Intro to Baseball: Stolen Bases, Pick Offs, and Caught Stealing

A look at leading off, getting picked off, and what it means to steal a base.

[@davidrobins1021]

Loving this playlist; great explanations for someone who knows nothing about the game. As a cricket fan, there are clearly a lot of overlapping concepts (like force out = run out, leadoff = backing up, etc) but what strikes me is why so many people seem to complain about being unable to understand cricket. As a baseball newbie, going from these videos, baseball is by far the more complex sport, mainly as a result of the multiple bases and the rules regarding advancement between bases. All the stuff about tagging up and fly sacs on a caught flyball, and the distinction between a hit and an error (for example) is a lot more involved than anything in cricket, so it's strange that cricket seems to have this reputation of being incomprehensible. Anyone who can understand baseball can easily understand cricket.

[@genjaminstahr5381]

Thanks for that, I've just seen a "crazy " clip of someone stealing a home base and didn't understand cuz I never watched baseball

[@aSinnerMan7]

Haha that's why I'm here too

[@ThojHmoob97]

Thats why i am also here

[@rabbitpunch1422]

@theondeckcircle Awesome videos! I find your videos very helpful! You are the only youtuber who uploads videos on baseball that can teach basic baseball to beginners like myself. Very concise and easy to understand. Thanks!

[@Tohhmo1]

Best explanations on KZbin

[@pauljmorton]

These videos are invaluable to me right now. I've been watching a lot of the Finnish baseball sport called pesäpallo. It looks externally quite similar to baseball, so it's easy to assume that much of its internals are also similar, but I'm getting my mind blown about how differently these games actually work.

[@carlmoore3215]

At about 2:01 there is a reference to "batter," which should be "runner".

[@chrishearty412]

Very helpful actually thank you!

[@unclepikachu7535]

Awsome vids bruh

[@rominawhite]

Oh boy. Don't remind me of stealing home. It happened some weeks ago, Toronto blue Jays vs Boston. Gurriel stole base from Chris Sale. Everyone should watch that. Smooth.

[@michelletakawo6901]

Awesome 👌

[@maxs.468]

So can a runner be forced out when trying to steal a base? Or can he only be tagged out?

[@nothinnonthing6951]

he has to be tagged out because there is nothing forcing him to run

[@costcotheballer8171]

If you are still reading and answering comments could you inform me on what happens if a runner attempts to steal 2nd and the batter gets walked at the same time. Can the runner still be thrown out or is it treated just like a normal walk?

[@yokokimura8741]

Like a normal walk

[@rabbitpunch1422]

Can 3rd base and home be stolen just like 2nd base?

[@TheOnDeckCircle]

Yes they can, although they are usually more difficult to steal because 3rd is closer to home plate than 2nd, and to steal home plate you have to be fast and have perfect timing.

[@robbywilliams9443]

Gotta be skillfully fast

[@carlmoore3215]

At 2:48, that is not a force when you have to get back to 1st for tagup on fly ball.

[@bencheevers6693]

Still trying to wrap my head around this, how does tagging up and stealing first

[@Sumguy21]

When can you start stealing? Can you just run towards the next base at any time?

[@JeffreyW67]

Generally yes. Once the ball is considered live (starting when the pitcher starts the process of pitching) until something happens as a result of the pitch, you can steal.

[@v.n.2424]

Thx man

[@Posby95]

Stealing a base can be suicide on a caught fly ball by the infielders, right? Because the runner doesn't have enough time to tag up. I've seen some runners stopping at the destination base and just waiting for the defense to tag them out. Then when should a runner steal? There's always the risk of an infield lineout resulting in double or triple play.

[@TheOnDeckCircle]

+Posby95 You're exactly right. Infield flies and line outs will almost certainly result in a double play, but they happen rare enough that it probably won't stop a team from trying to steal. The batter will often know that a runner is going to steal, so sometimes he won't swing. Also check out the video about the Infield Fly Rule.

[@Posby95]

TheOnDeckCircle Yes, I have watched the Infield Fly video you made. However, my scenario wasn't about a pop up in the infield, but rather, a low fast ball to the second baseman or the shortstop they catch in the air. So you say it's better that a batter doesn't swing on a steal attempt. Yet I read somewhere that hitters often swing to mislead the catcher.

[@TheOnDeckCircle]

+Posby95 You are right that there will always be a risk of a double play, but it doesn't happen enough that it isn't worth risking to steal. There is a set play called a "Hit and Run" in which the runner will try to steal and the hitter is supposed to hit the ball. The idea is that the shortstop or second baseman will run to cover second base with the runner stealing, thus opening up a hole where he usually stands. Again, it doesn't always work, but it can be nice when it does.

[@jonting7847]

@@TheOnDeckCircle but doesn’t the stealer have to return to first base to tag up if the bal is hit?

