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Catch It! Get a Hold of It! Throw It! By Coach Jack Dunn If I were asked to define defensive baseball in as simple terms as possible, I would say “It is a game of playing catch!” Granted ground balls and fly balls must be dealt with, but in the final analysis the ball must be caught and a throw must be made. If my thesis is correct then it behooves the coach to emphasize this aspect of the game in practice daily! In previous Articles I have discussed throwing in “Throwing... The Key to Defensive Baseball”, "Glove Control" and “Get Your Priorities Straight: Ball, Base, Backup”. I recommend that you read these articles if you have not already done so, to refresh you memory. Another consideration/problem of the playing catch game is one that is more often than not neglected and goes uncorrected. It results when the defensive player drops the ball when attempting to exchange the ball from his glove to his throwing hand. Dropping of the ball occurs whenever a quick exchange/throw is necessary: double play pivot, catcher when runner is stealing, relay throws, 1st and 3rd double steal throws—generally speaking, whenever quickness is a must. Trying to be too fast and dropping the ball in the exchange from the glove to the throwing hand is common at all levels of play. What can we as coaches do? Solution: Again we use a catchy saying that makes it easy for the players to remember... easy to teach, learn and understand— Catch it! Get a hold of it! Throw it! Execute each step separately and quickly! Do not run steps together! Practice the following drills to cement the above concepts in your players minds. Rapid-Fire Drill Purposes: 1. To develop quick hands and quick release (without dropping the ball in the exchange from glove to throwing hand.) 2. To learn to carry the throwing hand next to the glove... THUM B to THUM B. 3. To learn to have the body in position to throw by centering on the ball. 4. To force players to throw quickly and accurately while under pressure. 5. To reinforce the concept of "Catch it, get a hold of it, and throw it." Procedure: 1. Players are paired off at a distance of 30/45 feet. Adjust to make age appropriate. 2. All players throw in the same direction—one ball per group. Have backup ball in case of overthrow. 3. Players throw against time—15 seconds. The pair with most throws in 15 seconds wins. 4. This drill can be used daily—players like the competition. 5. When coach yells “stop”, player may count and complete final throw. 6. Run drill several times. Box Drill Purpose: 1. To develop quick, accurate throws, and to emphasize proper mechanics and rhythm. 2. To reinforce the priority system of Ball then Base. Procedure: 1. Four players form a box—60 feet apart for older players, and 45 feet for little leaguers. Use throw-down bases to
simulate a diamond, if needed. 2. Throw the ball around the box/bases clockwise for 30 seconds, then switch groups. 3. Have groups throw in counterclockwise direction for variety. 4. For competition, count the times each group throws the ball around the box in 30 seconds. Line Relay Drill Purposes: 1. To simulate throwing under game conditions. 2. To force the players to throw quickly and accurately while under pressure. 3. To emphasize the proper execution of throwing and relay mechanics. 4. To teach players to turn correctly during a relay throw.
Procedure: 1. Divide the team into groups of four. Groups of three are okay if necessary, but not ideal. 2. Place members of each group about 90 feet apart for adults, or 60 feet apart for little leaguers. This will approximate the throwing distance between bases and is about the distance the relay man is from the outfielder. 3. Place the first player on the foul line, and place the balance of players in that group one-by-one an equal distance apart toward the outfield fence. Groups should be as far apart from each other as practical for safety’s sake. 4. Infielders should be in the middle positions (2 & 3) of lines to practice relay moves and throws. 5. Outfielders and catchers should be at end positions (1 & 4). 6. Players at the beginning of each line start with a baseball. 7. Begin the drill on the coach’s command. Teams throw the ball down and back a predetermined number of times. If an overthrow occurs or a relay man is missed, the ball must be returned and thrown accurately to the overthrown player before the ball can be advanced. 8. The winning group is the one that can throw the ball quickest to the end of the line and back the designated number of times. Remember: The relay man should turn to his glove-hand side on accurate throws to him to facilitate making his throw to the next player. Do not put all the best arms in one line—it destroys competition. Outfield / Tandem Relay Drill Purposes: 1. To teach the correct mechanics of the relay throw on extra-base hits. 2. To teach outfielders to throw accurately to the relay man. 3. To teach the Tandem Relay System.
Procedure: This drill (Phase #1 and Phase #2) can be run with both groups throwing at the same time. Or, the groups may alternate —that is, the left field group throws, then the right field group throws (this is the safer of the two mechanics and is easier for the coach to supervise and instruct). Phase #1: 1. Divide the team into two groups, with half of the outfielders in left field and half in right field. Place several balls on the ground in left-center and right-center fields. 2. An outfielder in left field runs and picks up a ball in left-center field and throws it to the relay man (the shortstop), who throws to third base. The second baseman trails the shortstop if the Tandem Relay System is used. 3. Then, an outfielder in right field runs and picks up a ball in right-center field and throws it to the relay man (the second baseman), who throws to the catcher at home plate. The first baseman acts as a cutoff man. The shortstop trails the second baseman if the Tandem Relay System is used. Phase 1 of the Outfield / Tandem Relay Drill:
Phase 2: 1. Flip flop the drill by having the right fielder throw to the relay man (the second baseman), who throws to third base. 2. The left fielder throws to the relay man (the shortstop) who throws to the catcher at home plate. The first baseman acts as cutoff man. (The first baseman must be alert for throws coming from right field to third base to avoid being hit by the ball.) 3. Include trailers if the Tandem Relay System is used. Phase 2 of the Outfield / Tandem Relay Drill:
Conclusion: Successful coaching involves controlling as many aspects of the game as possible. This article addresses one of these areas. Remember: You are successful if you are as good as you can be! To be a good defensive player make the routine play. M ake it consistently and make it under pressure. Good luck! Jack Dunn’s book, From the Third Base Coach’s Box—Is available in paperback at lulu.com for $21.95, or an ebook version can be purchased at barnesandnoble.com for $9.99.
