What bat should you be using? here is a chart that should be used as a base guide not all situations will fall into ths chart.

Stealing third base is generally easier than stealing second. You can take a bigger lead at second than at first without drawing many throws. If your timing is good, you can also take off from second before the pitcher actually releases the ball.

Pitchers generally find it more difficult to pick runners off second than at first; the timing between the pitcher and his fielder must be precise. To catch you at second, either the second baseman or the shortstop has to cover or cheat (lean) toward the bag; this leaning opens up a hole for the batter. Alert coaches let you know when the fielders are sneaking in on you.

The potential to steal third depends on the batter at the plate. If a right-handed hitter is at-bat, you have an advantage because the catcher must throw over or around him to get the ball to third. But never try to steal third with a lefty at the plate, unless you get such a good jump that even a perfect throw cannot beat you.

Stealing third isn’t a good gamble unless your success rate is 90 percent or better. Because you’re already in scoring position at second, getting picked off can devastate your offense. Stealing third when your team is more than two runs behind is foolish. And making the first or last out of an inning at third, whether through an attempted steal or simply by running the bases, is considered a big mistake.

The only reason to steal third with fewer than two outs in a close ball game is so that you can score on a fly ball or ground out. However, if you’re a proficient base thief, it does makes sense to steal third with two outs; being on third rather than second in that situation offers you nine more opportunities to score.

Memorize the following if-you’re-on-third-you-can-score-on list and dazzle your friends with your baseball erudition:

• A balk

• An infield hit

• A wild pitch

• A passed ball

• A one-base infield error

• A fielder’s choice (where the hitter and any other baserunners are safe)

• Baserunning interference

• Catcher’s interference

• A steal of home

Home, stolen home

Speaking of stealing home, think long and hard about it — the odds are against you. If you must, only attempt to steal home during the late innings of a close, low-scoring ball game with two men out and a weak hitter at the plate.

Obviously, home plate is the one base you steal entirely on the pitcher, because the catcher makes no throw on this play. Your best victims are pitchers with unusually slow deliveries or long wind-ups.

Having a right-handed batter at the plate when you attempt to steal home provides you with two advantages. First, the hitter obstructs the catcher’s view of you at third. Second, if the batter remains in the box until just before you arrive at home, he can prevent the catcher from getting in position for the tag.

Delayed, double, and fake steals

With the delayed steal, slide-step into your regular lead when the pitcher releases the ball and then count 1-2-3. This should slow your takeoff just long enough to persuade the catcher and infielders that you aren’t stealing. Race for second after you count. (You may also first break out of your lead and return to first to camouflage your intentions.)

Catchers have no way of knowing who will cover second base on a delayed steal until either the second baseman or shortstop moves toward the bag. If you’ve caught those two infielders napping and no one covers second, the catcher has to hold onto the ball or risk throwing it into the outfield.

Double steals are possible whenever two bases are occupied. With runners on first and second, this play is nothing more than two straight steals occurring simultaneously. With only one out, the catcher will probably try to erase the lead runner heading to third. With two out, he may go after the slower of the two base stealers.

With runners on first and third, double steals become more complex. Imagine you are the runner on third. Your teammate on first should break full-out for second as the pitcher delivers the ball. You move down the line toward home. Halt as the catcher receives the pitch. Don’t move until the catcher commits to throwing the runner out at second.

Be alert in case he fakes a toss to the bag and instead throws to his pitcher, who fires back the ball for a play at the plate. The throw’s trajectory should tell you if it is going to second base or to the pitcher — the throw will be higher if it is going all the way to second base, so hesitate long enough to see this. Dash home as soon as the second-base-bound throw leaves the catcher’s hand.

If you are the runner on first for this play, helping your teammate at third to score is your primary goal. You may break for second while the pitcher is in his set position. Should your movement distract the pitcher, he may balk. In that case, both runners advance one base.

Attract a throw to first, and you can force a run-down. While you jockey to elude the tag, the runner on third can score.

Fake steals open the infield for the batter at the plate. You can bluff the opposition by taking two and a half quick strides out of your primary lead before coming to a halt. Your movement should draw the infielders out of position, because one of them must cover second base.

