Fielding with two triangles

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Two fungo drills you may not have done

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The Suicide Squeeze - Part 5: Defending the squeeze play

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Talking hitting

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I got it, you take it!

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First base: Defending the "first move"

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First base & Third base cutoffs

One of the important jobs for both third basemen and first basemen is to be the cutoff guy on throws to home plate from the outfield.  Below are some things both should consider and/or do to make the play more successful.


Line yourself up.  I mentioned this part in the First Base Mistakes post a while back but I'll mention it again.  A good fielder knows where he is on the field at all times.  A fielder should not have to be lined up by the catcher who yells "left!" or "right!"  Take a peek back to the catcher a couple of times if you have to when lining yourself up.  The catcher has his own set of issues to worry about.  Where you are positioned shouldn't be one of them.  In big, loud stadiums you might not even hear the catcher anyway. 


Watch the runner tag.  Whether the runner is rounding first base or third base on the play, it is the job of the first and third basemen to watch the runner tag the base on the way by.  As you are moving into position for the cutoff, take a peek at the bag and see if he touches it.  A runner may only miss a bag once all season but you definitely want to be paying attention when it happens.

Knowing who the outfielder is, how
good of an arm he has, and in what direction
he is moving all play a role in
the cutoff man's positioning.
(Photo by Icon/SMI)

Know the outfielder.  A cutoff man needs to know how strong of an arm the outfielder has prior to the play.  In large part, that will determine where he positions himself on the cutoff.  If the outfielder has a weak arm, the cutoff man should position himself a bit closer to the outfield.  If the arm is stronger, he moves back closer to home plate on the cutoff.  Other variables apply as well.  If an outfielder is standing still on the catch or moving away from the infield before the throw, the cutoff man usually will move towards the outfield because the outfielder will not be able to generate a lot of momentum on his throw.  On the other hand, if an outfielder is charging hard on a ball and comes up throwing, the cutoff man should be moving back towards the catcher and allow the outfielder to get the most out of his throw with his built up momentum.  In that case, the cutoff man's job may simply be to just redirect the throw if it is offline.


Don't rely on the catcher.  Just like a cutoff man should not rely on the catcher to properly position him when lining up the throw, the cutoff man should not always rely on the catcher to tell him what to do when the throw comes in.  Sometimes catchers will screw up and either say the wrong thing or nothing at all.  The most common mistake is when the catcher says nothing on a throw that is dying or a bit offline.  Many cutoff men will let it go because the catcher never said "cut!"  If the cutoff man sees the throw is either not going to reach home plate quickly or if he notices the ball is offline, he should not wait for the catcher to say "cut."  He should cut it off and possibly make the throw to the plate himself.  This also applies when the cutoff clearly sees that the runner trying to score will easily be safe.  The cutoff man sees the runner round third and also sees the outfielder's throw.  If he can tell by the timing of things that the runner will be safe, he should cut the throw regardless of what the catcher says and just prevent the batter or other runners from moving up another base.  Of course, this requires the cutoff man to be observant of multiple things at the same time.  Not easy, but as kids get older this becomes more of a responsibility.


Square then turn.  When the cutoff man is in the proper location, he should square his body up to the thrower with his arms raised above his head.  This gives a clear target for the outfielder to throw to.  However, when the ball is released by the outfielder, the cutoff man must try to get to the proper side of the ball so that the glove side of his body is facing home plate when he catches the ball.  This requires some quick footwork at times but it must be done.  A cutoff man who catches the throw squared up to the outfielder will waste valuable time turning around to make the throw to home plate after catching the ball.  The cutoff man who is already turned with his glove side facing home when the catch is made can just catch and throw without having to turn around first.


Be quick not strong.  On most cutoff plays, a strong throw from the cutoff man to the catcher is not needed.  What is more valuable is a quick throw.  A strong throw usually requires more steps by the thrower to generate momentum in order to get the most out of the arm.  As a result, a strong throw takes longer.  A cutoff man needs to focus on being quick in his transition from catching to throwing especially since the distance of his throw to the catcher is relatively short.  Catch the throw and get rid of it quickly.  

