No One Covers Home and Runner Scores Easily

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[@furyofbongos]

"should the bat boy run out" !!

[@Durwood71]

I think that's the wrong answer, but I'm going to watch the video to be sure.

[@lo1bo2]

Well, Dusty Baker's young kid ran to home plate during a 2002 World Series play, so I'm not ruling it out...

[@dentonyoung4314]

Once the pitcher sees the catcher coming hard for the ball, he should sprint for home instantly.

[@Algorerhythm]

Definitely the bat boy. 😂

[@ticnatz]

That was a perfect breakdown. Tough play.....

[@fionam3554]

Let it roll. It's probably staying fair, but.... it's your only hope. Pitcher has to peel off when the catcher plays the ball. Third base has to cover third, or the runner just follows him home. Short has second, second is going to cover first if the first baseman comes in on it, or if that underflip scoop goes wild - it's not a reliable accurate throw.

[@timisaac8121]

Great Vid & breakdown. this is exactly the content I want to see!! In the moment, just a very difficult play- it does appear pitcher was responsible? just really close in play

[@timeonly1401]

Could the 3rd baseman read the play down 1st baseline, and pretty much KNOW that the play isn't going to 3B? Then sprint to cover home well ahead of the baserunner who's likely just about 1/2 to 2/3rds way to 3B, and still have to turn 90 degrees before himself sprinting home?

[@SirTylerGolf]

In theory yes, but there still could always be a play at third if the runner rounds the bag and has to go back to third, he has to assume that either the pitcher or the catcher will be covering home

[@samueldrazkowski2908]

​@SirTylerGolf but the short stop can cover third, first baseman stayed put, so second baseman should go to second, right fielder backs throw down the right field foul line

[@MikeHart72]

This is one of those plays where the ball is in “no man’s land”. If the catcher does get the ball I don’t think he even has a lane to make a throw. Waiting to see if it goes foul was probably the best decision but in the heat of the moment it’s a hard call to make. Instincts tell you to get the ball. When I was coaching I taught pitchers to cover home every time you see the catcher leave his position. It was just my rule of thumb whether or not there were base runners. This way it was just something they did out of habit and home plate was very rarely left open with runners on. No one is perfect and even professionals will make basic mistakes every now and then. This was a tough play

[@matthewb3113]

This is a near catch 22 situation, where all things need to go perfect for the defense or things all go wrong. The catcher absolutely had to pick-up the ball, hold the runner on third, and then throw to first to get the out. Once the catcher failed the offense had the strategic advantage as the pitcher had to recover the ball vs cover home.

[@gregh2322]

This reminds me of that Little League WS play in terms of the ball placement and someone not covering a base.

[@MH-Tesla]

Catcher's fault. As the dad of the greatest defensive catcher in history, he'd never had played this wrong. One exception: we're up by a lot and the run means nothing. But I've got this exact play on video multiple times and my son, greatest person to ever play catcher, didn't let the run score!

[@rameybartels6291]

It seems to me, though, with a runner on second, and this hit is made, That the runner is almost guaranteed to get third base, so the third baseman doesn’t really need to cover third base. Especially if he’s already playing in for the bunt, he could get to home well before the runner from second base. What do you think?

[@DanStaal]

You need someone covering the base that the runner is going to be at. If there’s no one at third the runner should head halfway to home regardless of what happens, and any small bobble becomes a run. With someone covering third the runner has to actually consider whether they can make it home before heading through third. If you really wanted to get fancy, the shortstop could have covered either third or home, but it would have been a long run and having them backup the third baseman at third in case of a bad throw is probably also a decent use for him.

[@diam3931]

You definitely need to have a guy at third in that situation. What if you stop the runner from scoring but he turns back toward third. Now you have nobody to throw to. That is a tough play but either the pitcher or catcher needs to be home in that situation. When that happens in my softball league it is almost an automatic single unless you are on the slow side lol

[@bobbell1922]

@@diam3931 I think Matt's analysis is spot on - either the pitcher or catcher needs to give up on the ball and cover home. The third baseman recognizing the breakdown and reacting quickly enough to cover home is definitely an "above and beyond" play, not something you'd draw up. That said, I beg to differ with a couple of your points. You don't "need" someone at third. The runner is getting to third regardless of what the defense does. "What if you stop the runner from scoring but he turns back toward third." When I first learned baseball, many decades ago, I was taught that it was better to stop runners from scoring than allowing them to score. So what if he takes a 45 foot lead? He'll have to go back to third eventually.