Break in a New Baseball Glove with the Shaving Cream Method

So, you have just purchased that new baseball glove you’ve had your eye on for weeks, and now, it’s time to break it in. You know the drill – rub in some glove oil, put a ball in the pocket, stick it under your couch cushions, beat it with your fist a few hundred times, etc. It takes forever to get a glove properly broken in, right?

Not necessarily!

Warning: the following method is not advised for “suede-type” leather, vinyl, or other non-standard baseball gloves. This method is ideal for traditional, “hard” leather or steerhide gloves that are very stiff.

First of all, you’ll need a five gallon bucket. Empty an entire can of foam-style shaving cream (good old Barbasol works well) into the bucket. Do *not* use shaving gel or similar products!

Take your new glove, put an old baseball in the pocket, and tie it closed. Make sure that you are happy with the pocket.

Next, pleace the glove into the bucket, and empty a second entire can of shaving cream on top of the mitt. Allow everything to sit undisturbed overnight.

The shaving cream will have melted, and your glove will now be a soaking mess. You will be certain that you have ruined it. Be brave! The best is yet to come!

Place your glove somewhere where it can dry at room temperature. This will take at least another day, maybe two. However, once the glove is dry, you will discover that the leather is now soft and supple, and perfectly broken in. Quite a few professional baseball players swear by this unorthodox method of breaking in a glove.

WHEN THERE IS A DROPPED third strike with runners on base, particularly with the bases loaded,
it can create interesting challenges for catchers, pitchers, runners and even managers.
The related rule here is 6.05 (c) which reads,
“A batter is out when a third strike is not caught by the catcher when first base is occupied before two are out.”
This would also include situations when there are runners on first and third, or first, second and third.

Rule 6.05 (c) is a close cousin of the Infield Fly Rule since its primary purpose is to protect the runner/runners
from deception on the part of the catcher. When the batter-runner is automatically out, runners are not forced to
advance. They can, however, run at their own risk. And if they do so, a tag is required since this is not a force
play.

Without 6.05 (c) a catcher could intentionally drop a third strike and create a double or triple play just like a
fielder could likewise purposely drop a fly ball to gain the same result. Can you envision Astros’ catcher Brad
Ausmus intentionally dropping a third strike with a runner on first base and one out. He could quickly pick up the
ball, fire to second with shortstop Adam Everett covering, and then Everett could throw to first for an
inning-ending 2-6-3 double play.

Notice that the rule is enforced only before two are out. With two outs and first base occupied, the catcher needs
to tag the batter on a dropped third strike or throw to first. His toughest play would be to throw to second.
If a dropped third strike should occur with the bases loaded and less than two outs, the batter is automatically
out per 6.05 (c) but runners can run at their own risk. If they do, a tag is necessary to record a putout.
With two outs, the catcher with ball in possession needs only to tag home plate with his foot or hand to get the
third out since this is a force play.

Here is a nice printable image that shows the baseball position numbers for each position.

baseball-field-position-numbers

No teams in your area!

Start your own you will be surprised by how many children would be interested. It is fairly easy to start your own league however there are a few things to keep in mind.

Practice and playing fields are usually the most difficult to find, if there are fields in the neighborhood first ask around to insure this is not already an already established league. If there is already a league see if you can start a new team, you can also check the baseball league tournament finder website to see if there is a tournament close to your area. Find out who owns the property set up a meet and greet with the owners, explain your intentions and listen to what they have to say. They may be more than willing to help out and get the kids going.

The second most difficult task is to decide on the League rules you want to follow, they vary depending on the youth’s age  and the associated League if you want to be eligible for regional playoffs.

The next hurdle is the equipment, generally the kids registration fee’s will care for the uniforms and other equipment. Send out fliers requesting donations from local businesses they are always looking fore relatively inexpensive ways to get their name and product in front of those families.

Recruit as many adults as possible to help in your endeavor.

Check out a new junior tackle football website

It is that time of year for a Little Baseball, the weather is warming and the sun is high in the sky. Cactus league baseball is in progress, and the kids are tired of being cooped up in the house. This is a good time to start thinking about getting the bats moving. Tee work a couple of times a week will go a long way to get the muscle memory working again and building strength.

