Hitting

01

Stance, load, path, contact, two-strike

• Athletic stance. Feet under you. Eyes on the pitcher.
• Load: a small move back. Then go forward. Do not step in the bucket.
• Path: barrel to the ball. Contact out front for a pitch you can drive. Let the ball get deep if it is away.
• Two-strike: choke up a finger. Widen a little. Put the ball in play. Do not hook a high pitch.

02

Counts and approach

Hunt early. Protect two-strike.

• 0-0, 1-0, 2-0, 3-1: look for a fastball you can handle.
• Two strikes: the plate gets bigger. Foul it if you must. Do not watch strike three.
• A walk is not a weak at-bat. Four balls is first base.

03

Bunt types

• Sacrifice: we are giving an out to move a runner. Square around early. Deadened ball on the grass. Run after the bunt, not before.
• Bunt for a hit: later. First we can deaden a ball and run to first without popping it up.
• Bat angle: barrel up. Ball goes down. If the barrel dumps, the ball goes up.

04

Baserunning from the box

• Out of the box: run. Three hard steps, then find the ball.
• Through first on a ground ball. Do not lunge or dive at the bag.
• Hit the front of the bag. Then break down and find the ball.

05

Reads: through the infield, in the air, in the dirt

• Ball through the infield: you are running. Do not watch it and jog.
• Ball in the air: find it. Tag if you are on third and it is deep enough. Freeze on a line.
• Ball in the dirt: with a runner on, you are moving unless the coach holds you.

06

Situational offense language

• Product out: we need a run. A fly ball to the outfield can score R3. A ground ball to the right side can do it too.
• Move the runner: bunt, hit behind him, or steal. We are not swinging for the gap if the job is first-to-second.
• Don’t bunt into a double play. If you pop it or bunt it at the third baseman with R1, we gave them two.