Making a Good Throw
Part 3: Making a Good Throw
- Making a good throw is all about making the “right” throw
- This requires you to know the situation before the pitch is thrown
- “If the ball is hit here I am throwing the ball there”
- This requires you to know the situation before the pitch is thrown
- Get the ball to a glove
- You can’t tag the runner out, so focus on getting the ball to someone who can as efficiently as possible
- When fielding a ball look for the glove, as the target, not the runner or the base
- Communicate with your other outfielders
- The outfielder who is backing you up, or “spectating” the play needs to be looking at the infield and seeing how the play is developing
- Did the runner fall down?
- What base is the cut off man angled towards?
- Which infielder should he look for?
- Yelling “3” or “4” is helpful, but yelling “Look for short” or “Look for 1st” is more helpful
- There is always a way you can help the team even if you are not involved with the play
- Monitor the runners and relay the scene
- The outfielder who is backing you up, or “spectating” the play needs to be looking at the infield and seeing how the play is developing
- Focus on the routine
- Rarely will you win a game by making an amazing throw, but you can lose a game by trying to make an amazing throw
- Overthrowing a cutoff man can turn a 1 run inning into a multi-run inning very quickly
- Limit the danger and keep the force plays in tact
- Remember that your job is not to throw people out it is to get the ball to the required teammate as efficiently as possible
- We don’t need heroes, we need smart players with plans that trust their team
- Rarely will you win a game by making an amazing throw, but you can lose a game by trying to make an amazing throw
The question isn’t “How do I throw out more runners?” it’s “How do I stop runners from running?” Take pride in being in control and getting the ball into the hands of the next guy in the sequence. It’s a team game, so think, focus, and make the right throw.