Trick plays in baseball 2 of 4
In this video we will continue our Baseball
Trick Play series. If you missed the first video, make sure to
watch that one as it sets up the parameters of what we are classifying as a trick play
and explains this video series. In this video the two plays we deal with are
tricks the offense, the team up to bat, can use and end with a bonus play. The first one is designed for Little League
but the concept would apply to regular baseball as well. It works in Little League better because youth
players often are not taught to be alert at all times when the ball is live. Especially right after a strikeout, the defense
tends to relax and take a break when runners are on base and the ball is live. Smart baserunners can take advantage of that. Now in this play the “trick” depends on
you knowing the Little League rules better than your opponent. I’ll let it play out and then explain how
and why it works. So we see a runner wait until the pitcher
and middle infielders are not paying attention.
Even if the pitcher is on the mound and standing
on the pitcher’s plate, this still works. It comes down to knowing the rules. In Little League you can’t leave the base
until the ball reaches the batter. BUT that is only one half of the rule. We know when he can first leave, but when
must he remain? Tthe rule in Little League states. When a pitcher is in contact with the pitcher’s
plate and in possession of the ball and the catcher is in the catcher’s box ready to
receive delivery of the ball, base runners shall not advance until the ball has been
delivered and has reached the batter. That means until both the pitcher and the
catcher are ready to pitch and receive the pitch, the runner can still advance at risk
of being put out. Coaches and teams that do not know the rules
will cry out in vain. “He was on the rubber. He was on the mound.” All to no avail as they didn’t take time
to actually read the rule book. Hopefully the umpire did! The risk is that the umpire isn’t paying
attention and decides to send your runner back.
He isn’t ever called out for leaving early,
so the risk is low. The second trick play does depend on the opposing
team either being caught napping or running a poor bunt defense that allows for this to
work. So like I said in video one, we are adopting
a wide definition of the term trick as baseball rules prevent most so-called tricks. Here there is a runner on 2nd or 1st and 2nd. The batter squares to bunt.
If the 3rd baseman charges to field a bunt
and the shortstop doesn’t break for 3rd, the runner on 2nd is free to advance to the
vacated base. The batter simply pulls the bat back and takes
the pitch. This trick relies on a smart base runner at
2nd who knows what the goal is. It also depends on a mistake by the defense
or a team that wasn’t coached on bunt defense. That is why I labeled this for Little League
even though it technically can work in any league. A fake bunt sign and a steal if 3rd is open. If the play doesn’t work, know one even
knows you were attempting it. At the start of this video I told you I would
end with a bonus trick play. This is actually more accurately described
as cheating I went back and forth on whether to even add this but decided to put it here
as it’s helpful to know what your opponents might attempt AND if you umpire, what players
might do when you're not in correct position.
There it is. A player completely misses third base, and
he gets away with it for two reasons. One, almost everyone in the park is naturally
focused on where the primary play is happening. Every player on the field or in the dugout,
fan in the stanze, and in this case, even the umpires are focused on the opposite side
of the field. This play could still work if the umpires
see it as it also requires the defense to appeal that he missed the bag. What are your thoughts on these trick plays
and what baseball tricks do you think we should cover in our next video?.