[@bobbell1922]

@@DanStaal My only quibble with your analysis is if someone is covering third but no one is covering home, it's not much of a consideration for the runner. That's the way the play should start of course. The third baseman recognizing the breakdown and reacting quickly enough to break for home to cover is definitely an "above and beyond" play, not something you'd draw up. If the runner on third took too big a lead then, the SS might be able to "backpick" him. But again, that's way out of the routine.

[@mph7282]

The third baseman has to cover 3B. The SS is covering 2B and the second baseman is moving to cover 1B in case the first baseman has to cove in and field the ball.

[@MarkStoddard]

Audacity->Effect->Amplify->Apply. Don't even need to do a manual adjustment, it's all automatic. Aside from that, your mic just sounds bad even though you have another one that sounds good. Either you're not using your good one for some reason, or it's going through some lossy compression or filter.

[@justcs3]

Always protect home. We can live with a runner on third.

[@JustDos1008]

Yeah, I 100% agree and the pitcher froze after the play was "executed" by the catcher. That's the pitchers responsibility all day. However, "to err is human" and that's what makes sports and baseball in general so beautiful -- just the variation of fuckery that can happen on any given play. 🤷🏽

[@Pepe-recha]

Bonjour

[@Thirdbase9]

It was obviously the Center Fielder's job to cover Home Plate.

[@swagmuffin9000]

to answer your question, yes, the bat boy is the right person to be covering home in this situation. not sure how he missed this one

[@samueldrazkowski2908]

Could third baseman have just continued to home, and short stop gone to third since the first baseman stayed at first?

[@tomlewis4748]

So, a double screw-up. Had EITHER the catcher or pitcher done this properly, 2 outs, runner on 1st, score remains. The catcher also tripped, apparently over his own feet. How often does that happen in MLB? That ball was heading foul. Question: If it rolls foul after the batter reaches first and the runner reaches home, is it ruled simply a foul ball and the batter and the runner return? Or are they safe?

[@FloridaJack]

How can you expect royalty to cover a bag properly. Pitchers (most pitchers) just pitch and don't have time for the rest of the game.

[@Mitten4371]

Yea and also you have to know what the situation is and where your defense is playing and who is running the bases. Because as you see the first baseman had no chance in fielding this ball and so like Matty said you have to communicate on who is going after this ball. You are taught that if this ball is near the line like it is here you wait and see if it rolls foul but in this case your not sure if it will roll foul. Plus the only option that the catcher had was to field this ball bare handed in order to get this runner out at first base but you have to know the speed of the runner that is running to first and also the runner at second. But you are taught to cover a base and so the pitcher is the only one in this case that should had covered home

[@mph7282]

The catcher had time to scoop it with both hands. He didn’t need to barehand it. He had more time than he realized. That said, even if he does make the play, or even if he waits to see if it goes foul, someone has to cover the plate. I agree about communication, but ultimately the catcher has to ensure that the plate is covered.

[@Mitten4371]

@@mph7282 Yea but he also knew the speed of the runner and he didn't have time to wait and let it go foul and the only play that he had was to pick it up bare handed. But they discuss this before the play begins in where they should be and the pitcher has to sprint home to cover home

[@joshuaanderson4090]

​@@mph7282the catcher has to ensure the plate is covered? That's an odd take. The TEAM has to ensure the plate is covered. If the guy normally assigned to ANY base has to leave the base to field a ball then someone else on the TEAM has to cover for him. No matter the player he can't just let a ball go by that he could field because "he has to ensure the base is covered.". That's dumb. That's why it's a team sport and why kids, even in little league, are taught to back up and cover and how to rotate on defense. This is clearly a situation where the pitcher is the only person who can cover the plate and also the only who not really doing anything. He needs to cover home for the TEAM. Even just him standing there would have likely deterred the runner from even trying.

[@mph7282]

@@joshuaanderson4090 this is just…bizarre. If that’s what you got from my post, that it’s not a team game, then you do you.

[@mph7282]

@@Mitten4371 again, he had time to scoop the ball with the glove and hand. He didn’t have to barehand it. That’s a more sure-handed way to field the ball. He could have waited to see if it went foul, and maybe it would have, but if it didn’t, then the run scores and the runner is safe at 1B. You’re in the same spot.

[@davidstoyanoff]

Yes, the batboy was out of position. Seriously, once the catcher booted the play, everyone was easily safe.

[@nedmerrill5705]

Where's the third baseman?

[@alvinthecat8426]

Hypothetically, if the runner was on third does the catcher stay put. I think yes, but then everything is on the pitcher.

[@Tryp-j9d]

NOT the Bat Boy, HE’s feeding the Orioles!!

