Fielding question

[doublenickel]

Infield pop up five steps to the left of the third baseman, shortstop is playing just off the grass and the third baseman is playing about four steps in front of the base. The pop fly is directly to the left of where the third baseman was playing. The third baseman calls for the ball and makes the play, the shortstop runs up and calls the ball too but does not interfere with the play. Who should have made the play??? Should the third baseman give way to the shortstop who had to run ten to fifteen steps to the ball, or the third baseman who took four to five steps directly to her left?

 

[doublenickel]

I have a reason for asking this, my dd was playing third and made this play. The play ended the inning and when my dd got to the dugout the MS coach berated my dd for not giving way to the shortstop.

 

[obbay]

I don't know the real answer but it could be like an outfielder calling off an infielder.

I had an experience with a coach's DD who was a good player but would panic easily and try to take every ball that was hit in the infield. Pop fly to 1B, 1B under it and calling it, SS comes tearing across the field saying "IGOTITIGOTITIGOTIT" crashes into 1B who makes catch and hangs onto ball as they both go down. SS Mother (Coaches wife) says "1B had no business catching that, SS called it".
whatever
many weeks later, same girl at SS almost blows championship game trying to make every play in IF and collides with 3B on a similar play. pop up hit directly to where 3B was standing, SS again "IGOTITIGOTITIGOTIT" crashes into 3B but this time no catch was made and we traded an out for a baserunner in what was becoming a close game.

that happened about 6 years ago and it still irritates me (we won the game), it's just that the mother became more prominent and my DD wound up on their team for the next 5 years.

 

[Lenski]

To avoid collisions there has to be a precedence. When I coaced my rule was 3B yields to SS, 1B yields to 2B, P yields to any infielder, C yields to any infielder, and all infielders yield to SS. If the SS is making incorrect calls for the ball find another SS.

 

[doublenickel]

To avoid collisions there has to be a precedence. When I coaced my rule was 3B yields to SS, 1B yields to 2B, P yields to any infielder, C yields to any infielder, and all infielders yield to SS. If the SS is making incorrect calls for the ball find another SS.

That is the problem, there is not another option for shortstop. I still don't understand why the SS tried to call off on a play the 3B who was camped out under and had already called for the ball. I have NEVER had a problem with a coach getting onto my child but what happened here really got under my skin. I would have understood the coach getting angry if there had been a collision or had the ball dropped between the two fielders but neither happened. I did not like the coach getting onto my dd so publicly, all of the parents could hear what she said, I even heard her and I was behind home plate and my dd and the coach was in the dugout.

 

[mogsoftball]

You can have an order of precedence and typically the SS will call off 3B and 2nd calls off 2B. However it should only be when a ball is in doubt and coming down between the 2. In a situation where a SS has to come sprinting across the field and 3B only needs to shuffle her feet to camp out then SS has to recognize it is 3B's ball. She needs to be coached on this or find someone who does it properly.

In the scenario as you presented it that was 3B's ball and SS should have moved to back her up in case she missed it or if runners were on base covered 3rd. If there was runners on 1 and 2 and 3B missed the ball she could still recover to get the force at 3 but SS needs to be covering. If a runner was on 3 maybe she took off on the hit and if the catch is made you can get her out before she gets back to the bag but again SS should be covering the base.

As for SS calling off 1B, that's simple crazy. You have 2 middle infielders and each should be responsible for their 1/2 of the field. I can't think of a reason SS should ever come sprinting to 1st base to make a play on a hit.

 

[James Smith]

I agree with Lenski. Your DD should have yielded and the coaches conversation should have been with the SS, why the heck are you calling her off? Just because they can get it it does not mean they should call it.

 

[doublenickel]

The 3B yields to the shortstop in the field of play and in the play described. She definitely does so when the ball is behind the bag. To make it easy, the bag can be the line on depth. The SS should get balls behind the bag in foul territory with left field involved there. The 3B's first responsibility on all of these is covering the bag if a runner is on second. It does depend on how the two work together and the range of each.

Berating a kid after a play is uncalled for. Did the coach teach that instruction or tell the kids proactively? If the kid failed to listen to a prior instruction, the answer is pulling her from the game and having a quiet chat.

I don't think anyone said that SS calls off 1B, but 2B can.

The ball was almost even with the pitching rubber and clearly in front of the baseline, and no my daughter hardly ever practices at third. She plays a lot of third in travel but in school ball she has been the primary pitcher and plays first when not pitching. The coaches never practice such plays.

 

[seedamin]

The typical order of priority on the field:
Centerfield
Left Field / Right Field
Middle Infield
Corners
Pitcher
Catching

 

[cuzmail]

Outer infielders yield to middle infielders.

With that said, the middle infielders still have to be smart about calling balls. Just because they can call off the outer infielders doesn't mean they should.