Tips for diving after ground balls

Being a defensive minded baseball person by nature, I love watching highlights of great defensive plays by infielders.  For me, a player diving for a ball and getting up to throw a strike to first base is better than watching a batter hit a game winning home run. 

Although some of these Major League infielders have extraordinary physical abilities that cannot be taught, there are some technical aspects of making a play like this that can be learned.  The key of course is make time to practice them.  Some might argue that practicing “Web Gems” is fluff and a waste of time.  I disagree.  It not only adds some spice to the monotony of practice but may even lead to an unbelievable play to save a  game!

When practicing your diving, work on including the following: 

Dive with both arms out.  If you dive with only your glove arm extended, it will be very hard to get up after the catch.  Having both arms outstretched on the dive allows you to push up with both arms instead of just one.

Twins shortstop JJ Hardy dives with both arms out.
(Photo by Mike Carlson, AP)

Angle towards the outfield.  When you dive, try to get into the habit of diving slightly towards the outfield.  This allows you a little more time to reach ground balls because the ball is traveling a few feet farther before you touch it.

Bring your feet to your hands.  After catching and landing with both arms outstretched, plant your hands on the ground and bring your feet up to where your hands are.  Your momentum on the dive should allow this to happen fairly easily.  What players don’t want to do is try to do a pushup with their arms.  That will require a player to stop his momentum before doing the pushup to get up.  Use your momentum on the dive to your advantage.

Land wide.  When you bring your feet to your hands, be sure to land with your feet wide – slightly more than shoulder width.  This will immediately put your body in a strong base which is better suited for a long, strong throw.

Land with your front side facing your target.  This takes some body control but try to land not only with your feet wide but turn your body as you are coming up to enable your front side to point to the target when you land.  This is not always possible depending on where the ball is hit but it can be a big help in saving time before throwing.

One hop the throw. Especially on long throws, don’t be shy about throwing a one hop throw to first base.  A low, line-drive throw that bounces once will usually get to first base more quickly than a big, slow arcing one.


This clip shows all the above tips in action except the one hop throw.  Keep pausing it to see each step of the process.

Tips for an underhand toss

There are a number of plays in baseball that require an underhand toss:

Ranger pitcher CJ Wilson

• A first baseman tossing the ball to the pitcher covering first.
• A pitcher fielding a hard hit bunt on the first base side and tossing it to the first baseman.
• A pitcher tossing the ball to the catcher on a squeeze bunt.
• A shortstop tossing the ball to second base on a double play or force out.
• A second baseman tossing the ball to the shortstop on a double play or force out.

Like everything else in baseball, there are a lot of little things that go into a simple throw like an underhand toss.  Here are a few to make it the best it can be.

Yankee first baseman Mark Teixeira

Get your glove out of the way. Some players make the mistake of keeping their glove too close to the ball when they throw a ball underhand.  This makes it tough for the receiver to see where the ball is coming from.  After catching the ball, put your glove on or near your hip so the fielder clearly sees your throwing hand and where the ball is coming from.


Step to your target when you toss.  Standing still and tossing underhand tends to make your arm swing too high or not high enough.  Catch the batted ball, step towards your target, and underhand while you are moving to the target.

Former Tigers shortstop 
Adam Everett

Don't let your arm go above parallel.  When you swing your arm up to toss, make sure your arm doesn't go too high.  Stop it at the parallel mark.  An arm that stops before that will tend to toss the ball too low.  An arm that stops higher than that tends to put too much arc on the ball or throw it too high.


"Shake his hand." Recoiling after letting go of the ball screws up your accuracy.  After tossing the ball, stop your arm at the parallel mark and keep it there as you move to the target as if you are going to shake the hand of the person you are throwing to.