[@pigjubby1]

So the third baseman stayed at third after watching the debacle at the first base line just in case the runner ran back?

[@joshuaanderson4090]

Pitcher.

[@scottsmith2052]

In most levels of baseball, this run is the catcher's fault. He needs to be the "goalie" and only venture away from home plate when it is safe to do so. He tried to be a hero. Any other choice would have been better - let the pitcher get it, let the bunt work, or pray the bunt goes foul.

[@mph7282]

I tend to agree. Defensive rule number one for a catcher is you can’t leave home plate uncovered with a runner in scoring position. Even if he makes the play, which I think he had time to do, there is still no one covering the plate and the run scores. Ideally the catcher calls it and the pitcher covers home, but even then a pitcher covering the plate is not ideal. This is one of those situation where it’s better to just let the pitcher try to make the play, and if he doesn’t, he doesn’t. You take you lumps on a fluke play and you have runners at 1B and 3B instead of 1B and a run scored.

[@caseyfisk1]

Why not the 3B? Clearly, there's no play at 3rd.

[@wpaoff-road]

Clearly the Bat Boy should have covered home! 🤣

[@emerald3331]

I just think that was a perfect bunt and I think the pitcher had no time to cover home. The best bet would be to hope the ball rolled foul.

[@joshuaanderson4090]

The pitcher absolutely had time if he just goes home as soon as it's clear the catcher is going to go for the ball. He's already halfway there and the runner isn't even to third yet. Advice for pitchers, if the ball is in play and you're not fielding, backing up, or covering then you're wrong, 100% of the time. It's super clear he needed to go home and even just him being anywhere near the plate likely deters the runner from even trying to go home since a thrown ball is way faster than him

[@user-js2dr9gv1u]

Some things are just fate.

[@duckfan2448]

The peanut vendor should have been covering home

[@mosinc7388]

Looks like the pitcher wouldn't have gotten home in time if they did communicate. Maybe the catcher should have stayed.

[@MikeHart72]

Instincts tell you to go after that ball. It was hit in no man’s land and was very tough play to make. I’m not even sure there was a lane to throw to first. I always taught my pitchers to cover home when they see the catcher leave his position.

[@MyBiPolarBearMax]

Let me save you some time: This is entirely on the pitcher.

[@GodfreyLeBron]

Is it me or since so much emphasis has been placed on velo and launch angle and the rest of the new metrics the fundamentals of baseball have become a lost art. It seems like every MLB game has had fundamental mistakes this year

[@skydiverclassc2031]

At least it wasn't a Little League home run.

[@rayh592]

Third baseman should have been breaking in and then covered home, shortstop to third. The runner off second is safe at third, regardless, no need to cover third. Covering third in this situation isn't as important. If the runner goes back to third, it is better than scoring.

[@mph7282]

You always cover 3B in that situation. The SS is covering 2B. The breakdown is on the pitcher/catcher (primarily the catcher), not the third baseman.

[@joshuaanderson4090]

On a ball down the line, before it even becomes clear the 3b will take third, the SS second, and the 2b will start heading toward first. Since a chopper down the line will mean the 1b possibly needs to come in and even if he stays a rushed throw could go over his head. This is simply either the pitcher or catchers fault. Whoever is going to field the ball, the other one needs to cover the plate. Which is perfectly reasonable since there are 2 of them and only one can pick it up and throw to first. Without knowing what they said to each other in the moment it's hard to say who's "fault it is" but ultimately it's a team game The team gave us the run and the team is at fault.

[@RobFowler-o3l]

Shouldn't the 2nd baseman cover 3rd and 3rd baseman cover home plate???

[@mph7282]

The second baseman has to be moving to cover 1B in case the first baseman end up fielding the ball, similar to a bunt defense. You can’t expect the second baseman to cover 3B. Maybe you could have the SS cover 3B, but then no one is covering 2B. Bottom line, it’s the catcher or pitcher who has to cover the plate, and it’s ultimately on the catcher to make sure someone is, even if means they don’t get the runner at 1B.

[@usmagrad71]

A cardinal rule in baseball is to have all bases covered. Once the 3rd baseman sees the catcher leaving home, and sees that the runner is sure to get to 3rd AND quite possibly score if home is not covered, he breaks to cover home. The SS goes to third, once he sees the 3rd baseman heading to home, so the runner has to think twice about going for home. The runner now sees home and 3rd covered; This might make him hesitate on the decision to run home. The pitcher and catcher did the right thing, and neither one could have ever got back to home in time to get in position to catch a throw and tag the runner.