Fielding question

[doublenickel]

In order to be safe and make the plays priority must be established and a trust developed between players. When an OF calls a ball they have to be confident that the infielder will back away so they don't collide. It also means that you might be called off even it's an easy play for you. The goal is to make the out without anyone getting hurt. There is always a girl that wants to catch everything. Coaches sometimes ignore as they would rather have the aggressiveness especially at a young age. I remember when I was around 8 years old a pitcher and catcher collided on a popup in front of HP. The pitcher was knocked out, but the way their head hit, it split open the catchers forehead and when he turned to get the ball there was blood all over his face. It looked like something from a horror movie. While I don't have nightmares about it, it made me realize quickly how important it is calling the ball.

And that is the way I was taught too, my DD wasn't taught that way. Her TB coach whose opinion I do trust teaches his team the corners have responsibility inside the baselines to the circle on such plays and the middle infield has responsibility behind the baselines and the pitcher is supposed to give way to everyone. The MS coach hasn't been clear on anything.

 

[obbay]

Bad coach- I hope you can be rid of her permanently! I used to coach with a guy who loved to coach and was passionate about the game, but then would yell at players during a game for not doing something that they had never done in practice. In other words, they couldn't read his mind.

IF priority - Last season the mother I mentioned previously ( our younger DDs were on the same team) is now an AC and does the lineups. Her DD is playing 2B, my DD is pitching. Dribbler hit to 1B side of IF, pitcher charges, wheels to throw and there are two fielders on 1B prepared to receive the throw. Neither caught it and runner was safe. AC blames P.
Also, who yields when you have 2B and SS going for a ball right between them? With this coaches DD, it happens more frequently than you would think.

 

[FP26]

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

This is the hierarchy we use, but as cuzmail said, they need to be smart about it as well. If 3b only needs to take a few steps while SS is sprinting 30-40 feet, I would probably lean towards 3b making the play.

Others have also made good points about fielders moving forward as opposed to backwards, watching runners, etc. A major focus at our practices is helping fielders understand that they need to process the situation and determine where the "next play" could be after "this play" is made. But if you don't make "this play", the "next play" really doesn't matter.

 

[obbay]

OILF- good info,thanks!
That particular play was almost a come-backer to the pitcher but it was slow and dribbling like a bunt that went too far. 1B never left the bag, but 2B still ran over to cover. It was a bizarre, one-time thing, but AC's DD is always right!

Thankfully they have both moved on

 

[riseball]

Our season will be over in three weeks, I will bite my tongue the rest of the season til it bleeds.

Keep it in perspective. It is only High School ball.

 

[MTR]

So what you're saying is this: Given this exact same defensive alignment....If the pop-up went to the left of the shortstop, (at the edge of the grass) where she only had to shuffle 12 feet towards 2B, is settled and waiting for the ball; she should abandon her position and give way to the center-fielder charging in 30-40 feet, saying "I Got It, I Got It"???

I'm talking about the OP, so stop being ridiculous

 

[MsDinosaur]

So what you're saying is this: Given this exact same defensive alignment....If the pop-up went to the left of the shortstop, (at the edge of the grass) where she only had to shuffle 12 feet towards 2B, is settled and waiting for the ball; she should abandon her position and give way to the center-fielder charging in 30-40 feet, saying "I Got It, I Got It"???

Yes. The center fielder has precedence over every other player on the field. Maybe she shouldn't call the shortstop off, but she can.

In a more natural scenario where both players are moving to the the ball, even if the outfielder has to run further, her momentum would be moving forward to help with a followup throw, while the shortstop's momentum would be carrying her away from the bases.

 

[wichita]

Yes. The center fielder has precedence over every other player on the field. Maybe she shouldn't call the shortstop off, but she can.

In a more natural scenario where both players are moving to the the ball, even if the outfielder has to run further, her momentum would be moving forward to help with a followup throw, while the shortstop's momentum would be carrying her away from the bases.

I agree to a point .....our high school center fielder has first call on any fly ball past the infield but at least 3-4 times this year she has called for balls that I believe are not hers ...let me explain ball hit to left, left center actually even more to left than left center ....CF calls off LF who calls for the ball on a ball that LF is sitting under waiting for and CF catches it on a dead sprint now to me that has to be LF ball.... she is barely getting there in time and shes in no position to make a throw if a runner would be advancing as she has to take 3 to 4 more strides to get her feet back under her to make a throw..... now in the gap I agree totally it is CF ball if she calls for it. Same has happened to RF

 

[obbay]

Then coach needs to slap the CF around
Seriously though- the coach needs to do some coaching. Our HS coach is not capable of this.

 

[James Smith]

One year DD played with a CF that was all over the place. She actually called off the LF on a ball hit to the right of the LF, LF’s fence side. The few occasions she not call the ball the fielder, both IF and OF could hear her footsteps. On fly balls she would run and stand next to the person catching the ball. I liked the aggressiveness but she made the entire team worse when she played. Coaches were working on slower her down a little bit but didn’t take as far as I could tell.