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Figured I'd get some opinions here. How often do you want your 13u outfielders to attempt to throw a runner out at home, who was on 2nd base when a single was hit? Obviously the situation would change your opinion. Outfielders arm strength. Score. Point in the game you are. Runner. How hard the single is. How your pitcher matches up with the upcoming hitters. Etc, etc. So lets use this as an example:
1. tie game, opposing team has average speed runner on 2nd, no outs, and their #2 batter up. #3 and #4 are on deck and in the hole. Your outfielders are playing respectful depth, and have equal average arm strength. Batter hits routine, no doubt, basic base hit to centerfield.
A. late in the game, last, or next to last inning, do you want them to throw home?
B. early in the game, 1st thru 3rd inning or so, do you want them to throw home?
2. you're up 4 runs, opposing team has runner on 2nd, no outs, and their #2 batter up. #3 and #4 are on deck and in the hole. Your outfielders are playing respectful depth, and have equal average arm strength. Batter hits routine, no doubt, basic base hit to centerfield.
A. late in the game, last, or next to last inning, do you want them to throw home?
B. early in the game, 1st thru 3rd inning or so, do you want them to throw home?
I know there is no short answer to either of the above. But both of these situations occurred and me and a coach or 2 have a friendly disagreement on the issue. I specifically told our outfielders to hit the cutoff, in effect telling them not to throw home. Idea being make the other team get the maximum hits needed to score runs. One of the times our leftfielder threw home anyways. We were up by 4, 4th inning, runner on 2nd with 2 outs. She made a nice throw, got the runner out. Great job, and hard for me to argue her choice as the result proved me wrong this time. But I still think it was the wrong play to try and make in that situation. Other situation was runner on 2nd, tie game with us being the home team. 4th inning. Base hit to center, our centerfielder did not throw home as they were told not to try and do. Runner of course scored so now we're down one. Idea was, to not allow the batter to advance to 2nd and concede the run which could be knocked in by their middle of their lineup anyways It just seems like such a low percentage play. Being down 1 run at that point in the game didn't seem like the end of the world. If we try and throw her out and don't execute it, or the proper cutoff, then the batter is standing on 2nd now and we're in the same situation all over again and now down by 1 run.
I know there is no cut and dry answer here. Just curious if you had to make the call, one way or the other, what would you want to happen.
1. tie game, opposing team has average speed runner on 2nd, no outs, and their #2 batter up. #3 and #4 are on deck and in the hole. Your outfielders are playing respectful depth, and have equal average arm strength. Batter hits routine, no doubt, basic base hit to centerfield.
A. late in the game, last, or next to last inning, do you want them to throw home?
B. early in the game, 1st thru 3rd inning or so, do you want them to throw home?
2. you're up 4 runs, opposing team has runner on 2nd, no outs, and their #2 batter up. #3 and #4 are on deck and in the hole. Your outfielders are playing respectful depth, and have equal average arm strength. Batter hits routine, no doubt, basic base hit to centerfield.
A. late in the game, last, or next to last inning, do you want them to throw home?
B. early in the game, 1st thru 3rd inning or so, do you want them to throw home?
I know there is no short answer to either of the above. But both of these situations occurred and me and a coach or 2 have a friendly disagreement on the issue. I specifically told our outfielders to hit the cutoff, in effect telling them not to throw home. Idea being make the other team get the maximum hits needed to score runs. One of the times our leftfielder threw home anyways. We were up by 4, 4th inning, runner on 2nd with 2 outs. She made a nice throw, got the runner out. Great job, and hard for me to argue her choice as the result proved me wrong this time. But I still think it was the wrong play to try and make in that situation. Other situation was runner on 2nd, tie game with us being the home team. 4th inning. Base hit to center, our centerfielder did not throw home as they were told not to try and do. Runner of course scored so now we're down one. Idea was, to not allow the batter to advance to 2nd and concede the run which could be knocked in by their middle of their lineup anyways It just seems like such a low percentage play. Being down 1 run at that point in the game didn't seem like the end of the world. If we try and throw her out and don't execute it, or the proper cutoff, then the batter is standing on 2nd now and we're in the same situation all over again and now down by 1 run.
I know there is no cut and dry answer here. Just curious if you had to make the call, one way or the other, what would you want to happen.