Baseball Strategystrategy

BaseballBaseball StrategyStrategy

TomTom GillespieGillespie Level 3 Baseball Coaching Clinics Malta Baseball and Softball Association StrategyStrategy

OffensiveOffensive DefensiveDefensive

Approach at plate Pitching

Batting order Positioning

Baserunning Minimising mistakes

Stolen bases Work Quickly

Bunting Cut -offs

Hit & Run Bunt defense st rd Game situations 1 & 3 defense StrategyStrategy –– MindsetMindset –– Contradictions?Contradictions? BaseballBaseball isis aa gamegame ofof relaxedrelaxed concentration.concentration.

AggressiveAggressive Discipline/DisciplinedDiscipline/Disciplined AggressionAggression

Wait...Wait... WaitWait …… WaitWait …… BURSTBURST OFOF ACTION…ACTION… Wait…Wait… WaitWait …… WaitWait …… StrategyStrategy -- MindsetMindset

PrimaryPrimary OffensiveOffensive PhilosophyPhilosophy –– WeWe nevernever havehave enoughenough runs.runs. WeWe cancan alwaysalways scorescore enoughenough runsruns toto win.win.

PrimaryPrimary DefensiveDefensive PhilosophyPhilosophy –– LetLet themthem hithit it,it, wewe willwill catchcatch it.it.

VinceVince LombardiLombardi –– “I“I nevernever lostlost aa game;game; II justjust sometimessometimes ranran outout ofof time.”time.” RunsRuns ScoredScored fromfrom SituationsSituations

RunnersRunners NoNo outsouts 11 outout 22 OutsOuts NoneNone .537.537 .294.294 .114.114 11st .907.907 .544.544 .239.239 22nd 1.1381.138 .720.720 .347.347 33rd 1.3491.349 .920.920 .391.391 11st && 22 nd 1.5151.515 .968.968 .468.468 11st && 33 rd 1.7621.762 1.1401.140 .522.522 22nd && 33 rd 1.9571.957 1.3531.353 .630.630 FullFull 2.3992.399 1.6171.617 .830.830 OffensiveOffensive –– ApproachApproach atat PlatePlate p.20 of Academy manual.

Do not give away outs.

Wait for your pitch to drive (until 2 strikes).

Each pitch/AB matters – 0-4 or 4 -4.

Know what you want to achieve. BaserunningBaserunning

GoodGood basebase runningrunning isis differentdifferent fromfrom beingbeing fastfast oror stealingstealing bases.bases. AlwaysAlways assume:assume:

GroundballsGroundballs youyou willwill justjust bebe safe.safe.

SinglesSingles willwill bebe doubles.doubles.

FlyFly ballsballs willwill bebe dropped.dropped.

BallsBalls onon lineline willwill bebe fair.fair.

BallBall willwill bebe bobbled.bobbled. BaserunningBaserunning

RiskRisk ofof runsruns vsvs outsouts –– whenwhen aheadahead youyou cancan bebe moremore aggressive;aggressive; untiluntil youyou knowknow thethe stylestyle ofof thethe game,game, bebe moremore conservative.conservative. ReadRead angleangle ofof ballball fromfrom pitcher’spitcher’s hand.hand. ReadRead angleangle ofof ballball fromfrom bat.bat. BattingBatting OrderOrder

LeadoffLeadoff

On Base Percentage

Patient Hitter

Speed is valuable bonus BattingBatting OrderOrder

#2#2

Situational hitter

Mentally tough

Contact hitter – able to hit with two strikes BattingBatting OrderOrder

#3#3

Best overall hitter

Will get on base often

Will be able to drive in runs BattingBatting OrderOrder

#4#4 && #5#5

Pressure situation hitters

Show consistency & power

Protect batter in front of them If 2 players are similar Consistency in 4, Power in 5 BattingBatting OrderOrder

#6#6 -- #9#9

DependsDepends onon makemake --upup ofof teamteam aheadahead ofof them.them.

MatchMatch toto #5#5 –– power/powerpower/power oror speed/speed.speed/speed.

StaggerStagger oror bunchbunch bestbest hitters?hitters?

L/R?L/R?

NeverNever putput 33 weakweak hittershitters togethertogether –– 33 easyeasy inningsinnings forfor opposition.opposition. StolenStolen BasesBases

PenaltyPenalty forfor gettinggetting caughtcaught isis twicetwice thethe gaingain So,So, mustmust bebe successfulsuccessful 2/32/3 time.time. UnlessUnless youyou cancan dodo itit often,often, thethe run/lossrun/loss differencedifference isis minimal.minimal.