[@ThomasDeLello]

If you have a runner at first base and third base and less that two outs... The first base runner can can just waltz his ass to second base without a challenge from the catcher because throwing the ball allows the third base runner to steal home plate, right...?! But the downside to that is... the defence finds himself in a double play situation with force outs.

[@Ryan_Carder]

I hope you're still active here. What happens if the ball is foul?

[@santoshennessy5418]

Then he can't steal

[@philmccracken179]

Runner goes back to his original base .

[@tommiegreen]

@@santoshennessy5418 yes he can. The ball would have to be caught in order for him to be sent back

[@hhdddd4282]

@@tommiegreen no he has to go back no matter what

[@ItsAKJ]

What if the pitcher throws a Ball can you still run?

[@philmccracken179]

Yes

[@marekss]

Thanks

[@toxicspikes8394]

I understand now

[@manuelviellieber4763]

Can somebody explain to me why tagging a baserunner is necessary? Isn’t it enough for a defender to just stand on the base that a baserunner attempts to steal? I know my question might seem silly, but I’m from Germany and I got into baseball recently. Baseball is not at all a thing here (I know Kepler is German, but I can guarantee that 99%+ of people in Germany have never heard his name).

[@muhammaddanish8354]

Can anybody answer me batter hits and the 1st baseman stops it and he Runs and touched the base it is forced out or something else.

[@TheOnDeckCircle]

Yes, the batter always has a force out at first base.

[@muhammaddanish8354]

@@TheOnDeckCircle So that's mean even u throw to other player and he touched the bass with his foot or u himself touched with your own foot so both considered as force out in terminology' as long batter is forced to Run

[@jeffburnham6611]

Since the video is about stealing bases and being picked off, I would say stealing home is not the most exciting play in baseball. That honor would go to the unassisted triple play, which is so rare it has only happened less than 20 times in the history of Major League Baseball. To my knowledge, the last time this happened was in 2009.

[@DarkThomy]

So, if the pitch results in a strike or a ball, it doesn't invalidate a stolen base? Only a fly caught would (making the runners original's base forced out) ? What happens if there are already two outs ? Can you still steal home plate ?

[@basedbulgarian511]

You can steal at any time. If a fly ball is caught you do have to touch your starting base before stealing. You're only forbidden from stealing when the ball is dead (umpire stops play or a ball lands in foul territory).

[@johanvandermerwe1211]

Hi. So if a guy has say a .127 RBI, how do they get to .127? Why a .? Thanks

[@JeffreyW67]

I think you mean .127 BA (batting average). It is basically a percentage. 12.7% of the time, the batter gets a hit. .000 means the batter has never been successful and 1.000 is perfect.

[@tommiegreen]

What happens if you’re stealing a base and the ball is caught?

[@TheOnDeckCircle]

Caught like for a pop fly? You would have to get back to the original base as quick as you can or you could be doubled off.

[@tommiegreen]

@@TheOnDeckCircle yes pop fly. I didn’t realize that most steaks happen before a hit l. I also didn’t realize that a hit trumps a steal and that there are an entire set of rules that take effect after a hit for the Stealer

[@tylerwade2757]

Elly De La Cruz

[@justgiz]

What about stealing 1st Base?

[@Random-nl3yw]

You cannot steal first base you have to hit the ball and get to first base before they get you out

[@karlsingleton6115]

@@Random-nl3yw You can try to steal first base if the catcher drops a pitch that would have been a third strike

[@hifijohn]

oh yes you can kzbin.info/www/bejne/qJnRoHahpZeEi9E

[@jaimebejar7515]

Good edvice

[@prajkta123]

This seems like mankading in cricket

[@philmccracken179]

Mankading in cricket is more like “the hidden ball trick “ in baseball

[@enochliu8316]

@@philmccracken179 Mankading, that is the run-out of the non striker by the bowler, is similar to a pick off in baseball.

[@philmccracken179]

@@enochliu8316 I was thinking the similarity would be the fact that the base runner in baseball and the other batsmen In cricket lose concentration and get out because of it

[@tombowden7539]

why don't they throw to 2nd when the batter is taking a lead? I don't get it because the runner could sprint all the way to 2nd if they throw to first.

[@taydaking1089]

Because if the runner is taking a lead from first base, the second baseman (or shortstop) would have no chance at tagging the runner out.

[@JeffreyW67]

The pitcher cannot throw to a base that is unoccupied by a runner unless someone is actually to run to that base. The act of taking a lead is not the same. So if a runner on 1st is only taking a lead and the pitcher throws to second, that is one of the rules for a balk and all runners get to advance automatically. (the rules for balks are complicated). Base stealers always wait until the pitcher starts the actual motion pitch because then the pitcher MUST throw the pitch (to home) and the runner has the greatest chance of success.