For youth baseball, all pitching needs to be is this: throw the ball hard, and throw it over the plate.  If your young pitchers can do that, you will probably win most of your games, because the pitchers on other teams won’t.

And why won’t they? Mainly because they don’t put in enough practice time to develop the necessary command of their pitches. Your pitchers practice, and so throw a lot of strikes. Their pitchers watch TV instead, and walk too many batters. You win that contest almost every time.

So what I’m saying above everything else that can be taught about good pitching, pitching requires practice, practice and more practice. A young wanna-be will not develop into a real pitcher unless he is practicing a few minutes in his backyard almost every day (or every second day, more about that at the clinics), for months.

A good high-school pitcher can stand out on the mound and throw a lot of strikes even with his eyes closed, because he “feels” the plate. His head knows just where the strike zone is, and his arm is used to throwing strikes; its muscles know just what to do to get the ball over the plate. Your 12-year-old pitchers won’t be quite that capable, but if they practice they can develop the beginnings of that same “feel” for the plate. And if they do, you’ll have a real youth pitcher on your hands.

So much for the absolute truth about the need for practice. Now let’s talk a bit about pitching technique. I won’t get very far into it, because that would take 50 pages. But I’ll cover some of the essential fundamentals, and we’ll get deeper into it at NSBC’s annual pitching clinics.

Pitching is all about the velocity and spin (often called “rotation”) the pitcher puts on the ball, and the way the ball passes through the air. It involves something called the “Magnus Effect”. This is all a bit complicated, so we’ll explain and demonstrate it at the clinics. For now, let’s talk about some specific kinds of pitches.

First and most important, young pitchers need to develop a decent fastball. That should be of the four-seam variety, as described in the Throwing section above. The reason the four-seam fastball comes first is that, of all pitches, it produces the most velocity. The kind of rotation you get with the four-seamer allows it to move through the air with the least friction and so the least loss of speed on the way to the plate. And, properly thrown (which is taught easily enough), the four-seamer’s axis of rotation is parallel to the ground and perpendicular to the flight of the ball. That produces the least side-to-side movement, and is therefore the easiest to control. As the pitcher’s strength develops, he will even begin to get a little fastball “hop” as the pitch approaches the plate. That’s something you hear batters talk about a lot. (It really does happen, but it’s not actually what it appears to be - more about that at the clinics.)

There is an important technique for adding 5-10% to the speed of a pitcher’s fastball. It involves the elbow and palm of the left hand, and it’s pretty easy to learn. But it’s rather awkward to describe in writing, so we’ll demonstrate at the pitching clinics.

After your pitcher has developed a controllable fastball, no matter what its speed, he should (in my opinion) develop a change-up. The reason is that the change-up turns the batter’s problem into one of three dimensions. If the pitcher always throws at about the same speed, the hitter knows how to time his swing, and all he has to worry about is high-and-low, and in-and-out (two dimensions).

Many good youth hitters will have developed a decent solution for that puzzle by the time they are 12 years old. But add in an uncertainty about what speed the pitch will be coming in at, and it’s a whole new story. That’s what a good change-up can do for a pitcher.

Probably the best change-up to learn is either the “three-finger change”, or the so-called “circle change”. Both are thrown with the exact same motion (and arm speed) as the fastball, so the hitter cannot get any advance idea that it’s coming. But it requires good control by the pitcher, because you would rather not throw a change-up right down the middle of the plate. Some batters might guess right from time to time, and bang that fat, slower pitch deep into the outfield. So it’s best thrown down and over the corners.

The inside corner is effective if the batter does not detect the slow speed until too late, because he tends to be too far around and hits it foul, even if he does manage to make contact. But it can be risky when the batter guesses right, because you are throwing into his power zone. The outside corner is much less risky that way, but gives the batter a bit better chance to make a last-second swing adjustment to get the ball stroked into fair territory.

We’ll demonstrate the three-finger and circle-change, and a good way to practice change-ups, at the pitching clinics. Needless to say, adding the change-up takes a good deal more practice.

So now the young pitcher has two good pitches. For an 11- or 12-year-old, that’s all he needs to be very effective in his age group. He should practice and practice those two pitches, building his control and his arm strength. Absolutely NO fancy pitches, like attempts to throw sliders, cutters, screwballs, etc. All those pitches put too much strain on a young arm. Too many young ball-players are finished as pitchers before they are 15 years old, just because they have thrown their arms out with those fancy pitches. Stick with the fastball and change-up for now, until the arm is physically more mature and might be better able to stand the strain those more advanced pitches put on it.

Having laid out the cautions an 11- or 12-year-old pitcher should strictly adhere to, I still want to give you a little idea about what can lie ahead for a ball-player who is still pitching at ages 15 (maybe) and up. That’s just so you, as the 12-year-old’s coach, can see something of the “big picture” in development of a really good young pitcher.

I’ll talk here about the well-developed young pitcher in his middle to late teens who is starting to near physical maturity. He already has a good four-seam fastball and change-up, and is feeling no pain of any kind when throwing any of his pitches.

We’ll first add a third pitch, which can be a two-seam fastball. The two-seamer moves almost as fast as the four-seam, but unlike the four-seamer it includes some very significant “movement”.  The axis of rotation tilts to the right a bit, and the ball tends to slide inward, toward the hands of a right-handed batter. This pitch is comparatively simple (and safe) to learn.