ThatThat said,said, whatwhat dodo youyou needneed toto dodo toto bebe successful?successful? RunsRuns ScoredScored fromfrom SituationsSituations

Know who can get a good jump [read] Know speed of your players Know time pitcher takes to go home Know time catcher takes to throw to 2B Know accuracy of catcher’s throws Know middle infielders’ skill Know the situation

Now the odds are shifting in your favour… SacrificeSacrifice BuntingBunting

BuntsBunts leadlead toto wins?wins?

20032003 MLBMLB SeasonSeason

NL sac bunt leaders – Florida Marlins – World Series Champions

AL sac bunt leaders – Detroit Tigers – 119 losses

Successful sac bunt costs a team .179 runs Unsuccessful sac bunt costs a team .363 runs RunsRuns ScoredScored fromfrom SituationsSituations

ThereThere areare situationssituations thatthat changechange thesethese odds.odds. ForFor example:example:

HitterHitter veryvery belowbelow average.average.

GreatGreat pitcher,pitcher, lowlow scoringscoring gamegame expected.expected.

PoorPoor defensivedefensive player.player.

BadBad playingplaying conditions.conditions.

AndAnd basebase hithit buntingbunting isis underunder --used.used. Let’sLet’s discuss…discuss… HitHit && RunRun

Finally, some good news!!! (kind of)

Depends on what you consider “success” st rd Both safe – runners at 1 and 3

Missed hit – stolen base nd Runner advances – runner at 2 (equivalent of a sac bunt) And “failure”

Foul ball st Lead runner out – runner at 1 st Pop up – runner at 1

Missed hit – runner thrown out

Line drive – double play RunsRuns ScoredScored fromfrom SituationsSituations

So, if you can SUCCEED – do it often!!

If not, DON’T!

To execute,

Don’t change the swing.

Just let the ball “get deep.”

Swing for the top half. OffensiveOffensive SummarySummary

OutsOuts areare valuablevaluable –– don’tdon’t givegive themthem away.away. BeBe aggressiveaggressive –– butbut thatthat doesn’tdoesn’t meanmean bebe stupid.stupid. KnowKnow youryour players.players. GoGo withwith whatwhat youyou believe.believe.

“Coaching“Coaching wouldwould bebe easyeasy ifif therethere werewere aa specificspecific formulaformula oror exactexact answeranswer forfor makingmaking decisions.”decisions.” –– BobBob Bennett,Bennett, FresnoFresno StateState UniversityUniversity BREAK?BREAK? PitchingPitching StrategyStrategy

1515 KeysKeys toto Pitching,Pitching, fromfrom CharlieCharlie GreeneGreene

1. DoDo notnot wastewaste aa pitch,pitch, nono mattermatter thethe score.score.

2. PracticePractice patiencepatience –– dodo notnot bebe inin aa hurryhurry toto getget anan out.out. StickStick withwith thethe gamegame plan.plan.

3. PitchPitch awayaway fromfrom thethe middlemiddle ofof thethe plateplate whenwhen ahead;ahead; toto itit whenwhen behind.behind. GetGet ahead!ahead!

4. LocateLocate fastballfastball –– throwthrow otherother pitchespitches forfor strikes.strikes.

5. DoDo notnot trytry forfor aa swingswing andand missmiss withwith lessless thanthan 22 strikes.strikes. CharlieCharlie GreeneGreene PitchingPitching Keys,Keys, contcont

6.6. Don’tDon’t worryworry aboutabout consequencesconsequences ofof aa pitchpitch –– controlcontrol whatwhat youyou cancan control.control. 7.7. PitchPitch toto situation.situation. ForFor example,example, nono outs,outs, manman onon 22nd ,, trytry toto stopstop ballball beingbeing hithit throughthrough thethe rightright side.side. 8.8. DoubleDouble upup onon pitches.pitches. 9.9. ChangeChange intervalsintervals withwith goodgood baserunnersbaserunners onon 11 st .. 10.10. UseUse fastballsfastballs whenwhen aheadahead inin thethe countcount (location)(location) andand offspeedoffspeed whenwhen behindbehind (strikes).(strikes). CharlieCharlie GreeneGreene PitchingPitching Keys,Keys, contcont

11.11. OffspeedOffspeed 11st pitchpitch withwith runnersrunners atat 33 rd –– batterbatter willwill bebe eagereager toto drivedrive inin aa run.run. 12.12. PitchPitch insideinside whenwhen youyou cancan affordafford toto hithit aa batterbatter (( egeg .. OpenOpen base).base). 13.13. UseUse shakeshake --offsoffs sometimessometimes eveneven whenwhen thethe correctcorrect pitchpitch isis called.called. 14.14. ChangeChange tempotempo inin aa longlong inning.inning. 15.15. KnowKnow thethe balkbalk rule.rule. PitchingPitching StrategyStrategy

WorkWork quickly.quickly.

GetGet ahead.ahead.

