Tagging Up On Foul Fly Ball

[Doug Romrell]

Yes, base-runners should tag up on all foul fly balls...............

Yes, with two outs, base-runners should sprint like the roadrunner on all fly balls............

If you teach them to tag up on all foul fly balls regardless of the outs, you may end up them hesitating on a fly-ball that looks like it MIGHT be going foul when there are two outs.

With two outs, I'm kind of thinking I would rather them sprint like roadrunners regardless of the fly-ball looking fair or foul. If it's caught foul they're done anyway. Have them tag up on all foul balls when there are less than two outs.

 

[chinamigarden]

On all foul fly balls? What about the ones that they can be thrown out on?

 

[riseball]

Yes, base-runners should tag up on all foul fly balls...............

Yes, with two outs, base-runners should sprint like the roadrunner on all fly balls............

If you teach them to tag up on all foul fly balls regardless of the outs, you may end up them hesitating on a fly-ball that looks like it MIGHT be going foul when there are two outs.

With two outs, I'm kind of thinking I would rather them sprint like roadrunners regardless of the fly-ball looking fair or foul. If it's caught foul they're done anyway. Have them tag up on all foul balls when there are less than two outs.

I am a firm believer in 2 outs/2 bases. We also tag up on all fly balls, fair or foul especially with a runner on 3rd. Then when the catcher makes the catch, flips the ball to the pitcher, then takes of her glove and picks up her headgear we take off for home.

 

[dbronstein]

With two outs, I'm kind of thinking I would rather them sprint like roadrunners regardless of the fly-ball looking fair or foul. If it's caught foul they're done anyway. Have them tag up on all foul balls when there are less than two outs.

I'm missing something here. Why wouldn't you do this? With two outs, you run on contact (unless you are going to run right into a tag).

 

[Doug Romrell]

I'm missing something here. Why wouldn't you do this? With two outs, you run on contact (unless you are going to run right into a tag).

I agree, but you often see in the coaching literature that if the ball is a foul fly ball, regardless of the outs, they tag up just so they are use to always tagging up on a foul fly ball. I don't agree with that thinking. With two outs and a fly ball I don't want them thinking, "Is it
fair or foul?" I think should should be sprinting forward. It's hard enough to get some of them to do that anyway.

 

[riseball]

That"s why I tell my players 2 outs/2 bases. If they are on 2nd they know that on contact they are sprinting home unless we stop them.

 

[dbronstein]

I agree, but you often see in the coaching literature that if the ball is a foul fly ball, regardless of the outs, they tag up just so they are use to always tagging up on a foul fly ball. I don't agree with that thinking. With two outs and a fly ball I don't want them thinking, "Is it
fair or foul?" I think should should be sprinting forward. It's hard enough to get some of them to do that anyway.

Interesting - I've never heard of that. It seems like it's complicating things unnecessarily. I've always coached that you treat every ball as fair until the ump calls it foul.

 

[Doug Romrell]

That"s why I tell my players 2 outs/2 bases. If they are on 2nd they know that on contact they are sprinting home unless we stop them.

Oh, now I get what you meant. LOL! I didn't know what the #(*&@ you were talking about. I thought maybe it was just you having another can or two of the bubbly before the weekend was over. ;-)

 

[Doug Romrell]

Interesting - I've never heard of that. It seems like it's complicating things unnecessarily. I've always coached that you treat every ball as fair until the ump calls it foul.

The problem with that (with less than two outs) is that you're going to miss getting some base advances on caught foul fly balls.

 

[riseball]

Oh, now I get what you meant. LOL! I didn't know what the #(*&@ you were talking about. I thought maybe it was just you having another can or two of the bubbly before the weekend was over. ;-)

We teach that with a runner on 2nd and two outs if there is a single the runner is expected to score. If they throw home then we hold the runner at third while sending the trailing runner to 2nd. The girls are so used to it that when I hold up two fingers they will all be yelling two outs, two bases. Everyone is on the same page and the other team knows that given the chance we are coming at them.