Making The Outfield Interesting For Youth Baseball

 "Right field, it's easy, you know. You can be awkward and you can be slow. That's why I'm here in right field. Just watching the dandelions grow."  

                                                           -Right Field By Peter, Paul & Mary 

  How true is it that we coaches almost always put our weakest players in the outfield during the season? We may have a good player in center field but left and right field are kind of “get the innings in” positions for part of the team. And for the players, it can get kind of boring. The three biggest threats to baseball are: soccer, lacrosse and boredom in the outfield. Coaches may not be able to make right field as popular as shortstop, but there are certain things we can do to help keep players' heads who reside beyond the infield dirt into the game.

  Backing up is huge, and if explained correctly to all the team members, they will realize that the outfield can prevent one, two, or more extra bases if the outfield backs up correctly. One of the first things I teach my right fielder is if the batter squares into the bunting position, he should immediately get into a position to back-up the throw to the first baseman to field a possible errant throw. Say the batter is a righty and squares to bunt, the pitcher goes into his wind-up, the right fielder will immediately sprints toward the right field foul line. He then sprints forward to first base with his head up. He must see who will be fielding the bunt and then adjust the angle of his back up. The correct angle to back-up is extremely important and I always have one practice before the season starts just on the best angles to back-up the different situations and locations on the field. In this case, if the pitcher fields the bunt, the back-up angle by the right fielder will depend on whether the third baseman or catcher fields the bunt. In youth baseball, I cannot express how important it is that the back-ups don’t position themselves too close to the target fielder receiving the baseball. I’ve seen it time and again that players backing up are too close. The ball will go over the head of the target fielder as well as the back-up. Many times if the back-up is too close, he is screened out by the infielder and loses track of the baseball.

                            

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  Just as the right fielder backs up on a bunt with no one on base, I have my left fielder back-up the third baseman if a player is on second and tries to steal third base. Like the previous situation, the left fielder must run to the foul line and come in, but not too close. The importance of running to the foul line and not at an angle is to get the backup’s shoulders squared as soon as possible toward home plate so he can follow the flight of the baseball. This back-up has saved my team runs and games over the years. Coaches have to practice this and reinforce it in games yelling out and reminding the left fielder, “Tim, if the baserunner tries to steal third base, you have to back up up the throw. Remember not to come in too close.”

  The center fielder must be involved backing up when a player tries to steal second base. Like the two previous examples, it is even more important here that he does not come in too close. With the shortstop covering the base and the second baseman backing him up, now there are two possibilities of being screened out of the play. lay. The center fielder has to really give enough space so he is able to follow and react to the baseball.

  When there is a force out at second, my left and right fielder must back up according to who throws the baseball. If there is a player on first base and there is a grounder to the shortstop with the second baseman covering the base, the right fielder must move in quickly and position himself at the correct angle in case there is an over throw. If the ground ball is to the second baseman and the shortstop covers the bag, the left fielder now must back up the throw from the second baseman. As you can see, I am not only involving my outfielders in these back up situations, but I am keeping them more involved mentally.

                      

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             Quality practices will yield quality players and teams!  

 

Another situation that occurs is when there is a baserunner on second base and the batter gets into the bunting position, but it is only a fake. A strategy used by coaches when the third baseman rushes in to cover the bunt and if the shortstop doesn’t rotate (or “wheel” over) is to have the baserunner on second steal third easily with nobody covering the bag. The defensive coach can keep his third baseman at the base and instruct his pitcher to field the bunts, or he can put on the “wheel”, having his shortstop cover third in order to prevent the stolen base. The other option is to have the left fielder sprint up when he sees the batter square and cover third base. This is another situation involving the outfielder more.

  On rundowns, all the outfielders must move in closer in case of an overthrow. And in some rundown situations, the baseball hits the baserunner’s helmet and goes into a crazy direction. Outfielders who are closer rather than further from the action can help in this situation.