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard

No arcs.  Firm, line drive tosses only.  A toss with too much arc will get there slower and usually is too high to handle easily and quickly.


Keep your head still.  By "still" I mean do not lift it up as you are throwing.  From the start of your toss to the finish, keep your head at the same height from the ground.  Picking your head up brings your arm up as well which creates an arc.


Chest high.  Aim for the chest.  It is more easily seen and handled by your teammate.


Throw and go.  Continue moving in a straight line towards your target after tossing to improve accuracy.


As you can see, even a simple play like an underhand toss involves a lot of little things that must be done consistently to get the most out of it for you and your teammate.

3-6-3 double play

Starting a 3-6-3 double play
(Photo by LakeCountyCaptains)

One of the many pet-peeves of mine when I watch games is on a 3-6-3 double play when either the shortstop or the first baseman yells "Inside!" or "Outside!" before the throw to second base.  Saying anything is unnecessary.  Whether the first baseman throws to the inner side or to the outer side of the bag simply depends on where the first baseman is when he catches the ground ball.  If he is on the infield side of the base path (photo at right), he should always throw to the shortstop who positions himself on the infield side of the bag - again like the photo.  If the first baseman is playing deeper and catches the ball on the outfield side of the base path, he should always throw the ball to a shortstop who has positioned himself on the outfield side of second base.  In both cases, if done properly, the ball stays out of the path of the runner and will not hit him.  As I said in this previous post on common mistakes by first basemen, great players know where they are at all times on the field and should not have to be directed by others, in this case telling a shortstop where to be.  The shortstop should already know where to be based on where the first baseman caught the ball.
The only tricky part about this play is when the first baseman catches the ball directly in the base path.  To avoid throwing the ball in line with the runner, the first baseman should continue forward after catching the ball to get on the infield side of the base path before throwing.  That is a more natural movement as opposed to trying to back up to the outfield side of the base path after catching.  

First Base Mistakes

Common mistakes by those who play first base.

Assuming you're just a hitter.  It is true that many great hitters who have lost a step on defense get put over at first base but that doesn't mean the position should be taken lightly.  Only those who have never played with a great first baseman say the position is overrated.  Virtually every play in the infield involves the first baseman in some capacity.  Take great pride in your defense.  Practice, study, and master the position.  Your teammates in the infield will love you!

AP Photo

Stretching too soon.  Most first basemen know to stretch with their glove-side foot first.  However, many don't wait for the throw to be made before stepping.  In other words, they assume it is going to be a good throw and have already committed their feet.  Good first basemen get to the bag and place both heels near the bag.  After they see where the throw is they step to the ball, square up to block it, jump, or do whatever else is called for.  To be a great first baseman, master your footwork around the bag and be ready for any scenario on every play.

Relying on the catcher too much on relays.  First of all, good players know where they are on the field at all times.  A good first baseman should never have to rely on the catcher to line him up on a relay throw.  Many stadiums at the higher levels are too loud on plays like that for the first baseman to hear "Left!" or "Right!" anyway.  It's the first baseman's job to get himself lined up properly.  Second, a good first baseman doesn't wait to hear for the catcher to yell "Cut, home!"  He can see the throw himself and judge if the throw is off-line or if it doesn't have the carry to reach home plate.  In those situations, he cuts it regardless of what the catcher says or doesn't say.

Photo by Stuart Cahill

Letting balls get past them.  It is considered a "cardinal sin" to allow a playable ball to get past you as a first baseman.  A first baseman can knock a ball down, kick it, step on it, bobble it again, and still get to first before the runner.  He even has the help of the pitcher in covering first base.  A first baseman doesn't have to have tremendous hands.  However, he does have to do everything in his power to keep the ball in front of him.  Tip:  Practice diving for ground balls regularly.  It's great fun and you get a chance to practice your own "web gems!"



Tomorrow:  2nd Base