Pop Flies and the MANY challenges they cause. How to catch a pop fly.

Catching pop ups...from how to slide toward a fence, what to do with a catcher mask, dealing with fences, the Magnus Effect, and helping your teammate. How to catch a pop fly as a catcher or corner infielder. Catcher catching pop fly balls. First baseman and third baseman catching pop flies.

[@immortalkeiji4451]

This is my favorite baseball channel now since it provides insanely useful advice

[@DS-lx7tf]

4:54 This is what I was looking for! Thank you!

[@angc214]

The sun can be a problem, too. I was playing LF in one of my little league games. Fly ball right to me. I get under it ready to catch it and it drifted right into the sun and I lost it.

[@baseballcg7111]

I really enjoy your Chanel and the videos!

[@bobkmac]

Not mentioned is the lack of any reference points to tell what direction the ball is moving (and at what rate), this magnifies the difficulty of catching high pop flies.

[@CreepySunny]

The last clip with that umpire hustling to get that call.

[@andrewclawson57]

Saw something new the other day. I play high school baseball in the state of utah. Our runner was trying to steal third in a crucial part of the last inning. He got there and as we were all celebrating the umpire told him he had to go back to second because of “umpire interference”

[@MJHBaseball]

Yup! No umpire wants to make that call, but if it occurs, he has to. The catcher bumped him while trying to throw to 3rd. That's the only way you get that call. But now the other team is onto you're plan, so really sucks.

[@dingaling14]

My son plays varsity high school ball and the usual 1st baseman was out so they put a pitcher only to play 1st base. 1 inning there was a pop fly that hit the stratosphere then came down and hit this kid in the nose. Nose popped like a grape. I think his biggest problem was he runs really heavy so his eyes are bobbling around and makes it much harder to see the ball. But as I've said to my players when I coach "If you get hit in the face enough eventually you will learn to catch" 🤣

[@clintjunior1673]

I have a little league majors level question. But cannot get a definitive answer. I even looked over the rulebook trying to piece together the proper ruling. The question is: When a batter is walk and the catcher returns the ball directly to the pitcher (who is on the mound and rubber); can the walked batter advance to second if he/she does not stop running after touching 1st. (Advances immediately to 2nd base)? The team was using this move when they were walked when a runner was on 3rd.

[@thechief_88]

Yeah that is perfectly legal. After a walk is issued the ball is technically live, so all runners are free to advance if they want to risk it. If the ball is live, standing on the mound and rubber means nothing, you must make sure an umpire calls time.

[@thechief_88]

Getting the ball back to the pitcher quickly is key to preventing this. If the runner tries to go to second the pitcher should do a quick look to the runner on third and then throw the ball to whoever is covering second. The second baseman or shortstop should then be able to run the runner back to first while keeping an eye on the runner at third.

[@MJHBaseball]

The batter when walked can advance at risk of being thrown out if the chooses in Little League Majors. The local league may not create a rule to prevent this. The ball is live and runners are free to advance if they choose. The runner on 3rd can attempt to advance to home on a walk as well. Rule 7.13 governs this. Once the pitcher has the ball and is in contact with the pitcher's plate AND the catcher is in the catcher's box with all his equipment on and ready to receive the pitch, then the runners may not advance until the pitched ball reaches the batter. Outside of that, runners can run anytime the ball is live.

[@davej3781]

Pop-ups pose many problems for umpires too... a lot of umpires in this video spend way too much time looking up at the ball instead of moving. What I'll tell a guy I'm training is "There's nothing interesting for you up there, the ball is not going to burst into a firework you want to see nor do anything else that is any of your concern; what it will invariably do is come down near a fielder who IS watching the ball. You watch HIM."

[@bofa83]

5:01 that's a fair ball.

[@MJHBaseball]

Why do you think that was a fair ball? It landed in fair territory, but where was the ball when it was first touched? That is what determines fair or foul in this case.

[@bofa83]

@@MJHBaseball you’re right. I guess it’s just not something you see very often. Feels weird to have a pop fly land in fair territory and be called foul.