Strategy question

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Member

• Aug 19, 2010

• #1

Ok, you are the third base coach and your leadoff hitter has reached first to start the game. She steals bases successfully at an 80% rate. Your #2 hitter is a good bunter and she successfully lays down a sac bunt 75% of the time. 15% of the time she gets to two strikes without having laid down a fair bunt and 10% of the time she pops up the bunt for an out.

After that leadoff hitter reaches base, are you going to bunt, steal or just hit away?

 

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• Aug 19, 2010

• #2

She's bunting but taking the first pitch and the base runner is stealing second. To me there is no sense in doing a sac bunt until you have a runner at least in scoring position.

 

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• Aug 19, 2010

• #3

If she is 80% successful on stealing 2nd base, I'm moving my hitter to the back of box to move catcher back a bit and letting her fly.....and if my 2 hitter can also hit, why would I want to sac bunt if she was in scoring position allready, thats a waste of an out.....hit away.

 

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• Aug 19, 2010

• #4

I say put your batter in the back of the box and steal the runner. Depending on #2's stick, either hit away or bunt the runner to 3rd for #3 or #4 to hit in. If #2 has a solid bat, let her swing away.

 

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• Aug 19, 2010

• #5

Depends on what if anything I noticed out of the catcher during warm up or previous scouting. If Im confidant we can steal, steal if not bunt.

 

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• Aug 19, 2010

• #6

Ok, let's say she has stolen second. What is the follow-up question at that point?

Also, if your hitters are moving back in the box and tipping off the steal, we are probably pitching out to greatly increase our chances of throwing the runner out on the steal.

 

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• Aug 19, 2010

• #7

With a runner on second and no outs - you bunt.

Based on that batter's stats, even if she has one strike on her (you didn't say what the call was) then I go with the big odds, which says that a runner on third and one out gives me more options to score a run.

If she gets to two strikes, then you have to let her hit, with the focus on hitting to the right side. (Or if you are feeling lucky, let her bunt with two strikes.)

 

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• Aug 19, 2010

• #8

JoeA1010 said:

Ok, you are the third base coach and your leadoff hitter has reached first to start the game. She steals bases successfully at an 80% rate. Your #2 hitter is a good bunter and she successfully lays down a sac bunt 75% of the time. 15% of the time she gets to two strikes without having laid down a fair bunt and 10% of the time she pops up the bunt for an out.

After that leadoff hitter reaches base, are you going to bunt, steal or just hit away?

Click to expand...

I have the hitter show bunt and then swing through the pitch while the runner is stealing.

 

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• Aug 19, 2010

• #9

I would say steal her with the intent of her going to 3rd if the bunt is down and 2nd if its not. If she is 80% and the other is 75% odds are in your favor.

 

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• Aug 19, 2010

• #10

I'm probably going to bunt her to third for a 7% greater chance at scoring.

[FONT=Verdana,Arial][SIZE=-1] Chance of scoring, from each base/out state

[/SIZE][/FONT]

Base	0 outs	1 out	2 outs
1B	.38	.25	.12
3B	.86	.68	.29

[TD]2B [/TD] [TD].61[/TD] [TD].41[/TD] [TD].21[/TD]

[FONT=Verdana,Arial][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT]

 

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• Aug 19, 2010

• #11

Runner on second and no outs.. I'm hitting on the first pitch. After a strike is called.. I'm bunting to advance. I think you have to give your Number #2 batter a chance to hit. If she is right handed and the pitcher is keeping it outside on her.. that is better so she can hit to the right side to advance.

If second batter is LEFT handed.. then I'd look at the option of slapping or bunting to the third base side for runner advancement.. and possibly a hit with an overthrow at first base .. which will score the runner on second.

But, I have never coached this game...LOL

 

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• Aug 19, 2010

• #12

The 2nd part I feel depends on the quality of the pitcher we are facing. If I think we can hit and score some runs off her I may play for a big inning and swing away. If its a dominate pitcher who doesnt give up much I probably bunt her to third to try to get an early run.

 

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• Aug 19, 2010

• #13

I am assuming there is one strike on the steal and now the defense is thinking bunt. I am expecting the pitcher to waste the next pitch so we are swinging away. The batter's plan is to hit behind the runner whether she is a lefty or a righty in this situation. If the count pulls even 1-1 the bunt is on with the batter making sure the angle of the ball off the bat is down before commiting to third. If the batter is down 0-2 we leave the runner (maybe helping the batter with pitch location) at second and hope the batter can move her with contact. There are three outs in an inning so we hope that our two-four batters can score this runner from second with out getting too fancy.

