D1 - Do they always leave base early?

[FPMark]

I work a lot teaching girls how to dive back to first so that they don't have to worry about getting back for a snap throw.

A lot of girls have issues because they explode off the base looking at second base instead of watching the ball, out of fear of running into the tree/brick wall in the base line, then plant and try to find the ball if it isnt hit, and that makes them vulnerable. I teach them to watch the ball the entire way out of pitchers hand. They should be able to recognize the change up (a lot easier than the batter can) and if they see it they automatically go. They are able to recognize contact immediately, and run as appropriate. If they see it caught, they plant and get back.

We worked on these same things also (diving back, watching the ball from pitcher to catcher) but could be they need more. I do like the automatic steal on change up. That would give extra insentive to make sure to watch the pitch. My DD is definately not ready for college yet, (2nd year 14U) but I like to work on things ahead of time, rather than wait untill they're needed. Thanks for the tips. Thats why I like this forum, I don't know any college coaches but I love to learn advanced techniques.

 

[HollowMan]

The opposing fans were just going nuts about his pitcher crow-hopping, she was leaping. This went on for several innings, they just could not hit her hard, she wasn't overpowering just killing them with off-speed stuff.

I wasn't aware that only overpowering pitchers had to follow the pitching rules; that does change things. Is it OK for a slow kid to leave the base early, and only fast kids should be called out?

 

[Jeff_H]

I wasn't aware that only overpowering pitchers had to follow the pitching rules; that does change things. Is it OK for a slow kid to leave the base early, and only fast kids should be called out?

Why am I not suprised you missed the point

 

[HollowMan]

Yeah yeah. A parent complaining about illegal pitches has a kid using an illegal bat. Got it.

You referred to the complaining parents as a "nutty fanbase". If a pitcher throws nothing but illegal pitches, and parents complain, apparently they are "nutty". If baserunners are consistently 10 feet off the base before the pitch is released and never called for it, and parents complain, are they "nutty"? If batter-runners are consistently 10 feet from first base when the ball arrives and yet blue never calls them out, and parents complain, are they "nutty"? When rules are blatantly ignored by the umpire, is complaining about it always "nutty"?