now you know what's going to happen you know what I'm going to. Try to stop if you can't keep them from time my pick don't go. There's a run ball into the second baseman and there's one up. Right now that is to place a break in this where your. Girl is the second best. I can come down here and make it throw the ball in the first place. All right. That eliminates the fourth we get. I'm committed to the place where I cannot stop. The only thing I can

tell you is to make sure that it doesn't roll the ball the first thing. I need to do that is up to you. I'm not going to say. Run all the time. Maybe that is the way it is the one thing you might do is slide right in the street because instinctively. You're trying to tag it with the ball. We have determined on one method of sliding as far as teaching our young ball players have eliminated the hook slide from one side to the other and we call it the bent leg slide I have marked here to show us how we're trying to do it. What it is what it amounts to is as you approach the bag and take off in New York slide the leg that you're on you just bend underneath

and throw the other leg up in the air with the hands up in the air. This is important because so many of the players jammed their wrists or break a finger or something and these things are rather important to a baseball player. You slide directly at the Bag many times of it. If you're stealing the base or you're trying to beat the throw. This is the quickest way to get there. And a lot of times if there isn't a play there for you you'll slide right over the bag with the foot up in the air like that. Mark put it up over and you slide right in as you see mark there. If he were going full speed he would slide right in on the bag and ready to go to the next base. Now I know that the administration Mark happened to hit the bag when

he when he went down he would be doing that same thing that you saw there. Back in this area sliding on his back the small of his back right into the bag. I would suggest that in order to take off that you do it about twice the length of your body. This ought to get you to the bag in the manner that you want to when you come in the air. If there's a if there's a plane I'll let you know. And you comment you know by this command. Down. On my right but I'll be like them. If I want you to stay on the base. But you don't at all. As I'm approaching third base I'm trying to pick up a third base coach also. When I'm

running I'm not running with my head because I know where the bag is at all times and I'm picking up our. Question where I can score so he's halfway down the line. So I'm taking my step right here as hard as I can until he stops me halfway down the line. And if he stops me I come back and I pick up how I get back. To the starting. Line right there and the balls at home plate. It's on the crowd. You're coming back to Beijing right now. Not after the ball is caught. One other thing. When you're running the whole plane run hard to you cross. Want to cross the plate. You then can be a spectator if you want to.

But don't be a spectator until you touch home plate. You don't know what's going to happen out on the field. Prior to your. Run hard until you touch it. It's the on deck manners responsibility to help you. You should be up there helping to get the market through roll the mask and everything else out in your mind all that. You've got a slide somewhere else. Run hard until you cross unless Orelon are right. Have a good time. Fill up the barrel and solder for Public Broadcasting.