Another possibility for a third pitch is the beginnings of a cut fastball or slider. WITHOUT ARM OR WRIST TURNING. That requires a slight change from the four-seam grip, so the ball’s axis of rotation is tilted (oppositely to the two-seamer), and the ball will tend to move to the left (as viewed by the right-handed pitcher). Same arm motion as the four-seamer, but the pitch goes just a little slower than the fastball, and the side-to-side movement complicates the batter’s life.  The pitch can start out heading right down broadway, but suddenly as it gets close to the plate, it seems to just sort of “slide” a bit to the outside. The batter, who thought it looked like a fat pitch, has already committed to his swing, and now he misses, or hits it weakly off the end of the bat.

Now our young pitcher has three pitches to mix up. His effectiveness is enormously increased. But he has to practice even more, because control is key. He needs command of all three pitches, meaning he has to be able to throw them for strikes whenever he wants, or start thinking about how he’ll avoid those splinters on the bench. The slider, particularly, takes a lot of practice to get the movement and still retain good control.

Just that one additional pitch is probably enough for nearly all teenage pitchers. But for the pitcher who practices like it was his religion, we can even think about adding a fourth pitch. The beginnings of a split-finger fastball. AGAIN NO ARM OR WRIST TURNING. That pitch will seem to the batter like it suddenly sinks just as it gets to the plate. It’s sort of opposite to the “hopping” fastball. (It really does sink, but not quite the way the batters think; more about that at the clinics.) Or we can bypass the two-seam and slider altogether, and concentrate on the split-finger for a third pitch. Whatever seems to work best for that particular pitcher.

All this time, I’ve never mentioned the curve-ball (or the wrist-turn slider, either). Why not?  Because I don’t believe it’s a healthy pitch for young pitchers. A big curve with a lot of movement can be a wonderfully effective pitch, but the price a young pitcher must pay to throw it can ruin his career. The quick wrist-turning that is normally involved in throwing a big curve can put a huge strain on the ligaments and tendons in the wrist, elbow (especially) and shoulder, and cause injuries that can take months, even years, to heal completely. So I will never encourage young pitchers to develop a “big-bender” curveball.

Certainly, not all kids will suffer injury from throwing the big curve. But I think enough do that it’s a good thing to stay away from. Especially when you have so many other things to teach.  One of these days someone will come around and show me how to avoid injury while throwing a big curveball. But so far no one has, and until that day arrives I will not encourage young pitchers to practice throwing the big bender, despite its ability to stymie even the best young hitters.

It’s not the curveball that really impresses college scouts anyway. What the big schools want most is the flame-thrower who has excellent control and another pitch or two that are little more than variations off the fastball. And a good change-up. After a pitcher has reached full physical maturity, his college coach might teach him a big, effective curve (and watch very carefully for pain or inflammation around his elbow).

It’s all just my opinion, but because I’ve had personal experience with it, I won’t ever encourage a young pitcher to throw the big curve. Not when he could be developing more impressive pitches that will have even more lasting value. Let the big-bend curveball wait; it will be a wonderful addition later.

For similar reasons, I don’t encourage side-arm or “submarine” pitching. Stick with the overhand stuff - its much safer, more effective, and more likely to have real lasting value. Same goes for other pitches your kids will have heard about, like the screwball, forkball, knuckleball, and all that stuff. Youngsters have more important and fundamental pitches to work on for the first five or six years, at least.

And that leads to a few words about nomenclature. In baseball, a pitch that moves from side to side (i.e., horizontally) is called a “slider”, while a pitch that seems to bend sharply down (i.e., vertically) is usually called a “sinker”. A ball that does a lot of both is a “curveball”. A ball that moves mostly horizontally, but also has noticeable sink is sometimes called a “slurve”. The point is that no matter how a pitcher throws the pitch, it gets its name from the kind of movement the hitter sees.

There are many variations on how to throw each of these pitch types - that is a large part of what differentiates pitchers. But remember - it all boils down to the kind of velocity and rotation (spin) the pitcher is able to put on the ball. We’ll show more about this at the pitching clinics.

Having spent all our time until now talking about specific kinds of pitches and deliveries, there is plenty left to say about the tactics of pitching. Let’s cover just a few.

First, in my opinion, a dedicated pitcher must be a real thinker. He must have a long attention span, a great ability to concentrate on the task at hand, and a lot of mental tenacity. Tim Hudson of the Oakland A’s is a good example of those qualities. Hudson is not a physically big man for a major league pitcher, but he has a variety of fastball-based pitches (seldom throws a curve), and an “attitude”. His coaches sometimes refer to him as the “bulldog”, because he gets so focused, so intense, so tenacious whenever things start going against him. You can see it when you watch him pitch. That kind of mental approach has made him a big success.

I think any young pitcher can work on developing that same approach to pitching. It’s a matter of desire, an intense determination to keep batters under control. If you can get that across to a young developing pitcher, you will have made a great contribution to his career.

(Tim Hudson has been traded to the Atlanta Braves for the 2005 season. I think Ted Turner still has his own TV channel that broadcasts Braves’ games nationwide. Tell your young pitchers they should watch Hudson anytime he shows up on their home TV. I think he’s a great pitching model for young pitchers to emulate. And he doesn’t run his mouth.)

A pitcher must learn very early-on that he always wants to stay “ahead” of the batters, and almost never pitch from behind. That means he always wants to lead in the ball/strike count, and seldom find himself in a position where he MUST throw a strike. He should try especially hard to make the first pitch to each new batter a strike whenever possible (but not a real fat one). He wants to keep the batter on the defensive, all the time.