  With these situations mentioned, it is extremely important to convince youth players that when they are backing up in the outfield, just stopping the baseball and not necessarily catching can be just as effective. Keep reminding your fielders of this, telling them they must always try to keep the baseball in front of them. Like everything else in coaching, it is much better to practice it than just reminding players in the field what to do if the situation comes up. Coaches must also evaluate their talent level and decide how much and how quickly to teach all the back up situations necessary for the outfielders. Remember, it is always better to under coach rather than over coach. The outfield in youth baseball can be boring, but coaches can instill the importance of playing any of the outfield positions and practice getting them more involved in as many plays as possible.

      

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Five Baseball Icons Youth Players Should Know

  I am an amateur historian who loves reading about the revolutionary war. I also love reading about sports history. I remember when I first heard that Hoboken, New Jersey claimed to have hosted the first ever baseball game. I referred to this historical fact in another article: Who Really Invented Baseball? I had read that on June 19th, 1846 the first officially recorded, organized baseball game was played under Alexander Joy Cartwright's rules on Hoboken's Elysian Fields. The game was between the New York Base Ball Club and the Knickerbockers. The New York Base Ball club won 23-1.

I heard Hoboken had some kind of monument representing each base at the exact location of where this game was played. Living 45 minutes from there I got into my car and went down to Hoboken. I asked around and was directed to an intersection of two streets. At each corner, there was a plaque signifying all four bases where the field once belonged. I got such a kick out of this. I kept walking and crossing the street, rounding the bases, going from first to home plate, just like it was done almost 200 years ago.

  Just as we adults have an obligation to teach our youth about the George Washingtons, Abraham Lincolns and Martin Luther Kings of the world, if we are coaching sports, why not teach our players some of the history of the sport they are playing? And I’m not talking about giving a history course. Just sprinkle in a little bit of historical facts. We owe it to the players we coach and to the people who helped shape the great sport of baseball. Here we go with five people who I think helped shape baseball.

John McGraw

  John McGraw ended up with 2,763 victories as manager, second only to Connie Mack. As manager, McGraw was one of the first innovators of baseball. He was the first manager to use a relief pitcher. He was also the first manager to platoon players, which was later used to almost perfection by Casey Stengel during his Yankee dynasty years. The player platoon system is the precursor for the Bill James-Billy Beane sabermetrics system of how baseball teams are put together today.

Jackie Robinson & Branch Rickey

  I can’t mention one without the other. Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947. But before that, when he attended UCLA, he was the first athlete to letter in four sports: baseball, basketball, football and track. In 1940, Robinson won the NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship in the Long Jump. Branch Rickey, the General Manager for the Brooklyn Dodgers, was scouting the Negro baseball league and ended up signing Robinson. From there, Jackie Robinson was the subject to an incredible amount of abuse. Rickey believed in his ability and mentored Jackie in how to handle the issues he would face.

  Jackie Robinson was an integral part of the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1950s. He played in six consecutive All Star games and helped the Dodgers win six pennants including the 1955 World Series. Branch Rickey was an incredible innovator for baseball besides giving Jackie Robinson his start. He helped start and expand the farm system as a place to cultivate prospects. It was his idea to begin the baseball season with spring training in Florida. It was also rumored that he helped invent the first batting tee.  He also put in sliding ditches of sand below Ebbets Field so the players could practice sliding. Later, when he was General Manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates, he introduced the batting helmet. With all his innovations and ideas, Branch Rickey will be best known for giving Jackie Robinson a chance to play major league baseball.

Babe Ruth

  There has never been a player like him and may well never be. Ruth was credited with changing baseball in the 1920s during the live ball era. Known for his hitting, Babe Ruth had a lifetime pitching record of 94-46 with an ERA of 2.28. His hitting was incredible. His lifetime batting average was .342. He hit 714 home runs, a record that stood for years. His 60 home runs in 1927 was a record that stood for 34 years! He had a lifetime on base percentage of .474. It was the Babe’s personality off the field that appealed to almost everyone. He was charismatic and loved the interaction with the fans. He had a love for the game and for kids. He was a showman on and off the field.

Curt Flood

  Following the 1969 season, Curt Flood refused a trade to another team. He challenged the “reserve clause” bounding a player to one team. He lost his case but it opened the door for free agency in baseball after the baseball union became more solid. He helped pave the way for the first free agent pitcher, Andy Messersmith. All of the 30-40 million dollar a year contracts we see today in some way reflect the Curt Flood case. Though he is known for helping create free agency, Curt Flood was an excellent baseball player. He was known for his defensive prowess, winning the Gold Glove seven times. He also batted over .300 six times. But it was his challenge of that infamous trade that he will always be known. The sad part is many of the baseball players today who sign lucrative contracts have no idea who Curt Flood was.

