Baserunning is one of the most overlooked areas in the game. Players religiously work on their hitting and defense but more often than not once they get on the bases this seems to be an area often neglected. It is the responsibility of the coach not only to teach the fundamentals of baserunning but to also make certain the player concentrates once he gets on base.

Unlike hitting and defense which are both subject to slumps, bad calls, and pressure situations, baserunning is unique in that it is an area in which a player can exercise total command. He has control over his jumps, his reads, the decisions that he makes, and how hard he runs.

Although you always want to have the mindset of being aggressive on the bases, you want this aggressiveness to be under control. You can relate this to hitting. As a hitter I have taught you to be selectively aggressive. As a baserunner, you want to be aggressive under control.

In hitting, you want to think, “swing” at every pitch until you recognize that it is not your pitch. In baserunning, you want to think, “take advantage of every mistake the fielders make and be ready to capitalize on it.” You need to know when to be aggressive, when to force plays, and when to play it safe.

This requires the discipline of both players and coaches. The coach must always remind a player of the following:
•    When he is making mistakes
•    When he has a good read
•    When he has a bad read

There are two appropriate times for a coach to teach the whole team::
•    When a mistake has been made
•    When somebody capitalizes on a defensive mistake

Each player should run as hard as he is capable of in every situation. By running hard you put yourself in the situation to take advantage of a defensive lapse or a mistake. Players should always be anticipating the defense making a mistake. You can take extra bases without pos-sessing great speed. Good baserunners take extra bases on the defense. The baserunner:
•    Should never drop his head until the play is finished.
•    Should always be aware of where the ball is.
•    Should know the situation of the game – the outs, the score, field conditions, any defensive weaknesses such as a weak throwing arm in the outfield.
•    Should anticipate these situations before they happen and always be ready to take advantage.

Each player must take pride in his game if he plans to improve as a baserunner. He should have the attitude that he is going to take advantage of every mistake the defense makes.

Many games can be won and lost in this overlooked area and you can add many games to your team’s win column with intelligent baserunning.

It is the coach’s responsibility to meet with his club before each game to go over the playing environment. These conditions will change during the course of the game. Coaches need to constantly be reminding players of the changing conditions.
•    Wind
•    Sun
•    Fence
•    Ground
•    Layout of the field

Pre-Game and Dugout

Always watch your opponent take outfield & infield practice. Observe:
•    Strength of the outfielders arms
•    How well they charge the ball
•    How quickly they get rid of the ball

If an outfielder lays back on a ball in practice, he might do the same thing in the game. If he does lay back on the ball, take an extra base on him. This way you are letting the other team know that you will take advantage of every mistake they make, and every weakness they have.

When reading the throw from an outfielder, get in the habit of reading the first 30 feet of the throw to determine the height of the throw. Many times if the throw misses the cutoff man you can take an extra base. Every extra base you take is one base closer to scoring a run, and every time you take an extra base on a team because of their lack of intensity or a fundamental mis-take they will be demoralized.

When watching infield practice note certain habits of the infielders:
•    How do the middle infielders turn the double play?
•    How well does the catcher throw?
•    Does the first baseman move well?
•    Who has the strong and weak arms in the infield?
•    How accurate are their relay throws?

Coaches, make sure you have your team watch infield practice everyday. Your players should have a good idea of what you expect out of them, they should know when you like to hit and run, bunt, steal, etc. Meet with your club and let them know what you except concerning baserunning and how all of you need to work together in order to be successful.

During the game

As you walk to home plate for your at bat:
•    Check the defense, how are they playing you?
•    Is the first or third baseman in or back?
•    Does the pitcher have any patterns?
•    When does he like to throw his offspeed pitches?
•    Does he like to throw to first base?
•    How quick is he to first and to home?
•    What type of fielder is he?
•    Find a key off the pitcher so you can get the best jump possible

When the first runner of the game gets on base:
•    Force a throw from the pitcher
•    Watch the move
•    Everyone on the bench should be yelling, “back”