Train your pitchers and catchers to have a plan for each batter. When a new batter steps in, your pitcher (or catcher, if you prefer) should decide on the pitch pattern he intends to throw him (and of course your catcher should be in on the plan), rather than playing it by ear, pitch by pitch. You should teach your pitchers and catchers some idea of what that pattern might be. In fact show them two or three example patterns they can choose from for each batter. Example pitch sequences for each pitcher will be different, depending on what kind of “stuff” each one has, and depending on the known or apparent characteristics of that particular hitter. We’ll talk about such patterns at the pitching clinics. But for those patterns to be effective, your pitchers need good control. Did I mention yet that pitchers need to practice?

Your pitchers and catchers need to learn how to pace the game. When things are going well, they should be all business, wasting little time between pitches, and getting on with the game. But when your pitcher is going through one of those periods all pitchers (even the big-leaguers) get into from time to time, where his control and confidence are wavering, both pitcher and catcher need to recognize it, and slow the pace down. Take more time between pitches, give the pitcher time to collect his thoughts, get his concentration back, and recover the strike zone. Same thing applies when there are runners on base -- take a little extra time, and be sure of where you are going, and why. Give the pitcher an opportunity to feel like he’s getting back in control.

Young pitchers need to be told, over and over, that nothing can happen until they decide to throw that next pitch, and they should not do that until they are FULLY READY. To a great degree, that’s how smart pitchers keep control of the game. (Example - if your pitcher is feeling temporarily rattled, the catcher could call time, and trot out for a quick little conference without the umpire getting too upset. Or the pitcher might just suddenly realize he needs to re-tie his shoe laces. Take some time, catch your breath. Then resume the game when YOU FEEL READY.)

All the pitcher’s teammates need to be trained not to bother or distract him when he’s in the dugout between innings. The pitcher should be allowed to keep his mind completely on the game.

Diverting his attention to other subjects between innings can ruin his concentration in the next inning, especially if laughter and silliness get involved. Of course no teammate would do that to a pitcher if they understood the probable consequences, but young players don’t know that. The coach must tell them. The team rule I like to follow is that only the coach (just one of them) and the catcher are allowed to speak to the active pitcher between innings. They are almost a separate team-within-a-team. During a game, your pitcher is all business. He never smiles. And he never gets visited by his parents.

Recognize that in a sense, pitching is the opposite of hitting. Pitchers should listen closely to everything hitters are being taught, because they need to know how hitters think. That’s so they can plot against them when they’re on the mound. If they know what a hitter is expecting to see in the next pitch or two, they can learn to take advantage of that to set batters up, keep them in check, and control what they are able to do. (And of course, for the same reason, hitters need to pay attention to what pitchers are being taught.) What most untrained spectators never realize is that baseball is so often a hidden cat-and-mouse game of constant move and counter-move. That’s why you want your catchers and pitchers to be alert, always. It wins games - sometimes even against teams that are clearly stronger than yours.

The pitcher is often responsible for covering first base when a ball is hit to the first baseman.

The pitcher should understand he has a serious backup responsibility when a ball is hit to the outfield and there is a possibility of action at third or home. He has no base to cover, so he runs across the third-base line about midway between third and home, into foul territory. From there, he decides whether he is needed more to back up the third-baseman or the catcher, depending on the situation.

The pitcher should also back up second base when there is a throw coming in that direction from the outfield. In a nutshell, after the ball is hit, the pitcher should always be looking for something to do.

And finally, the pitcher may well find himself involved in a “pickle” (a run-down). He should have practiced and rehearsed that beforehand.

As you can see from all the above commentary, the pitcher has a very challenging role to play in every game. For the player who is willing to pay the price of practice, practice, practice, it can be an interesting and exciting way to spend summer hours on the baseball diamond.

Finally, here is a tip on developing arm strength and giddy-up on the fastball:   Use a weighted ball for pitching practice. That will help build arm strength. At the clinics we’ll talk about how to make a weighted ball.

Back to Table of Contents

In the opinion of most coaches, the catcher is your most important defensive player. The pitcher is important too, but nearly his entire concentration must be on dealing with the opposing batters.

Every pitch involves the catcher, too. So he’s likely to be calling the individual pitches, or at least know in advance what’s coming from the pitcher (depending on how you set things up as the coach).

Your catcher should be a leader type. The best catchers have a somewhat aggressive personality, at least when they’re on the field. They have a certain “presence” that all their teammates recognize.  They don’t rattle easily, but stay alert, exhibit self-confidence, and always seem to have the situation well in hand. Look for players that seem to match that mental profile; they just might be your best prospective catchers.

Contrary to what you may have heard, it is not automatically the shorter kids on your roster that should be considered for the catcher’s position. Many good young catchers are tall. You’re looking for the kid with a good throwing arm, quickness in his movements, and the mental characteristics described above, not for a particular physical appearance.

The catcher should have, and does have on good teams, some specific responsibilities:

• The catcher is always checking the other defensive players, making sure they are wide awake and ready for play. Making sure they are positioned in a sensible place for each pitch. Making sure the defense is maximally ready for each pitch to be made. The catcher helps the rest of the defense maintain its concentration at critical times in the game. When the catcher sees something out of order, he yells out instructions to the defensive player that needs a reminder. And all those defenders have been trained to heed the catcher.

• The catcher is often a conduit for communication with the coach. Some coaches call for specific pitches through the catcher. Some teams get entire defensive setups from the bench through the catcher, for each or specific situations.

• Good catchers set an example of alertness for all other defensive players. The good catcher always seems to have everything under control, and communicates that attitude to his teammates.

• The catcher recognizes that he has responsibility for home plate, and guards it like a pit bull. In that regard he is like a goalie in hockey. (In fact, hockey and soccer goalies often make good catchers.)

