Holding Runners on 1B

[Jagwar]

OK, so this has always bugged me. One of the things the O's preach to their middle infielders (correct me if I'm wrong) is to straddle the 2B bag when receiving throws. Let the ball travel to the bag before making a tag. The speed of the throw beats the speed of the tag.

My question... why not have the first baseman do the same thing when holding runners on 1B? Most first basemen put their right foot on the bag, left foot towards the mound or home plate. They receive the throw from the pitcher but have to sweep the tag towards the bag. Why not set up in the same way as the middle infielders? Straddle the bag, let the ball travel to the base, gets there more quickly.

What am I missing?

[AdamK]

Would the 1st baseman need to be standing in foul territory for this to work? Would that put him in the wrong place, fielding-wise, if the pitcher throws to the batter and not 1st? He'd be out of position of the ball is put in play, no?

 

I think it's easier for the middle infielders because everything is coming to them... The throw from home, the runner, even the bag for the shortstop who is moving that way. For the first baseman holding the runner, the ball may still be out in play and they need to be able to cut down on the whole between 1st and 2nd by stepping into that area of the pitcher doesn't throw over.

 

It makes some sense for throws behind the runner by the catcher, but that's an awful lot of footwork around the bag.

 

[OFFNY]

1 hour ago, AdamK said:

 

Would the 1st baseman need to be standing in foul territory for this to work? Would that put him in the wrong place, fielding-wise, if the pitcher throws to the batter and not 1st? He'd be out of position if the ball is/was put in play, no?  

 

I think it's easier for the middle infielders because everything is coming to them ... The throw from home, the runner, even the bag for the shortstop who is moving that way. For the 1st baseman holding the runner, the ball may still be out in play, and they need to be able to cut down on the whole between 1st and 2nd base by stepping into that area if the pitcher doesn't throw over.

 

It makes some sense for throws behind the runner by the catcher, but that's an awful lot of footwork around the bag.

 

o

 

I believe that that would be illegal.

With the exception of the pitcher and the catcher, the other 7 position players can play anywhere they like on the field prior to the pitcher throwing the pitch ........ as long as they are in fair territory.

So if the 1st baseman had part of his body in foul territory, I believe that he would not be in a legal position.

 

o

[panick]

It's kind of funny that you bring up this topic after Jimenez pitched for the O's. Isn't he about the worst pitcher in baseball at holding runners?

I think it might be better for the first baseman to be off the base on the second base side. The throw would get to him sooner(because of the shorter distance), so he could tag the runner sooner. If the runner gets tagged on the leg before his hand touches the base, he's out. The umpire would have to be able to see that the runner was tagged before the base was touched, but if he didn't, that is what challenges are for. There have been quite a few times when the throw to second base was on the first-base side of second and the runner was touched on his upper body. Those throws get to the base a fraction of a second sooner than if it went directly to the base, and it allows the fielder that much more time to tag the runner. Sometimes that fraction of a second is all the time you need to get the out.

[AdamK]

2 hours ago, OFFNY said:

o

 

I believe that that would be illegal.

With the exception of the pitcher and the catcher, the other 7 position players can play anywhere they like on the field prior to the pitcher throwing the pitch ........ as long as they are in fair territory.

So if the 1st baseman had part of his body in foul territory, I believe that he would not be in a legal position.

 

o

This could be why he has a foot on the bag, then. To give him a boundary or point of reference.

I recall in the KC series in 2014 where we had that unorthodox choreography with Pearce to try and slow down the speedy KC runners.

 

Here's an article on it from the series: "Orioles become imposition to Royals running game"... KC has just one stolen base as Showalter employs first baseman off the bag