Baseball: Play the Winning Way

257 Pages·1993·17.71 MB·English

by  Jerry Kindall

Play the Wming Way
Sports Illustrated Winner's Circle Books
BOOKS ON TEAM SPORTS
Baseball
Basketball
Football: Winning Defense
Football: Winning Offense
Hockey
Lacrosse
Pitching
Soccer
Volleyball
BOOKS ON INDIVIDUAL SPORTS
Bowling
Competitive Swimming
Cross-Country Skiing
Figure Skating
Golf
Racquetballl
Running for Women
Skiing
Squash
Tennis
Track: Championship Running
Track: The Field Events
SPECIAL BOOKS
Backpacking
Canoeing
Fly Fishing
Scuba Diving
Small-Boat Sailing
Strength Training
Training with Weights
.
.
s EL-
This book--and the author--are
dedicated to my wife, Georgia.
Acknowledgments
To the late Dick Siebert, former baseball coach at the University of Minnesota, for his mastery in teaching
and sharing baseball.
To Jim Wing, associate head baseball coach at the University of Arizona, for his excellence in coaching and
unparalleled kindness to players and co-workers.
To Jeny Stitt, assistant baseball coach at the University of Arizona, for his long hours of capable instluction
and teaching.
To Arizona Wildcat baseball players, past and present, for their commitment to excellence in practice as well
as in games.
To Dr. Paul and Barbara Schnur, for the use of their lovely home on Oak Creek.
To Mrs. Pat Buergey, a most capable and friendly secretary.
To Bill Jaspersohn, editor, Sports Illustrated Library, for his kind and patient counsel to a rookie author.
To J.C. Percell, noted baseball historian and librarian.
To Harold Kindall, for his legacy of interest in baseball-and unqualified devotion to his family.
To my children, Betsy, Doug, Bruce, and Martha, for providing me a loving and supportive "home plate."
Photo credits: King Features Syndicate, Inc.: p.12; Joe Vitti: pp. 40 (top, bottom), 62, 64 (bottom), 74, 131,
220 (top), 225, 230; Jose AzeVContact Press: p. 15. For Spons Illustrated: Ronald C. Modra: pp. 3,66, 110,
116, 256; Chuck Solomon: pp. 20, 98, 184; V.J. Lovero: pp. 32, 46; Andy Hayt: pp. 158 (top), 183 (left);
Peter Read Miller: p. 232; Walter Iooss, Jr.: pp. 158 (right), 168; Neil Leifer: p. 144; Bill Smith: pp. 42, 76,
158 (left); Tony Tomsic: p. 253; Richard Mackson: p. 250; Mickey Ptleger: p. 58. All other photographs by
Heinz Kluetmeier. Picture researchers: Bill Jaspersobn, Carolyn Keith, Linda Lyons, Susan Theilbeimer.
Diagram on p. 221: Georgia Froom. All other diagrams: Don Toy.P roject editor: Bill Jaspersohn.
Copyright O 1988,1993 by Time Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or
mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written per-
mission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passage in a review.
FIRST SPORTS ILLUSTRATED BOOKS EDITION 1993
Sports Illustrated Baseball: Play the Winning Way was originally published by Time, Inc. in
1988.
Sports Illustrated Books
An imprint of Madison Books, Inc.
Lanham, MD 20706
Distributed by National Book Network
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
kndall, Jeny.
Sports illustrated baseball.
1. Baseball. I. Kluetmeier, Heinz. 11. Tonry, Don. 111. Sports illustrated (Time, inc.)
VI. Title.
GV867.K56 1988 796.357'2 87-32394
ISBN: 978-1 -56800-000-8
Contents
Preface 9
1 Baseball History and Changes 13
Some of the Changes 15
2 Hitting and Bunting 21
Qualifications 2 1
Philosophy of Hitting 23
The Bat 25
The Grip 25
