TRAINING ROOM8 BASERUNNING

Teaching Detailed Baserunning and Base Stealing

by

Players, coaches, and students of the game hen I was old enough to play on my father’s Optimist Little League team, recognize that there is more to offensive success which allowed kids aged 9 to 12, I was the catcher many games but than hitting. One of the most critical skills that often also did some pitching and on offense was the lead-off hitter. The team determines the outcome of a game is baserunning. W played in the town’s recreational department league, which was very competitive in From taking the extra base to avoiding the a small southern community. The town league played the complete adult version of play, teams that run the basepaths aggressively, the game of baseball, which meant we could steal bases at any age. There were smartly, and successfully strike fear in their op- no leagues in the area in which players had to keep one foot on the base until the ponents. ball was thrown by the pitcher. This helped players to embrace each aspect of the This is an exclusive excerpt from Baserunning (Hu- game and try to keep improving individually as the team worked to improve col- man Kinetics, 2014) written by Mike Roberts, who lectively. spent 23 seasons as head baseball at the Young pitchers were motivated to learn to hold runners on base. Catchers were University of North Carolina, twice leading the team challenged to throw quickly and accurately. Before I was 10 years old, I had to to the College World Series. He is also the father of practice many hours with my catch and release to learn to throw out runners try- All-Star Brian Roberts of the New ing to steal. Infi elders learned to focus on each pitch and communicate with their York Yankees, one of baseball’s most successful teammates so they would be prepared to cover a base, catch the ball, and make a baserunners. tag while on the move. If teams in our league could not handle the running game, it became a track meet on the basepaths, and scores skyrocketed. Each practice was important in helping play- ers improve and teams become cohesive in their overall play. Young players were shown that practic- ing improves the offensive and defensive side of the running game. I learned that practice through repetition was the key to being able to execute and that athletes must practice often, certainly much more than they play. My practice philosophy is built on repetition and exaggeration. Athletes must put more hours into practice than games. Coaches should schedule a minimum of twice as many practices as games played. My father’s philosophy was that a team should practice a minimum of two times before each game or double the number of hours it took to play a game. So if a team played 20 games in a season and the average game took 2 hours, for a total of about

Page 88 • www.batwars.com • www.baseballthemag.com 40 hours of game time, then there should be at least 40 practices, totaling 80-plus hours of practice time. All athletes have a good chance of improving their game, regardless of athletic skills, with this amount of high-quality practice time. The fi rst practice after a game was primarily used for reviewing how the team played in the previous game. Dad would emphasize the areas of the game in which the team performed well but also work on areas in which some or all team members struggled with execu- tion. The second practice ensured we were all working together with a positive approach as the team prepared for the next game. Our practices involved lots of fun, and we looked forward to each one. Through my father’s teaching, which came from his instincts and not playing experience, and then later from that of my high school coach John Whited, whose teach- ing gifts came from his instincts and a great deal of playing experience, I formed the basis of my teach- ing beliefs. I found joy in the daily teaching of baseball’s fundamen- tals. However, my passion became base stealing and baserunning. At the conclusion of each high school season during my playing days, Coach Whited would hang up the hat or pants or maybe the entire uniform of the grubbiest player ABOUT THE AUTHOR from that year and leave it hanging in the locker room until the next Mike Roberts is the business development manager at Athletes’ season began. I was fortunate to have some of my gear hanging Performance, where he directs baseball athlete relations and the up for three consecutive years. Since I had average ability, I had to sales of major league and minor league training programs. He is fi nd a way to help my team each game, so I was always diving and also the director of education for SmartKage Sports, a technol- sliding on both offense and defense. ogy system that quantitatively measures athletic performance. A Coach Whited was an outstanding practice and game coach. By lifelong baseball coach, he is currently the head coach of the Cotuit the end of my high school career, mainly because I had enjoyed Kettleers in the Cape Cod Collegiate Summer Baseball League. playing for Coach Whited so much, I decided I eventually wanted Roberts played in the Kansas City Royals to coach full time after my playing days were completed. I devel- minor league system. oped this philosophical statement by the time I entered college: Roberts spent 23 seasons as head baseball coach at the Univer- Practices are for coaches to teach and for players to learn. Games sity of North Carolina. Under his guidance, the team played in two are for players to have fun and coaches to see if players can College World Series championship series in Omaha and won fi ve execute. Atlantic Coast Conference Coaches need to ask whether they are budgeting enough practice Championships. Of his ath- time to teach effectively. Are they teaching baserunning and base letes, 14 have gone on to play stealing at each base in detail? Are they teaching at a slow, rhyth- in the major leagues, includ- mic pace with every movement done precisely? Are they allowing ing two all-stars, B.J. Surhoff enough repetitions so the player can make a smooth transition to and Brian Roberts, one of the the game? most successful base stealers In today’s baseball world it is rare for amateur or professional in the majors. Additionally, fi ve teams to practice more than they play. A philosophy of good prac- of his former players serve tice throughout the United States has deteriorated greatly. Youth as head baseball coaches of teams (now known more as travel teams) like to play many more Division I schools. hours than they practice. Professional teams, except for spring Baserunning is now available training, never practice and rarely take infi eld before a game. in bookstores everywhere, Primer for Teaching Baserunning and Base Stealing as well as online at www. Make it a part of practice every day. HumanKinetics.com. Look Prepare fun drills at a different base each day. for more from Mike Roberts Make some drills competitive. in Baseball The Magazine Experiment. throughout 2014. Teach by exaggeration.

Baseball The Magazine Issue 1 • 2014 Page 89