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Bill Veeck

  He was a promoter/visionary who saw sports as not just a game but entertainment. As owner of the Cleveland Indians, he signed Larry Doby to a contract, the first black player in the American League. He instituted exploding scoreboards, pinch hit a midget, started bat day, and more! If you look at his plaque at the Hall of Fame, here is what it says:

“As owner of the Indians, Browns and White Sox, Bill Veeck consistently broke attendance records with pennant-winning teams, outrageous door prizes enthusiastic fan participation and ingenious promotional schemes. An inveterate hustler and energetic maverick, he introduced the concept of honoring fans, a midget player (Eddie Gaedel), Bat Day, fireworks, exploding scoreboards and player names on backs of uniforms. He signed the American League's first black player -Larry Doby in 1947 -and its oldest rookie -42-year-old Satchel Paige in 1948.”

  One can pick out hundreds of people who helped shape baseball. These are just five who always made my list.

      

Hit Like A Champ!                   Field Like A Champ       Win Like A Champ

 

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If you like this article, you may also like:

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Practicing When No Field Is Available  

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Baseball Drills And Games You Never Saw Before!

 Lacrosse coaches love both you and I! They love us because they know that our best players are one boring practice, one boring week or one boring season away from tossing their gloves for lacrosse sticks. Baseball has been at a crossroads for a few years now. In the past, a lot of talented players would leave baseball at 12 or 13 and go into Lacrosse or another sport. Today players are skipping the baseball step and starting right in with lacrosse at the youth level. Take heed baseball loving coaches and parents, we can continue the status quo or we can make subtle changes in the way we do things. A lot has to do with boring practices that are slow moving and focus only on the few. We have to utilize our assistant coaches and have multiple drills going on at the same time. I maintain that we have to mix in a few fun drills or games throughout the practice to keep these players engaged. Coaches who have teams 16-18 years old tell me that there are time constraints for practices and they must spend time working on defending the bunt or working on the exact positioning for proper cut offs. I say if your practice time management is good, the fun stuff can be included. Here are a few drills or games to mix in. All have a purpose you can figure out!  Most are for the younger kids but I want all coaches to put on their creative hats to mix in the fun stuff and create, create, create!                                                                                                                

Catch Your Own Fly                                                                    

Two players at home have a racquet ball racquet. There is a bucket of tennis balls. Each player hits a tennis ball (very high), drops the racquet and runs out to catch the ball he just hit. If he catches it within the infield dirt, two points. If he misses the catch but it drops on the dirt, one point. If it hits the outfield or infield grass or foul, no points. Set up a competition anyway you want. By the clock or number of turns.                                                           

Ground Ball Between Legs                                                          

Use soft covered balls. A player is between second and third. The coach hits or throws a ground ball. The player has to hustle and run to where the ball is and have it go cleanly between his legs. On the second turn if you want to make it hard, the player starts with his back to home and the coach yells “turn” after the hit or throw.

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Fly Ball Hits The Head                                                      

Players must wear a helmet! Tennis balls must be used. A coach hits a tennis ball. The player has to judge it coming down and at the last second turn his head forward so the ball hits him on the helmet. If you have a helmet with a cage, use it!

 

Fly Ball Over The Fence                                                              

I don’t why this works but it does. A coach gets on the other side of the fence. Another coach is with a player (1st in line)  who has a helmet on. The player’s back is to the coach outside the fence who throws a pop fly over the fence near the player. The coach with the player yells “turn” and he has to turn around and pick up the ball and catch it. Soft covered balls should be used. 

 

Lefty Righty Pitcher Focus                                                    

Want a pitcher to focus more on his target? Try this! Remember absolutely no swinging in this drill. Have both a leftie and righty in the batter’s box at the same time. Real humans! Not props! The pitcher has to pitch to the catcher. Start out with the batter’s at the far side of the batter’s box and they move closer every 5-10 pitches.