One last time -- Of all your defensive players, the catcher is the one who should be showing the very most enthusiasm, hustle, confidence and desire.

The catcher manages his pitcher. See the comments about the catcher in the Teaching Pitching section above. He helps his pitcher pace the game in the best way possible. He uses time as a tool.

When things are going well, and the pitcher is in his groove, the catcher never makes him wait; he’s always ready for the pitcher to make the next pitch. But when the pitcher is wavering, the catcher may take a little extra time getting the ball back to the pitcher, a little extra time getting ready behind the plate. All things that annoy the umpire just a bit, perhaps, but help the pitcher get his situation back under control.

The good catcher always has his gear on, ready to go out on the field for the next defensive half-inning just as soon as the third out is made when your team is batting. Unless, of course, when he is batting or running the bases.

The catcher leaves the dugout on the hustle, gets himself immediately prepared for the pitcher’s first warm-up pitch. Lets his pitcher know he’s eager to get the first out. (The coach should have a designated warm-up sub for those times when the catcher must take extra time to get his gear on.)

During the warm-up period, the catcher treats those pitches just like the real thing (though the pitcher will probably not throw at his usual highest velocity for warm-ups). He provides a solid target for every pitch. He frames every pitch (more about that below), and shows he is serious about getting thrown good stuff. He fires the ball right back to the pitcher’s glove-side shoulder after each warm-up throw. Normally he allows the pitcher no more than five warm-up pitches.

After the second-to-last warm-up pitch the catcher shouts a signal to his shortstop. (That shout is often “COMING DOWN”, indicating to the shortstop that a throw from the catcher is about to come down to second base, and to the outfielders that they should throw their own warm-up ball off the playing field.) The catcher then makes a strong throw of the last warm-up pitch down to second base, to get the inning underway. The infielders then throw the ball around, ending with the 3rd baseman, who is always the one to throw the ball back to the pitcher.

For every real pitch, the catcher provides an obvious target with his glove position, and positions his body appropriately to maximize his ability to receive each pitch at the expected spot.

The catcher returns every pitch to the pitcher at the same crisp speed, but not overly aggressively.  He should always throw the ball back to the shoulder of the pitcher’s glove hand.  He wants the pitcher to be able to receive his throw with the least effort possible, and with the least distraction possible to his concentration.

For wild and near-wild pitches the catcher uses his skills to block the pitch, keeping it in front of him much like a shortstop, or hustles after it if it gets away. He treats a wild pitch like an excusable accident, and gets the ball back to the pitcher in the most business-like way possible.

The catcher never communicates frustration or negative emotion to the pitcher. He is always in control of his own feelings, and makes it clear to the pitcher that he has great confidence in his ability to make life miserable for the current hitter.

Every time the ball is hit, the catcher moves out in front of home plate, watching, directing, making it clear he is prepared to protect the plate.

The catcher puts the shin guards on with the buckles to the outside of his legs. If he does it the other way, sooner or later the left-side and right-side buckles will catch while he’s running, and your catcher will fall flat on his face. Very embarrassing.

The catcher’s mask should be equipped with a throat protector. The chest protector should be properly sized and adjusted so it covers as many vulnerable spots as possible, especially the upper chest and groin areas. Your catcher may also like to wear wrist protectors.

The catcher keeps his mask on almost all the time, especially when there is action on the field. The only exception is when the mask might block his vision for catching a pop-up. Especially when blocking a runner off the plate, the catcher always has his mask on; it can save an injury and also helps intimidate the runner from deliberately crashing into the catcher.

The catcher sets up in his stance so that the pitcher is able to throw the shortest distance possible to each hitter.

The catcher adjusts to each hitter's location in the batter's box. The distance between the catcher and the hitter should be about one glove-width from the hitter's back leg to the catcher's normally outstretched arm. The catcher keeps his feet about as wide as his shoulders, to maximize his stability and balance. He keeps his back straight.

A skilled catcher protects his throwing hand by keeping it behind the glove until the pitch strikes the mitt. The throwing hand is spread out behind the mitt, not balled up into a fist. As soon as the pitch hits the mitt, the throwing hand slides around the thumb of the mitt, seeking the best (four-seam) grip on the ball. If there are runners on base, the mitt is meanwhile being drawn back toward the throwing-side shoulder as the catcher turns his body, ready to rifle a throw to the intended base.

(This business of protecting the catcher’s throwing hand is something each coach will have to decide about, depending on the age and skill level of his catcher. Another option is to have your young catcher keep his throwing hand behind his back until the pitch is received in the mitt. The down side of this technique is that any needed throw will be slightly delayed. But it may be the right trade-off for the catcher on your team, at least until he has more experience.)

The catcher receives every pitch with his shoulders square to the pitcher, because any other position of his shoulders would make catching the pitch more difficult. His hands are out in front, not in on the chest protector. The catcher must learn not to blink when the hitter swings the bat; otherwise he will fail to catch some of the pitches, and passed balls will ensue.

He positions himself close enough to the batter to be able to catch low pitches, but far enough back so that he is never called for interference when the hitter swings the bat. He catches each pitch with his arms slightly bent. The wrist and elbows act as shock absorbers to soften the impact of the received ball. He relaxes his left wrist before the pitch arrives.

The catcher does his best to receive pitches with his chest centered on the ball, when the pitch is in or near the strike zone. This alignment with the chest centered on the glove will result in more strikes being called by the umpire.