PutPut pitcherspitchers inin aa positionposition toto succeed.succeed. ExampleExample ofof PitchingPitching DecisionDecision

20032003 GameGame 77 ALCSALCS BostonBoston vsvs NewNew YorkYork PedroPedro MartinezMartinez pitchingpitching GradyGrady LittleLittle isis RedRed SoxSox managermanager

ThroughThrough 66 innings,innings, BostonBoston leadingleading 44 --1.1.

PedroPedro givesgives upup GiambiGiambi HRHR andand 22 singlessingles inin 77th ,, RedRed SoxSox stillstill leadlead 55 --22 afterafter 7.7. ExampleExample ofof PitchingPitching DecisionDecision

LittleLittle “went“went withwith hishis gut”gut” andand leftleft PedroPedro in.in.

LookLook atat numbersnumbers –– PedroPedro inin 20032003 season:season:

InningsInnings 11 --6:6: BattersBatters havehave aa .555.555 OPSOPS InningsInnings 77 --9:9: BattersBatters havehave aa .758.758 OPSOPS

PitchesPitches 11 --105:105: .574.574 OPSOPS PitchesPitches 106+:106+: .845.845 OPSOPS ExampleExample ofof PitchingPitching DecisionDecision

Jeter led of 8 th inning with double off wall – Pedro’s 110 th pitch. (no one warming up in bullpen)

Bernie W singles him home (pitch 115), score now 5 -3.

Little goes to mound, leaves Pedro in.

Pitch 118 – Hideki Matsui doubles. Pitch 119 – Jorge Posado doubles, 2RBI.

Score 5 -5. Now Pedro is removed. PitchingPitching decisionsdecisions

PutPut playersplayers inin positionposition toto succeed.succeed. RelyRely onon instincts,instincts, butbut alsoalso considerconsider allall informationinformation available.available. “Hunches”“Hunches” shouldshould bebe educatededucated guesses.guesses. StrategyStrategy ofof ThrowingThrowing StrikesStrikes

FirstFirst pitchpitch strikesstrikes ––

ResultResult ofof hittinghitting fromfrom 11 --00 count:count: .274.274

ResultResult ofof hittinghitting fromfrom 00 --11 count:count: .262.262

OBPOBP (due(due toto increaseincrease inin walkswalks fromfrom 11 --0):0): 1st pitch strike, eventual OBP .296 1st pitch ball, eventual OBP .395

MLBMLB –– 60%60% ofof firstfirst pitchespitches areare strikesstrikes StrategyStrategy ofof ThrowingThrowing StrikesStrikes

StrikeStrike TwoTwo ––

BattingBatting averageaverage fromfrom 11 --22 count:count: .170.170

BattingBatting averageaverage fromfrom 22 --11 count:count: .352.352

22--0,0, 33 --0,0, 22 --1,1, 33 --11 –– compiledcompiled toto .350+.350+

OverallOverall MLBMLB avgavg (2004)(2004) .267,.267, OBPOBP .332.332

00--22 countcount -- .148.148 BABA PositioningPositioning

InfieldInfield

Standard

Double -play depth – what does that mean?

Corners in

Infield in OutfieldOutfield

Standard

Take away doubles

Do – or – die CutCut --offsoffs

MachismoMachismo toto overthrow.overthrow. 33 reasonsreasons toto hithit cutcut --offs:offs:

1. Cut -off man can redirect a throw that is in time, but off -line.

2. Cut -off man can intercept a throw that will be late, and do so in time to retire some other baserunner , or at least prevent that runner from attempting to take an extra base.

3. Even if he doesn’t touch the ball, the mere possibility of doing so (by correct positioning) may deter adventurous trailing runners. CutCut --offsoffs

PositionPosition ofof cutcut --offoff

Know OF arm

OF full throw, position to catch in air

Communicate L/R with baseman

Time for double cut BuntBunt DefenseDefense

IfIf theythey areare goinggoing toto givegive usus anan out,out, wewe MUSTMUST taketake it.it.

MinimiseMinimise movementmovement atat lowerlower abilityability levels.levels.

KnowKnow situationsituation beforebefore playplay begins.begins. 11stst && 33 rdrd DefenseDefense

PlayPlay catch.catch.

Communicate.Communicate.

BeBe suresure toto getget aa result.result.

GetGet “tricky”“tricky” onlyonly inin vitalvital situations.situations. DefensiveDefensive SummarySummary

KnowKnow thethe situationssituations beforebefore thethe ballball isis hit.hit. MakeMake thethe basicbasic plays.plays. EveryoneEveryone onon thethe fieldfield movesmoves onon everyevery play.play. PutPut peoplepeople inin aa positionposition toto succeed.succeed. PitchersPitchers –– workwork fastfast andand workwork ahead.ahead. Questions?Questions?

LetLet meme havehave them!them! (after(after lunch)lunch)

Q&AQ&A backback herehere 13:4513:45

ThankThank you!!!you!!!