The pitcher on relays

[jdint]

I think this is something that we could do if we had the practice time to work the different scenarios often enough. Or if I just had the same 9 players in the same spots every game.

I'm probably looking for the impossible here. I think there's likely no quick/easy solution that we can knock out in a single practice.

The easiest thing might be to tell the pitcher to back up the play and if there's no room to just get out of the way. I just don't love taking our better players/athletes out of the play like that.

DD's previous travel team had the pitchers (who were arguably the best all around athletes) take the cuts that 1st
or 3rd would generally take.

 

[wheresmycar]

What part of "There is no room to back up home" was unclear? Should she hop onto the catcher's shoulders?

The pitcher needs to anticipate where the over thrown ball will "ricochet" too. This is your home field, so you should know where over throws typically end up.

Example, if overthrows home from LF end up bouncing off the back stop, and up the 1st base line, this is where the pitcher should be "backing up". If throw is from RF, then the back up spot would be up the 3rd base line, maybe well inside the base line, to be out of the way of any runners, or on the 3rd base fence in foul territory.

Can't give specifics, not knowing your field.

 

[sylvesterx4]

Have the pitcher line up to cut the throw home for redirection. Let the catcher call when the ball gets cut or gets redirected, depending on whether the play can be made at home or not.

 

[GunnerShotgun]

The pitcher needs to anticipate where the over thrown ball will "ricochet" too. This is your home field, so you should know where over throws typically end up.

Example, if overthrows home from LF end up bouncing off the back stop, and up the 1st base line, this is where the pitcher should be "backing up". If throw is from RF, then the back up spot would be up the 3rd base line, maybe well inside the base line, to be out of the way of any runners, or on the 3rd base fence in foul territory.

Can't give specifics, not knowing your field.

View attachment 27779

I wouldn't "Back up" there as there is no way to back up third if needed (I realize in your scenario this isn't needed). Sometimes the play will be at 3B or Home pending what shenanigans your OF's are up to. I would shade towards the 3B side with the same thought of corralling wild throws and bounces while backing up the play at 3B if needed. It keeps it simple.

You definitely don't want your pitcher hurt in any scenario. Shade the P to the 3B side and get in your 1B's ear that she needs to coral wild throws/bounces up the 1B side.

With a short backstop like that, I wonder about balls entering the dugout although you didn't mention it.

 

[wheresmycar]

I wouldn't "Back up" there as there is no way to back up third if needed (I realize in your scenario this isn't needed). Sometimes the play will be at 3B or Home pending what shenanigans your OF's are up to. I would shade towards the 3B side with the same thought of corralling wild throws and bounces while backing up the play at 3B if needed. It keeps it simple.

You definitely don't want your pitcher hurt in any scenario. Shade the P to the 3B side and get in your 1B's ear that she needs to coral wild throws/bounces up the 1B side.

With a short backstop like that, I wonder about balls entering the dugout although you didn't mention it.

Cutoffs/backups are definitely situational. There is no single answer.

 

[GunnerShotgun]

There is no single answer.

Sure there is. We are only really talking about two scenarios in that the pitcher would shade to the 1B side of home plate to back up the throw.

1. Single to LF/LC with a runner on second base, runners on 1B or 2B, or bases loaded;
2. Fly ball to LF/LC field with a runner on 3b and fewer than two outs;

In those two scenarios, the pitcher would shade to the 1B side of home plate to back up the throw home. With the short field, it seems pointless, and I agree. Always back up to the 3B side of home plate (which you are already doing in most other scenarios) and have 1B pick up the slack.

 

[Jones1969]

I'm trying to figure out where the best place to put my pitcher on relays.

The obvious answer is the pitcher should back up 3B/Home, and the 1B should be the cutoff on plays at the plate.

But for most of our games, there is very little room (less than 30 feet, and often times 10-15 feet max) behind home plate. I don't know that she'd even have enough room to be an effective backup, and she might just end up getting in the way of the play.

Does anybody just have pitchers function as the cut on plays from the outfield? I can see why this often isn't done, but it seems like the most logical option for us.

I guess my question would be, “why is your first baseman not athletic enough to get to the cutoff spot? And if they are not, then why do you have them there?” Also, a lot of this depends on what age. The younger the age the more likely the throw is going to be wide and you would NEED backup.

 

[_MIA_]

I guess my question would be, “why is your first baseman not athletic enough to get to the cutoff spot? And if they are not, then why do you have them there?”

maybe because it is HS softball and sometimes you don't have the luxury of having a kid who can both hit and play 1B with the grace of Keith Hernandez??

 

[CoachJD]

I guess my question would be, “why is your first baseman not athletic enough to get to the cutoff spot? And if they are not, then why do you have them there?” Also, a lot of this depends on what age. The younger the age the more likely the throw is going to be wide and you would NEED backup.

Because I'm not wasting the few really good athletes I have at first base, and she can hit pretty well. She's learned the game quite a bit in the past couple years -- as a freshman she came to us with no experience; she's a junior now -- I think with some work we could probably get her to cheat a little to anticipate some of those plays, but there's also not much time for that.

We pretty much get one practice a week at this point. If we get another, it's likely indoors because rain canceled a game so that limits what we can work on.

HS coaches have to be very good at making it work with what you have. That's really the theme of my OP. I'm trying to think outside the box a bit to accommodate for field conditions and the players I have. Can't always do things the normal way.