 

Line Master                                                                              

Line up the players side by side facing one player opposite them who is the line master. The first person at the end of the line has a ball and so does the Line Master. On the “go” command both simultaneously throw the ball with the Line Master moving down the line throwing the baseball and catching the one thrown to him. Then switch the line master. 

 

Two Fly Ball Drill                                                                      

You could do this with two balls or three balls that are in a coach’s glove. He throws a fly ball to a player then quickly throws a second ball. The players have to catch the first one, drop it to the ground, refocus quickly and catch the second ball. 

 

Tennis Racquet Home Run Derby                                            

On this one I usually use second base for home plate. I pitch tennis balls from the outfield and the batter swings trying for a home run over the fence using an old tennis racquet as a bat.

 

Baseball Football                                                                      

Out of all the games I play with my team, this is the most popular and one that former players ask if I still do with my teams. Four players on a side. Offense gets three downs to score. The ball is a tennis ball. Players on defense have to hold two hardballs in their gloves. On a completion the defense has to tag the player with their glove holding the two baseballs. If one of the balls fall out of the glove, the play continues. 

 

Hit The Water Spray                                                                

First done at home with my kids now with my grandkids. In bathing suits and using that big red plastic bat. I hold the hose and intermittently let the water spray out. Holding then letting the water out simulating a moving object like a ball. The player swings the bat trying to hit each spurt of water continuously.

 

Scramble The Egg                                                                    

Put plastic down near home plate. Use old baseballs even ones that are waterlogged. Set up eggs. I use six on each side where a bunt is suppose to go. The players take turns bunting trying to scramble the eggs.

There you go! Eleven out of thousands creative drills you can do. I purposely shortened the explanation on each drill. You figure it out and make up your own rules. Some players will mumble “this is stupid” for some of these but you’ll notice a change in attitude after they had their turn. If you are creative, they will come! Baseball lives!

Marty Schupak has coached youth sports for 25 years. He has written 11 books and produced 26 sports instructional videos. His is the founder of T-Ball America. 

www.TBallAmerica.com

44 Baseball Mistakes & Corrections

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Hit Like A Champ!        Field Like A Champ       Win Like A Champ

 

          Check our new YouTube Channel: Schupak Sports

       Over 5,000 free sports instructional video clips!

                    Go to: www.SchupakSports.com

                      Change The Way You Coach Sports!

www.TBallAmerica.com

Baserunning & Bunting Drills

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If you like this article, you may also like:

Four Things Coaches Should Practice

Practicing When No Field Is Available  

Bunt Young, Bunt Often!

Baseball Switch Hitting Is Disappearing

 Growing up in New York I began a love affair with baseball that has not stopped. There were a combination of influences. My grandfather was a huge baseball fan. He lived and died first with the Brooklyn Dodgers and then the New York Mets. I was at his apartment in Brooklyn every Sunday either watching games on television or going to games with him. My older brother Howie played baseball every living minute and included me in a lot of his games with his friends. Then there was Mickey Mantle. This icon was it for me. He could do no wrong in my eyes as I tried to emulate everything he did from his batting stance to the way he walked and talked. Mickey Mantle is considered the greatest switch hitter to ever play in the major leagues. In my youth I would head to Yankee Stadium from Westchester taking the number 20 bus then the number 4 train to the “House That Ruth Built.” Unlike my friends, I arrived early just to watch Mickey in batting practice. Back then players took a lot more repetitions than today. Mickey used to park balls in the upper deck both lefty and righty like you and I drink a cup of coffee. 

  Mickey Mantle’s switch hitting was great to watch but are we seeing a skill that is dying a slow death in Major League Baseball? After Mickey Mantle, names such as Pete Rose, Eddie Murray, Tim Raines and Chipper Jones all batted from both sides of the plate. In 1992, 19.9% MLB plate appearances were by switch hitters. In 2018 the number went down to 13.5%. And today I’m sure it is lower. 

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             Quality practices will yield quality players and teams!  

