A game that I use to play years ago is the same that I use in practices
now. The game of hot box.
When I played back then, it would just be a couple friends and myself.
When it comes to a game situation, it is important for the team to
understand who should be what doing when they have a base runner caught
in between bases.
I guess I should give a little explanation. First of all a base
runner who is caught in a run down is, and base runner that is in between
two bases, and there are fielders at the two bases, and one of the
fielders has the ball. When the base runner runs toward the base where
the ball is not, the fielder with the ball throws to base that the base
runner is running to. Since the base runner does not want to be put out,
they change directions and try to go back to the base were the ball is
not. So the fielder with the ball again throws the ball to the ball the
runner is trying to get to. Hopefully you get the idea. This is called
being in a run down, or being in a hot box.
It is important for the fielders to know what they should and
should not do. First of all they should make sure that the base runner
does not get the next base. That is the most important thing. Example, if
the runner is caught between first and second, make sure they do not get
second base. The fielder with the ball should run the base runner back to
the base they came from. The fielder with the ball should only throw the
ball when the base runner is about ten feet from the base. This makes it
a long slide to get to the base, and it also means that if the base
runner changes directions, they have a long distance to get to the next
base. The perfect run down consists of one or less throws. It should take
place with the base runner retreating to the base the came from.
Here is what the fielders should be doing. First, the fielder
with the ball needs to make sure the base runner does not advance to the
next base. This is done either by running the base runner back to the
base the came from, or by throwing the ball to the base they are
attempting to reach. So if the fielder is ahead of the base runner, they
should run him back.
The fielder at the base that the runner had come from should set
them selves up about five feet or so away from the base between the base
and the base runner. Other teammates should be backing up the two
fielders involved. The players that are doing the backing up should be
right at the two bases that are being defended.
Here the deal. If the fielder with the ball makes a throw to
attempt to get the base runner, the fielder making the throw needs to get
out of the way. The teammate that is backing them up is the person who
should then receive the return throw if there is one. The fielder who
made the throw should then become their teammates back up taking the
position at the base being defended. This should take place at both ends.
Here is why. Once the fielder throws the ball, they no longer
have the right to be in the base line. If the base runner changes
directions, and the fielder without the ball does not get out of their
way, this becomes obstruction. The base runner will then be awarded the
next base.
When the fielder with the ball is running the base runner back,
the fielder should be make fake throws. This makes it hard for the base
runner to anticipate when the ball is going to be thrown. It makes it
hard for the base runner to gain much speed for sliding because they are
not sure what they need to do.
When the fielder makes the throw,
it is better to throw the ball to early then to late. Give your teammate
a chance to make a play. To often when the ball is not thrown soon
enough, they base runner is allowed to get to close to the base or the
fielder receiving the ball. This may allow them to get by or under the
tag. Also when the ball is not thrown soon enough, the fielder throwing
the ball feel the need to throw the ball to hard. This can cause a wild
throw, or a throw that the teammate just cant turned into an out. The
best throws are just lobs or tosses. They do not have much speed, but are
very accurate.
The reason this all needs to be discussed and then practiced is
simple. The team needs to know what to do in different situations. This
is simple enough when there is just the one base runner. It become a
little more complicate when there are more then one. As a coach, I for
one will have my players get into run down on purpose, if I see an
opposing team has a hard time dealing with it. It might allows runs to
score, or other base runners to advance.
It is just as important for the base runner to practice this as
well. They need to know when to allow themselves to be put out, if they
are going to be put out. They may need to run back and forth to allow
another base runner to score, advance to another base, or just to make it
back to a base. Too many times when a base runner makes the mistake of
getting caught in a rundown, they make a second mistake by not seeing to
it their teammates are able to get to where they need to be safely.
If there are no other base runners involved, I have found that it
is best to draw the throw once. As soon as the ball is in the air, turn
and run as strait and as fast as you can to the base that the ball is not
at. This does not give the fielding team as much of an opportunity to set
up for the run down. Sometimes the base runner will get lucky. When the
fielder receiving the throw sees you take off, sometimes they will have
trouble get the throw off, or maybe they will rush the throw like I
talked about earlier. This could cause a bad throw. In any case, the
longer your are out there running back and forth, the more time and help
they will be receiving to get you out. You will still get out most of the
time. Lets face it, in most cases, a run down is because of a base
running mistake. Just try to make the best of it.
Hopefully I have sold you on the idea of giving this part of the
game some work. It is a good work out for the base runner. I think at
first it is good for fielders if a lot of throws are involved. This gets
the team use to the idea of the backing up, and the switching of places.
Once they seem to have the idea. They need to understand and practice
getting the base runner back to the base they came from, and getting the
out at that base. They should understand and practice trying to get the
out with one or less throws. GOOD LUCK!
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