A single-elimination tournament, also called a knockout or sudden death tournament, is a type of tournament where the loser of each match is immediately eliminated from winning the championship or first prize in the event. (However, it does not always mean that the defeated competitor will not participate further in the tournament (in some such tournaments, consolation or “classification” contests are subsequently held among those already defeated to determine the awarding of lesser places, for example, a Third place playoff.)

Format

Often, the number of participants in a single-elimination tournament is fixed as a power of two; for example, the Wimbledon singles championships are tournaments of 128 players. This ensures all competitors will face opponents who have previously played the same number of matches. The full schedule of pairings across all rounds (the bracket) may be allocated before the start of the tournament; or each round may be allocated at the end of the preceding round. Each successive round halves the number of competitors remaining (assuming there are no byes — see below). The round in which only eight remain at the start is generally called the quarter-final round; this is followed by the semi-final round in which only four are left, the two winners of which then meet in the final, or championship round.

In cases where the number of competitive entities at the start of the tournament is not a power of two, some competitors may receive a bye in the first round, which entitles these competitors to advance to the second round automatically without playing. Often, these byes will be awarded to the highest-rated competitors in the event as a reward for some previous accomplishment; indeed, in some American team sports – most notably football – the number of teams qualifying for the postseason tournament will be intentionally set at a number which is not a power of two, in order to provide such an advantage to a high-achieving team in the just-completed regular season.

Multiple rounds of byes are also possible: in the FA Cup, the teams in the top two league divisions enter in the third round “proper” (of eight); the two next-highest divisions’ teams will have entered in the first round; lower-division teams in one of 6 preliminary rounds.

When matches are held to determine places or prizes lower than first and second (the loser of the final-round match gaining the latter position), these typically include a match between the losers of the semifinal matches, the winner therein placing third and the loser fourth; sometimes contests are also held among the losers of the quarterfinal matches to determine fifth through eighth places (this is most commonly encountered in the Olympic Games, with the exception of boxing, where both fighters are deemed to be third place). In one scenario, two “consolation semifinal” matches may be conducted, with the winners of these then facing off to determine fifth and sixth places and the losers playing for seventh and eighth; those are used often in qualifying tournaments where only the top five teams advance to the next round; or some method of ranking the four quarterfinal losers might be employed, in which case only one round of additional matches would be held among them, the two highest-ranked therein then playing for fifth and sixth places and the two lowest for seventh and eighth.

In a tournament where more than two opponents or teams can play together at once, such as in a shootout poker tournament, players are removed when they can no longer play until one player remains from the group. This player moves on to the next round

1.       Set the Time and Location for the baseball tournament

Form a committee to decide when the best time to have the tournament and the fee needed to cover expenses. At this time you will also determine the Tournament Director who will oversee the entire tournament. Decide what fields will be used along with game format and rules. If your tournament will be visited by quite a few out of town teams you may want to contact the local motel and secure a contract price for a block of rooms that the teams can stay in. This information should be provided in the Team mailings (step 2). Decide what Volunteers will be needed, you can start to get the word out that they will be needed.

2.       Initial Team mailing and tournament Marketing.

Design a flyer or document describing the league tournament and include the Date, location and Type of tournament (round robin, double elimination, etc.), entry fee, room rates (If know or if needed), registration deadline, contact information and a entry form. List the Tournament information on the www.leaguetournament.com website to get the word out to any teams in your area that will be interested. This should take place in December, January at the latest. Send out the first team mailing to local area teams.

3.       Team Mailing (Reminder)

One month before the deadline send out a reminder to the local area teams that have not yet responded.

4.       Follow-up team information

Within a week after the deadline complete the schedule and pull together all other information (maps, motel info, schedule, parking and arrival times) for a packet to be mailed to the registered teams

5.       Solicit for Volunteers

As soon as the game schedule is complete start to solicit for volunteers, decide what kind of volunteers are needed (Equipment, Field, Concessions, Scorekeepers, Umpires, etc.) a portion of this work can be done in step one.

6.       Follow up to volunteers

As soon as the volunteers are scheduled notification should be sent communicating their “job” and time slot(s). The sooner they are notified the less risk of no shows. The communication should also thank them for their efforts.