The catcher does his best to “frame” each pitch. That means he positions the glove to receive the pitch in a manner that best signals to the umpire that the pitch was in the strike zone. He frames a low pitch, for example, with his glove-hand thumb pointed down, rather than scooping or basket-catching the ball.

The catcher does his absolute best to catch or block every pitch. He decides early enough to do one or the other, never both at the same time.

Pitches in the dirt, are always blocked, not caught. The catcher becomes much like a short-stop containing a short-hop grounder out in front of him. He uses the chest protector and his arms and legs as a backstop to contain the ball and keep it in front. The object is to keep the runners from advancing. He moves so he is right in front of, and square to, the ball. The fingertip edge of the glove is on the ground, with the catcher’s body over the glove, tilted toward the pitcher, with knees surrounding the glove and ball. His throwing hand is spread wide over the mitt, so it can keep the ball from popping up suddenly. His head is pointed down, so he has best vision of the ball.

When a pitch in the dirt is also to his right, the catcher plants his right foot outside the ball (when possible), then slides the rest of his body in the same direction. Similarly to the left.

The catcher never attempts to swat or smother a low pitch, or one on the ground, by slamming the mitt palm-down onto the ball as it is moving in toward him or past him. This is a technique many young, untrained catchers will be seen trying. But it almost never works; the ball will almost always get away. Every catcher must learn to block bad pitches in the manner described just above.

When throwing, the catcher likes to maintain a wide stance with the throwing-side foot back a little so he is throwing across his body, not with his body square to the target.

When anticipating a throw, he wants his weight over the balls of his feet, his butt elevated so that his upper legs are about parallel to the ground while receiving the pitch.

An experienced catcher slides his open throwing hand around to the front of the mitt, looking for the best grip (as described above). He grips the ball with the four-seam grip to get the straightest possible flight of the thrown ball.

As soon as the pitch impacts his mitt, the catcher shifts his feet quickly so he is “closed” to the target, with the front hip and shoulder pointed right at it. He takes one step and throws. Never more than one step.

The right place for a catcher to receive a throw is in front of the plate. When awaiting the throw, the catcher does not set up to one side of the plate, nor does he straddle the plate. Remember that the catcher only has a legal right to be blocking the plate when the incoming thrown ball is between himself and the runner who is coming toward the plate. That means the catcher can only be in blocking position for perhaps a half-second before the ball gets to him.

In positioning himself for a normal tag-out, the catcher should always leave his mask on, for safety.  He will watch the throw right into his glove. He will have more confidence for keeping the situation under his control if his mask is firmly in place.

The catcher never forgets that (like a first-baseman), his first priority is to get the throw. If it is off-line, and there are other runners in addition to the one coming to the plate, he will even let the first runner score if necessary, in the interest of getting to the ball and freezing all other runners.

On a ball hit into fair territory, the catcher moves to the front of the plate and anticipates a throw to home. This puts him in a good position for protecting the plate in case it is needed. He can be as much as a foot in front of the plate and still be in excellent position to block the plate as soon as a throw is about to be received.

To protect the plate, the catcher sets up with the left foot just off the left-front corner of the plate on throws from left field and left-center. On throws from right-center and right field, the catcher sets his right foot adjacent to the right-front corner of the plate, with his left foot not far from the left-front corner. He is now in good position to quickly assume the final plate-blocking position.

When anticipating the incoming runner, the catcher stays low, with his body rather relaxed. Knees are bent, with butt down. The runner can be “given” the back half of the plate. The idea is that the catcher wants the runner to believe he has a clear shot at home, to encourage him to slide (not make a headlong dive into the catcher). But as soon as the catcher gets the ball (or an instant before), he steps onto the third-base line with his left foot, with both toe and knee pointed at third base. The plate is suddenly blocked. (This way the catcher cannot get a blow to his knee from the side, only from in front. Side blows are hazardous, and not aided so much by the shin guards.)

When a bunt is made to the third-base side, the catcher stays low to the ground while pursuing the ball. Bunted balls are rarely spinning at any great rate. He runs to the left side of the ball, until he is even with it. He then turns toward first base, and fields the ball with his bare hand, scooping it in with the glove, head right over the ball. Then he aggressively turns a bit clockwise so his hips are “closed” to first base, his left hip and shoulder pointed in that direction. Then one step and a strong throw.

When a bunt is made to the first-base side, the technique is similar. The catcher runs out from the plate, to the left of the ball. When about even with the ball, he turns right a bit to scoop the ball into his throwing hand. He is now in good throwing position for making the throw to first base. The first baseman should be stretching, to give him a target at least two or three feet inside the baseline.

When a bunt is fielded by another player, the catcher’s job is to shout out the base number where the throw should go (even when it is obvious).

When a ball is hit from a full swing, but ends up on the ground out in front of home plate, it is typically spinning very rapidly. The catcher runs out in front of home, to the left of the ball. Then he turns to the right. He smothers the spinning ball with his mitt, and then scoops the ball up with mitt and throwing hand, shuffles his feet toward his target and makes his typical dead-straight throw. Note here that, unlike the bunt situation, there is usually plenty of time - the catcher need not hurry the process.

Many youth coaches and their catchers forget that the catcher has a prime responsibility to back up throws to first base. When the bases are empty, he has no concern about protecting the plate, and he should break for first base even before the hitter (who is still involved in his follow-through with the bat). A quick catcher can save the day at first base if he gets down there in time to field an errant throw. Imagine the surprise of an over-confident base runner who rounds first base on a bad throw, expecting an easy cruise into second, when all of a sudden the second-baseman gets a snappy throw from the catcher who has gotten himself into good backup position outside first base.