An old rule we live by is to never make the first or last out at third base! JMO

 

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• Aug 19, 2010

• #14

Assuming I know how strong/weak the catcher is either because we have played them before or she showed her abilities on the throw down during warm-ups.

I probably give fake bunt sign on first pitch, straight steal on second pitch (maybe protect runner with swing and miss if the first pitch was a ball), if less than two strikes bunt the runner to third, if two strikes que the batter to try and put the ball in play on the right side.

I tell the runner at second to 1) watch the line drive, 2) if bunt sign is given - break on the ball down, if no bunt sign is given - make sure a ball to the left side and pitcher gets through, 3) tag on a ball to right field and 4) take a mental snapshot of the outfielder locations so you can anticipate a ball in the gap.

Some of these are signals not all is verbal.

That's how i'd play it.

 

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• Aug 19, 2010

• #15

Many different ideas and it depends on the hitter, runner and pitcher. For example I have been watching a DVD on coaching the short game by Mike Candrea. If you have a runner on first that you are going to steal and you have a lefty slapper at bat, you never show bunt. I see many coaches that don't understand that this allows the shortstop to release early to cover the steal. He covers runners on each base, but we are talking having lefty slappers at bat . Very good coaching DVD based on coaching the short game. It covers drag bunts and push bunts, soft slaps power slaps and what you do under what conditions, plus he covers in detail why you must look at the pitcher you are facing. Hard to soft slap or drag bunt a pitcher that is throwing you a low outside pitch.

 

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• Aug 19, 2010

• #16

Of course, these generic situations leave out factors that must be considered, such as lionsfastpitch's question of how good of a pitcher are we facing. If the pitcher is just terrible, then we aren't taking many chances on the bases and we sure as heck aren't wasting outs by bunting.

But anyway, there is one question that nobody has asked as it pertains to what to do with that runner on second and no outs, and I kind of hinted at it by giving the baserunner's odds of stealing second. It sounds like most everyone would go into bunt mode at that point. cshilt wants to get her to third to increase the odds of scoring, which is good thinking in my book, but isn't taking everything into account. Ok, I'm going to lunch on my PST or whatever the time out here is called.

I read enough about tryouts the last couple of weeks and I needed to have some actual softball stuff to discuss, thus this thread. Of course, I was at a showcase event this past weekend and what I saw prompted this thread. I will explain more a bit later.

 

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• Aug 19, 2010

• #17

LADY_KNIGHTS said:

I have the hitter show bunt and then swing through the pitch while the runner is stealing.

Click to expand...

Exactly!

 

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• Aug 19, 2010

• #18

JoeA1010 said:

Of course, these generic situations leave out factors that must be considered, such as lionsfastpitch's question of how good of a pitcher are we facing. If the pitcher is just terrible, then we aren't taking many chances on the bases and we sure as heck aren't wasting outs by bunting.

But anyway, there is one question that nobody has asked as it pertains to what to do with that runner on second and no outs, and I kind of hinted at it by giving the baserunner's odds of stealing second. It sounds like most everyone would go into bunt mode at that point. cshilt wants to get her to third to increase the odds of scoring, which is good thinking in my book, but isn't taking everything into account.

Click to expand...

Was the pitch the runner stole on an off speed/change up or a fastball?
Based on her stealing bases at 80% almost leads you to believe she could steal third base but third is almost 30% closer to home than second. How did she get 80%? Was most or all of her attempts stealing second? What is her average stealing third base? Based on that it would be tough for me to steal her and risk the first out of the inning at third base. JMO...

I love the question!

 

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• Aug 19, 2010

• #19

With a right handed batter and one strike...I'm back in the box and bunting and being in the way of the catcher .. with the runner going on the pitch.. and hope the odds are with her as a base stealer.

But, I take chances, too and don't confess to be a coach.

 

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• Aug 19, 2010

• #20

Runner on second with a lefty. I show bunt to draw in the infield then power slap or duck hit it over the infield's head. Right handed batters I bunt down first. This depends on the score, team we are playing, pitcher and BA, skill level of my batter. Coaches have to weigh many factors .