7.       Hospitality committee

This committee will have the responsibility of determining food and refreshment that will be available for the concession stand and or the Banquet. Their responsibility will be to ensure the food is ordered and served if necessary, they would also be charged with soliciting donations for the concession or banquet if required. Solicitation should be performed as early in the process as possible.

8.       Volunteer reminders

A couple of weeks before the tournament reminder notices should be sent out to each volunteer reminding them of their responsibilities and date/times. Ensure that there is contact information for them to use in case there is a problem with the assignment or date. Any maps or instructions should be included with this communication.

9.       Motel Follow-up

If necessary follow up with the motel/hotel to ensure that the block of rooms is still available and what teams have registered thus far. Contact any teams that are not registered yet, reminding them that the hotel registration deadline is fast approaching and no guarantee of rooms after the deadline.

10.   Awards committee

A committee should be set up to determine the awards that will be given out at the tournament (1^st, 2^nd, and third place) as well as any all-star awards. Once that is determined orders need to be placed atleast 3 weeks prior to the tournament date.

11.   Publicity

Approximately 4-6 weeks before the tournament, notification of local TV, Radio, and newspapers need to be notified of the tournament and announcements made to the public. You should also list your tournament on the league tournament listing website they are a great resource that most leagues will use to search and list their tournaments. This is a free service and should be the first place that the tournament is announced.

12.   First Aid

Communication to the local ambulance service needs to be made to let them know of the tournament dates and that their services may be needed. If possible first aid kits should be available at the field and possibly a first-aid volunteer.

13.   Field Crew and Equipment

Any field maintenance should be performed and any personnel needed to make these changes should be present during the tournament in case of emergency situations. Any equipment (balls, field stripping etc.) should be plentiful and easily available.

14.   Team packet

Team packets should be assembled and available for the team upon checking or first arrival at the tournament location. The packet should include maps of the fields and concessions, first-aid, and restrooms.

15.   Night before the tournament

The tournament director should be available at the hotel or Hospitality room the night before the tournament to hand out team packets and to meet and greet teams, this is a good time for the teams to socialize with each other before play begins.

16.   Day of tournament

The field crew needs to be at the fields a couple hours prior to the start of the 1st game to mark the fields (if not already done), set up the bases, and distribute the first batch of balls. Be sure that the fields are marked with field numbers (Field #1, etc.). The tournament director needs to be at the fields to meet with the volunteers and make sure each field is staffed with all of the necessary people. The volunteers should arrive 1/2 hour prior to each game start to get checked in and ready to start working by game start time. Ideally there would be 1 head umpire, 2 field judges, 1 base operator and 1 or 2 scorekeepers per field. There should be a clip board with official scoresheets, pencils & erasers, team roster sheets, and an official set of rules for each field. Have a water jug and cups at each field for the volunteers. If necessary, have someone transport the team(s), that flew to the tournament, from the motel to the fields. Be sure that there is a rover to keep track of the beep baseballs — collect “dead” balls and supply “new” balls. Remind the umpires to try to keep the games on schedule. The tournament director would travel among the fields to be sure things are running smoothly. Someone would need to collect the scoresheets and get them turned in to the statistician for posting. All of Saturday’s games would need to be posted by Saturday night and have the sheets available on Sunday morning to post Sunday’s games. Sunday’s games will probably have to be manually posted to get ready for the awards presentation. After the games are over on Saturday, the field crew needs to pick up all of the equipment — bases, wires, control boxes, and balls. If you are hosting a “banquet” on Saturday night, the banquet committee needs to be sure that someone is at the hotel getting the food ready.

17.   Sunday Morning

Sunday morning the field crew needs to be at the field early to be sure that the fields are still marked and to set up the bases. They should also distribute the balls. The statistician should have the sheets available with all of Saturday’s games posted. The Tournament Director needs to be sure that all of the volunteers show up for duty. As soon as the games are over, the statistician should manually post the stats so the information is available for the awards presentation. As soon as the information is available, have the awards ceremony. (Be sure that the awards are on site for the presentation.) The field crew again needs to pick up all of the equipment. If any teams flew in for the tournament, be sure they have transportation back to the airport.

18.   End of tournament

Your worries are over for this tournament. Go home and rest. Tomorrow you can start planning for next year. Be sure to send “Thank You” notes to your volunteers.