When there are runners on base, the catcher’s first responsibility is to guard home plate. He cannot be as aggressive about backing up first. So your catcher has to make good decisions about when he can be absent from the plate, and when not. Note that your first-baseman must understand that he should be alert about covering home anytime the catcher has been caught out of position at a bad time.

All the catcher techniques discussed in this section should be rehearsed at practice.

(Thanks are due Rick Eisenhour, an accomplished catcher in his younger days, who provided almost all the information of substance that appears in this manual about the catcher’s position.)

Some kids start out thinking they don’t want to be a catcher. It’s often not because they’re afraid of being right behind the hitter, but because to a beginner it can seem like the catcher has a boring job - and besides, he has to put all that extra gear on every inning. So they shy away from any suggestion they might make a good catcher. This can make it difficult when trying to evaluate throwing arms in your search for the best kid to fill that important position.

If you line the kids up at home plate and have them each throw a couple balls down to second base, they may quickly figure out that this drill is part of your evaluation of prospective catchers. So they don’t really try very hard to make good throws to second. They’re just not interested, thank you.

In my search for a solution to this problem, I made an incredible discovery one day: It’s exactly the same distance from second to home as it is from home to second !!

So long before I ever mention anything about a need for a catcher, I have an “infield drill” where everyone takes a few practice shots at throwing out an imaginary runner at home, from second base.  Every kid tries his best, and I quickly find out which kids appear to have the strongest, most accurate arms. And which ones I need to convince that catching can be the most exciting position on the field.

Now we go on to the specific infield positions. There is a lot that could be said about each one.

Due to time (and energy) limitations in this first edition of our Coaching Manual, I will say just a few things about each position. More will get discussed at the Coach’s Clinics and the next version of this manual.

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It helps if your first-baseman is tall and left-handed. But it doesn’t have to be that way. You may have a player with good fielding skills, but only average foot speed, and a relatively poor throwing arm for some reason. First base might be the logical place for him to play while he is working on his throwing. Above all, don’t assign first base to some player just because he likes the idea of playing there - it’s an important position to assign for some specific good reason. Major-league teams, for example, often put older outfielders at first base when their legs are about gone, but they still want their bat in the lineup. Remember that, after the pitcher and catcher, your first-baseman will handle the ball more than any other defensive player; so make sure you put someone there you can trust with that much responsibility. A competent first-baseman boosts the confidence of the entire infield.

The first baseman normally plays rather deep behind first base (except, for example, when it’s obvious that a bunt is about to go down, or he’s holding a runner on first base). When he goes after a grounder to his right, the pitcher should be coming over to cover first. This is a situation to rehearse many times in practice, because the pitcher is usually a moving target for the first-baseman’s throw; not a low risk play.

While you are waiting for an anticipated throw from an infielder, the usual best place to be is totally inside the baseline straddling the bag, and presenting a big glove target for the infielder to throw to.

Then move your feet in the appropriate direction if the throw is a bit off-line. Face the direction the throw is coming from, and (usually) stretch with the glove-side leg. Remember to keep only one foot in contact with the bag, and keep it on an inside edge of the bag (not on top) - leave the outside of the bag for the batter-base runner to touch and cross.

When the first-baseman is going after a foul pop close to the fence, he can often use his throwing hand to feel for the fence (if he is left-handed), all the while keeping his eyes on the ball. The pitcher should be yelling distance hints about that fence. Rehearse that a time or two; you’ll be glad you did. The best technique is usually to go directly to the fence, so you know right where it is, then back away to make the catch. Find that fence as quickly as possible.

When the batter hits a double, the first-baseman should trail after him, to perform back-up duty at second base when the throw comes in from the outfield.

The first-baseman is often an active participant in pickles. See the section on pickles below.

When a bunt goes down, and the catcher is going after it, the first-baseman must stretch to give the catcher a good open target to the inside of the baseline. The runner is obscuring the baseline to some extent, so the catcher needs help in getting the ball successfully to first.

The first-baseman will often have cut-off duty for throws from center-field or right-field, when there are runners already on base. A good place to set up is between the baseline and the pitcher’s mound. Because the first-baseman’s back is turned away from the play, the pitcher should be yelling instructions if a cut is appropriate - “CUT, CUT”. Or if a cut and quick relay throw is needed, he should be yelling “CUT 3, CUT 3”, or “CUT HOME, CUT HOME”.

On conflicts between the pitcher and the first-baseman, it is usually NOT the pitcher who should get the ball. Usually, the priority goes to the first-baseman. He should be yelling MINE.

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Make sure your second-baseman is especially alert when a left-handed batter is up - there is a big chance the ball will be hit to him, so he needs to be prepared by knowing what he will do with the ball after he fields it. Often he can afford to play farther back than normal - he has a short throw to first.

Your second-baseman must realize he often has the responsibility for covering first base when the first-baseman is forced to chase down a grounder or a bunt. But don’t run into the pitcher who may also be running over to cover first in some cases. When the first-baseman goes to his right to get a grounder, the second-baseman should perform backup duty, pausing behind the first-baseman to be sure he has really fielded the ball.

An infielder should always look first for a throw-out in the same direction he is moving to field a ball. Get the easy out when available (unless, of course, there is a lead runner he can nip with just a little extra risk). If not, look elsewhere. For the second-baseman, that usually means he will be getting the out at first (or sometimes at home). But sometimes he is moving the other way, and may have a better shot at second or third.

