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Chapter 25. Baseball Practice Sessions
To get the baseball program started-and it's never too early-the manager first needs to know:
Indoor Meetings Since so much teaching is involved in amateur baseball, work should be started indoors-in a gymnasium, classroom, or private home. The manager will find that there are many advantages to indoor work. He will be able to use visual aids, like movies, or slides. He can easily give written examinations and blackboard "chalk talks." He can schedule both daytime and evening meetings without worrying about bad weather. He'll also be able to teach many things he simply won't have time for once the playing season starts. As a first step, the manager might jot down a list of subjects that can be covered at indoor meetings, keeping in mind the type of meeting place that will be available. He can then note the amount of time he thinks should be alloted each subject. As a manager works out the schedule, he should remember that the attention span of a lively, growing boy will be very short. To get the most out of a meeting, the subject should be switched fairly rapidly. It is also wise to mix any physical activity with the "sit down" portions of the meeting and to change instructors as often as possible. At every meeting, the manager ought to try to review one subject and introduce a new one. "Review and add something new" is a good axiom. After the baseball practice schedule is made up, the manager can list the teaching tools needed-a blackboard, paper and pencils, white cardboard cut to the size of bases and home plate, rule books, tape to hold the bases in place, etc. The use of baseball equipment is not necessary and should be kept at a minimum. Here's an outline of a program for a Babe Ruth team. It assumes the manager has secured a gym for an hour-and-a-half, once a week for four weeks.
The reader will note that "rules and review" top each list. This means that at least one or two rules should be discussed at each meeting and that one subject covered at a previous meeting should be quickly reviewed. As the ball club gets ready to move out of doors, the manager makes up the second half of his program. Just as with the indoor meeting, he should first outline what is to be covered and then, as each practice comes up, write out the details. Here's a sample outline, which assumes that there will be four opportunities to practice.
There are a number of advantages to organizing baseball practice sessions in the manner described. First and foremost are these: Time will be used efficiently. Interest will not lag. Players and coaches will know what is expected of them. The ball club will eventually play up to its full capabilities. If the manager is unable to attend practice, one of the coaches can carry on. In running his practice, the manager should try to get as much activity as possible to move along routinely. He should, for example, direct hitting and fielding practice exactly the same way at each meeting. Several suggestions are given in the following paragraphs. HITTING PRACTICE Pitchers If the club we've I been using as our model has three pitchers, allot 10 minutes to each boy. Have one boy on the mound, one warming up and the third in the batting order. The pitchers are to lay the ball in the strike zone at three-quarter speed. They are only to throw curves when instructed to do so. The pitchers should throw half of their pitches from the "stretch" position. They are not to bother fielding balls hit to either side. They are to keep the hitter busy. First two pitches are to be bunted fair on the 1st then 3rd base side of the mound. Catchers Before the first pitch, the catcher goes up the 3rd base line about 15 feet and faces the hitter to field the bunt. He moves to the 1st base line for the second bunt. Hitters Hitters should always bat in the order that would be used in a ball game. Two on-deck hitters should be clear of the plate with one on each side to retrieve foul balls. The boy who is to follow the 2nd on-deck hitter, should be in back of the mound keeping track of balls hit to the playing area. His job is to have a constant supply of balls on hand for the pitcher's use. After the two bunts, hitters are given five swings-not hits. This discourages swings at bad pitches. On last hit, batter runs to 2nd, then back to his position. Batting order moves up. Outfield Drills Managers waste valuable time when they hit fly balls directly to an outfielder-even a beginner. Make him run! For rapid improvement in outfielders, try this drill: Take the outfielders behind 3rd and line them up one behind the other facing centerfield. Station someone in short center (perhaps one of the pitchers). Get another boy to assist the hitter (also stationed behind 3rd). At the hitter's signal, the first boy runs hard for centerfield, looking over his right shoulder. The hitter waits till the fielder is at least 100 feet out, then he whacks the ball so it will drop to a spot just in front of the fielder. If the hitter is inconsistent, he can forget the bat and simply throw the ball. When the first outfielder gets to the ball, he throws to the relay man, who throws to the boy assisting the hitter. The outfielder continues to 1st base. As the first boy gets close to the dropping ball, the second one starts. All re-assemble behind 1st base. The drill is repeated with the outfielder looking over his left shoulder as he goes out. The outfielders should then gather in centerfield and practice running straight in to catch the fly. When working with the infield, the outfielder should make three throws to each base (except 1st). One ball should be hit on the ground to the outfielder. The others should be hit in the air to right and to left. Infield Drills There is an established routine for the infield drill. It's designed to cover every possible play that would involve an infielder. Here's how the drill works, along with some suggestions for the manager: GET ONE Initially, each infielder plays the ground ball as he would to retire the batter at 1st base. A second series has the objective of making the double play, 2nd-to-lst Finally, the infielders throw the ball home for a "force" at the plate. Every time a ball ft hit to an infielder, he should cover his base to receive an eventual return throw from the catcher. Shortstop and second baseman should back up on balls hit to 3rd and 1st respectively. To keep the infield drill going, the manager or coach should have two balls in reserve-one in his back pocket and one in the catcher's hands. Immediately after the manager hits one ball, the catcher should hand him another. The manager should try to hit the underhalf of the ball to give it the big bounce. He should hit the ball to the left and right of the fielders. On the first round the manager hits to the third baseman. GET TWO Batter hits to 3rd. On the final round, the batter hits the ball to infielders, who throw to catcher, knee high and over plate. After throwing ball to catcher, infielder charges plate. Catcher rolls ball toward him for another pickup and throw home. Either before or after drill, manager should give all in-fielders some practice on pop flies. Whenever possible during practice, manager might call out a hypothetical situation, give the infield 4 moment to think about it, then hit the ball. For example, he might say: "Bases are loaded. [None out. It's the first inning. No score." The infield, without instruction, should play back for the DP. PHANTOM INFIELD PRACTICE To get a good look at the movements of the players-and to have some fun, incidentally-the manager should occasionally conduct infield practice without a ball. He swings hits bat at an imaginary ball; the fielders pretend to field it and go through all the motions of a regular infield drill. "Phantom" practice is particularly useful indoors. Sometimes it's used outdoors to amuse the crowd in the event there's a delay in the start of a ball game. Pre-Game Practice Practice before a game should be rigidly controlled by the home team. The visiting manager ought to be advised of the plans in advance. The time available pretty much controls the activity. It should be divided equally between Home and Visiting team. Normally, pre-game practice would function something like this:
Home team takes batting practice. Visiting team takes batting practice, plus outfield and in-field practice. Home team takes outfield and infield practice and remains on diamond for start of game. Each manager should see to it that his ball club is on and off the field within the allotted time. During the Ball Game While the pitcher takes his warm-up tosses, the first baseman, using an "infield ball," should throw ground balls to each infielder. The outfielders, with still another ball, should play catch to loosen up their arms. As the pitcher gets to the end of his warm-up period (limited to one minute and eight pitches by the rules), the second baseman should cover 2nd with the shortstop and centerfielder backing up. The catcher throws to 2nd on the last warm-up pitch, then the ball goes around-the-horn. The third baseman is always the last man to handle the ball. During baseball practice and games, if there are strikeouts (with the bases empty) the catcher starts the ball around-the-horn. On put-outs (with the bases empty), the last man to handle the ball, starts it around the infield. On a foul ball which takes a runner or a defensive player out of position, the infielders throw the ball around. Repeat: the third baseman is always the last man to handle the ball before it goes to the mound. THE END
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