  The benefits of switch hitting stems from the idea that batters can pick up the ball earlier from the pitcher’s release point and they have a better chance of hitting a breaking ball. What is fascinating is that some switch hitters have said if they could do it all over again they would concentrate on hitting from only one side. Even with analytics being so influential, players feel it is so much work that they would rather devote 100% to batting one way than 50% to batting both ways. Former Astros player Lance Berkman has said that if he could do it all over again he would not be a switch hitter. Utility switch hitting infielder Andrew Romine has said the same thing. But I think just the opposite, and switch hitting can create careers for some players that wouldn’t have made it to the major leagues.

  When Baltimore Oriole Hall of Fame player Eddie Murray was in the minor leagues he struggled as a right handed hitter for months when he first started. The organization knew he was one of the most talented players they ever signed. Most of the Oriole hierarchy knew he would eventually come out of this slump though some thought differently. He was playing in Asheville, North Carolina and his manager at the time was Jimmie Schaffer. Schaffer suggested to Murray that he try batting leftie and experiment with switch-hitting to overcome this prolonged slump. The Oriole officials in Baltimore were so incensed they went down to Asheville wanting to stop this mad experiment by Schaffer and Murray. But Eddie Murray convinced the executives it was worth trying. Eddie Murray is the only switch hitter to have hit 500 home runs along with 3,000 hits. What if Murray didn’t listen to his manager and continued his struggles? We may never have seen a wonderful skilled player like Eddie Murray. 

  

  Maybe switch hitting is stagnating some growth of players but can it be something that can open the doors for others. I speak to scouts and every year when I ask them what they are looking for they tell me the same thing:

1) Leftie Pitchers

2) Defensive catchers

3) Leftie Contact Hitters. 

The most complete hitting video ever made. Make contact with every swing. View now: Hitting Drills & Techniques   

  Switch hitting may open the door for some players that may never have had the opportunity to succeed. In youth baseball, coaches are more concerned with wins than developing or expanding a player’s skill such as switch hitting or having a player pitch for the first time. Winning trumps all today in youth sports. One coach who I admire, thinks switch hitting is a waste of time. He gives stats about how none of the top 50 major league all time hitters are switch hitters. In his defense he says that all batters should learn how to bat leftie and only bat that way 100% of the time. I don’t really agree with him and am still of the opinion that switch hitting may open an opportunity for some players.

  How do you approach teaching switch hitting? First off I would start a player very young at 9,10 or 11. Batting tee work is a key with a lot of repetitions from both sides of the plate. Also doing the short toss drill is important. The goal is to have the player feel comfortable from both sides of the plate. If and when he gets to that point, I would take the next step. I would tell his coach what you are doing and suggest if your son or daughter is making progress practicing, you’d like him to try and bat his opposite way sometime during the season. As your player gets older, if he is in demand for travel teams, I’d tell the coaches that he won’t play unless he is able to switch hit. Explain to them what you have been doing and the progress you have made. But as a parent you have to be objective and you don’t want to put him into a position to fail. No doubt learning to switch hit will take extra work but it can be worth it for some.

  I know how major league baseball has become specialized. Things such as platooning batters, and using certain relief pitchers for different players are here to stay. The defensive shift has become a regular strategy in every baseball game. Analytics is a lot more than the flavor of the month and is a permanent fixture of the game. I just think if you are a parent who knows something about baseball, switch hitting may be an opportunity for your son or daughter. But you have to be realistic and know when to call the experiment off. All I know is I saw Mickey Mantle hit mammoth home runs from both sides of the plate. And Pete Rose who has the career record for hits batted .307 from the left side and .293 from the right side. I’d sign up for either one any day of the week!

Marty Schupak has coached youth sports for 25 years. He has written 12 books and produced 26 sports instructional videos. His is the founder  and President of T-Ball America, www.TBallAmerica.com. 

      

Hit Like A Champ!        Field Like A Champ       Win Like A Champ

 

          Check our new YouTube Channel: Schupak Sports

       Over 5,000 free sports instructional video clips!

                    Go to: www.SchupakSports.com

                      Change The Way You Coach Sports!

 

  If you like this article, you may also like:

Four Things Coaches Should Practice

Practicing When No Field Is Available  

Bunt Young, Bunt Often!

www.TBallAmerica.com

Baserunning & Bunting Drills

Get an extra 1-2 runs per game with the best strategic baserunning and bunting video ever made!