The second baseman often has cut-off duty for throws from center-field or right-field. A good place to set up is between the baselines and the pitcher’s mound. The pitcher should be yelling instructions if a cut is appropriate - “CUT, CUT”. Or if a cut and quick relay throw is needed, he should be yelling “CUT 3, CUT 3”, or “CUT HOME, CUT HOME”. (Remember that the second-baseman can’t see for himself at the critical time - he has his back to the infield at the very time the cut must be decided on).

You have to have a system for deciding who will cover second base on a steal attempt - the second-baseman or shortstop. The situation can vary from pitch to pitch. When the next pitch will be an outside fastball, the second baseman expects the (right-handed) hitter to swing late and hit the ball to him, so he expects the shortstop to cover second base for a steal. But when the next pitch will be a change-up or curve the situation reverses, because the hitter is more likely to pull the ball if he makes contact. The idea here is to avoid pulling out of position the very infielder who is most likely to have the ball hit at him. A signaling system must be used, of course. You can, for example, have your shortstop pick up each pitch-signal from the catcher, and then signal to the second-baseman who is to take any possible throw to second base on that particular pitch.

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For a third-baseman, you would like a player with great quickness (even more than the shortstop has), a very good throwing arm, and great courage. It sometimes takes a lot of “intestinal fortitude” to station yourself in shallow when the situation calls for it, and when the guy batting is big, strong and capable - you’re looking right down the barrel of the gun.

In youth baseball at the Minors level and up, you will usually want to position your third-baseman inside the baseline (the one between second and third), so he can quickly field a bunt. There are exceptions, of course, but that is the most common place he will find himself. Not super-shallow, but enough inside the line to discourage the would-be surprise bunt.

The third-baseman is very often an active participant in pickles, especially for the very important runners who are hung up between third and home. A very important situation to rehearse before the big game.

The third-baseman may end up with cut-off duty for throws from left-field or center-field, when there are runners on base. A good place to set up is just inside the 2nd-3rd baseline. The pitcher should be yelling instructions if a cut is appropriate - “CUT, CUT”. Or, if a cut and quick relay throw is needed, he should be yelling something like “CUT 2, CUT 2”, or “CUT HOME, CUT HOME”.

When the third-baseman is going after a foul pop close to the fence, he can often use his throwing hand to feel for the fence, all the while keeping his eyes on the ball. The pitcher should be yelling distance hints about that fence. Rehearse that a time or two; you’ll be glad you did. The best technique is usually to go directly to the fence, so you know right where it is, then back away to make the catch. Find that fence as quickly as possible.

In the last inning, when you have a lead, play your third-baseman close to the third-base line, and farther back than normal, to protect against an extra-base hit down the line. Late-inning bunts in a situation like this are not so likely, so he can often afford to play farther back.

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Very often you put your best all-round athlete at shortstop, if he’s not already your catcher. The shortstop needs to have your best fielding abilities for ground balls, as well as a take-charge attitude about covering a lot of ground in the infield and shallow outfield. And playing alert, and smart.

The shortstop has a very big area of responsibility. From way behind third base, all the way over to shallow center field. From deep shortstop position, all the way into the pitching rubber area.

The shortstop often has a long throw to first, so he has to be a good fielder - he doesn’t have much time for monkeying around trying to get the ball into his throwing hand. A clever thing some shortstops do is to set up a little extra-deep, then take a little step or two forward as the pitch is approaching the plate - being on the move as the ball is being hit. A good goal is to try to field the ball while moving toward the throwing target - often first base. Have your momentum going in the right direction at the critical time you are fielding and throwing the ball. Then when you throw the ball to first, try to throw it through, not into, the first-baseman’s chest. That helps guard against short throws.

(That technique of being on the move at the time the ball is being hit is one that nearly all fielders, even the outfielders, can put to good use. On every pitch. It can be a lot quicker to change direction than to get moving from a stationary posture.)

The shortstop very often has cut-off duty for throws from center-field or left-field. A good place to set up is about 15 or 20 feet inside the baseline. The pitcher should be yelling instructions if a cut is appropriate - “CUT, CUT”. Or, if a cut and quick relay throw is needed, he should be yelling “CUT 3, CUT 3”, or “CUT HOME, CUT HOME”. (Remember that the shortstop will most often be unable to see for himself at the critical time - he has his back to the infield at the very time the cut-off must be decided on).

Your team must have a system for deciding who will cover second base on a steal attempt - the second-baseman or shortstop. The situation can vary from pitch to pitch. When the next pitch will be relatively slow (e.g., a change-up or curveball), the shortstop expects the (right-handed) hitter to pull the ball in his direction, so he expects the second-baseman to cover second base on a steal attempt. But when the next pitch will be an outside fastball, the situation reverses, because the batter is most likely to hit the ball to the right side of the diamond; so the shortstop must cover second base. The idea here is to avoid pulling out of position the very infielder who is most likely to have the ball hit at him. A signaling system must be used, of course. You can, for example, have your shortstop pick up each pitch-signal from the catcher, and then signal to the second-baseman who is to take any possible throw to second base on that particular pitch.

When the shortstop is going after a pop-up, he must use the MINE...MINE...MINE language to drive the second-baseman and/or third-baseman out of his way. Those infielders should always defer to the shortstop when he asserts himself. The pitcher should be doing his traffic-cop job.

Teach your shortstop when to set up inside the baseline and when to play outside it. It mainly has to do with how long a throw he will have to make. When he can make a short throw to second for a force out, he can often afford to play back. But when he will have to go to first with a long throw, he might be better off playing just inside the baseline. You will be telling him where to play from the dugout, but he has to be prepared to understand what you are telling him to do.

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If you have a fast runner with a good arm in right field, you may even get some outs at first on line drives into right. What a surprise to the opposition. Be careful about lefty batters, though.

(If you’re smart you can get a psychological coaching bonus from this, too. Your weakest player expects to get exiled to right field. When you make him a starter in left field, he believes you think better of him than he expected, and what do you know, he plays more alertly and at a higher level than he would have in right. Of course, you do have to explain to the real right-fielder that you have big expectations for his speed and arm in right field, but you do that when the left-fielder is out of hearing distance.)

On every ball hit to the outfield, the center-fielder always goes after it, either to field it, or to perform backup. No exceptions.

When the ball is hit to the left into the outfield, the center-fielder and left-fielder go after it, and the right fielder goes the opposite way to perform backup duty at second (usually), on the incoming throw. For balls hit to the right side, it’s just the opposite - the left-fielder has backup duty. ALL THREE outfielders are busy on EVERY ball hit into the outfield. Make certain they all understand that.

Teach your outfielders how to back up your infielders on every ground ball. Let the batter get first base when the ball is muffed in the infield, but choke off any aspirations for extra bases by using your outfielders to freeze the runners. Too many youth teams let their players think that outfield is a boring place to get exiled to. Good outfielders are busy on EVERY PITCH, moving, moving, so they can have the best defensive effect. It is NOT an easy or boring job. Kids need to learn that.

For conflicts between the infield and outfield on pop-ups, the outfielder normally has priority, because the ball is coming down in front of him. For the infielder that same ball may need a circus catch. Make sure your outfielders understand that, and yell MINE...MINE....MINE to assert themselves when they can catch any ball.

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The “pickle” is another word for a run-down. A runner is caught between bases, and you want to get him tagged out. The goal is to do it with only one throw parallel to the baseline, because with every throw comes the hazard of an error - a throw goes awry, or hits the runner who is then able to scamper into a base while your teammate is chasing the ball.

When you see a runner is hung up between bases, your throw should go to the base ahead of him, so that he has to head back. Let’s say the runner is between first and second base. The throw comes into second. The second baseman (or shortstop) then chases the runner (with his throwing hand and ball up above his shoulder), until that runner is fully committed to getting back into first. Then a quick wrist-snap gets the ball to the first baseman, who slaps on the tag.

The first-baseman should set up just outside the baseline, so his glove (if right-handed) is closest to the baseline. Then the second-baseman snaps the ball to him just before the runner gets close to him. The idea is to have a throwing lane established just a bit away from (and parallel to) the baseline - so that throws do not hit the runner.

The pitcher and other idle players like the right fielder get lined up with the baseline between first and second base, to back up any throws that take place. At the very worst, even with a bad throw, the runner will only get as far as second base, never any farther.

If you will be a T-Ball coach this year, you are in for a lot of fun. But to get the most out of it, both for your players and for yourself, you really need to prepare yourself with some basic knowledge of how the game is best played and taught.

It would be silly for me to try to describe everything about T-Ball all over again, when so many good books and videos are already available. Check out the list of T-Ball items in Appendix L, the Bibliography. If you read one or two of the books and watch a video or two, you will quickly learn enough to coach T-Ball in a “professional” manner that is great fun for yourself and for your kids.

The two main skills to concentrate on in T-Ball are hitting and throwing. If you can get your players started off swinging the bat in something like the right way, and throwing the ball in the most fundamentally sound manner, you will have accomplished plenty for their first year.

Read over Sections 5.1 and 5.2 of this manual. Some of that material is too advanced for T-Ballers, but if you stick to the very most fundamental elements, you'll be on the right track.

In hitting, try to get the idea across that they should hit the ball out in front of home plate. Show them how to position their feet properly in respect to the batting tee. Then show them how to hold the bat as described in Section 5.1. Finally, show them how to shift their weight and swing level.

That’s about all you can teach T-Ballers about hitting in their first year. But you will have to practice what Vince Lombardi preached:  “Repeat and repeat, until they believe, until they know”.

It takes a lot of patience and attention to detail to get these little kids pointed in the right direction.  But if you do it in anything like the best way, you (and their parents) will be amazed at how much more skillful they are at the end of the season, compared with what they were in the beginning.  Their first season will have been a great success. And they will be amazingly better next year, simply because you gave them a good base to build on in their first year.

The results you produce in throwing may not be as dramatic as in hitting, for many of your players.  But don’t worry about it. You are doing the right thing, and your patience and persistence will pay off for them in two ways:  First, you are forestalling the development of permanent bad habits and bad muscle memory, something that is very hard to straighten out later.

Second, after a season of coaching like you’re doing, something magic happens in their heads over the following winter. I don’t understand how or why it happens, but when you see them throw next year, you’re likely to be surprised at how much better they look and perform. That all comes about as a direct result of that patient, persistent instruction you’re giving them this year.

As far as games for T-Ballers are concerned, you can only do simulations. Let them think it’s a game, and go through the procedures as realistically as you can, but recognize that baseball is a very complicated game, and these youngsters have a lot to learn. If you’re able to get them to understand when a tag-out versus a force-out is appropriate, you will have done a lot. Let them play the game as best they can, because it keeps their enthusiasm high. But when they ask you what the score is, tell them they’re winning, but it’s very close. They’ll be happy.

Older coaches envy you - they often wish they could go back and start again, just one more time where you are now with your son. Have a great time !!    And get a lot of pictures.

It is noble to teach oneself, 
But still more noble to teach others . . . . . and far less trouble.
- Mark Twain

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