The Stance 27
The Stride 29
The Swing 30
The Follow-Through 3 1
Hitting the Ball Where It Is Pitched 32
Common Hitting Faults and Cures 33
Hitting Drills 35
Other Drills 38
Bunting 41
3 Baserunning 47
Proper Running Form 48
Breaking from the Batter's Box 49
Making the Turn at First Base: The 12-Foot Arc 51
The Lead at First Base 53
Stealing Second Base 56
Going from First Base to Third Base 58
Leads at Second Base 59
Stealing Third Base 60
The Two-Out Lead at Second Base 60
The Base Runner at Third Base 61
General Reminders for the Base Runner 65
Sliding 66
Breaking Up the Double Play 72
The Role of the Base Coaches 72
4 Throwing 77
The Grip 77
Arm Action 78
The Stride 79
The Release 81
The Follow-Through 8 1
Other Throws 81
Care of the Arm 82
5 General Infield Play 85
Selection of an Infielder's Glove 85
Mental Preparation for the Infielder 86
Physical Preparation for the Infielder 87
The Infielder's First Movement to the Ground Ball 88
The Infielder's Lateral Movement 9 1
The Glove-Hand-Only Play 93
The Dive Play 94
Catching the Line Drive or Thrown Ball 96
6 The First Baseman 99
Qualifications 99
Taking Position 100
Taking the Throw 101
Holding the Runner On 103
Teamwork with the Pitcher 104
The "Tough Play" 106
Fielding Bunts 106
Throws to Second Base 107
7 The Third Baseman 109
Qualifications 109
Taking Position 110
The Slow-Hit Ball 11 1
Playing Alert 11 3
General Considerations 11 5
8 Shortstop and Second Base: The Double Play 117
Qualifications 11 8
General Rules for the Double Play 119
Double-Play Depth 12 1
The Shortstop's Throw to Second Base 122
The Second Baseman's Throw to the Shortstop 125
The Unassisted Double Play 126
Shortstop Pivot on the Double Play 127
Second Baseman Pivot on the Double Play 128
Double-Play Drills 130
9 Outfield Play 133
Qualifications 133
Fielding Fly Balls 135
Playing the Sun 139
Fielding Ground Balls 140
Reminders for the Outfielder 141
10 Pitching 145
Qualifications 146
The Three Basic Pitches 147
Other Pitches 152
Preparing to Pitch 154
Pitching from the Set Position 159
Pitcher Fielding 165
Conclusion 167
11 Catching 169
Qualifications 170
Equipment 170
Sign-Giving Position 17 1
The Receiving Position 172
Receiving the Pitch 174
Throwing Out Runners 176
Catcher Tags 179
Fielding Bunts 18 1
Catching Pop Flies 182
Conclusion 183
12 Defensive Strategy 185
General Principles for Team Defense 186
The Variables of Team Defense 187
Team Defensive Positioning 188
Infield Positioning with a Runner on Third Base 189
Bunt Defenses 191
Double-Steal Defenses: Runners on First Base and Third Base 198
Runners on First and Third Bases, Foul Fly Ball or Pop Fly 205
Runner on Second Base, Ball Four, Wild Pitch to the Batter 206
Cutoffs and Relays: Team Defense 207
Relay and Cutoff Fundamentals and Techniques 216
Pop-Fly Priorities 220
Rundowns 222
Catcher Pick-Offs 225
Pitcher Pick-Offs 226
Tag Plays 231
13 Offensive Strategy 233
Offensive Variables 234
Offensive Choices 234
The Power Offense 244
Advancing Base Runners 245
The Batting Order 247
Giving Signs 249
14 A Word to the Fan 251
Preface Why another baseball book? There seems to be a
proliferation of "how to" manuals in recent years
to instruct the player, the coach, the fan-yes,
even the fan. Because baseball requires such pre-
cise and sophisticated skills (try hitting a round
ball squarely with a round bat), mastering this
game remains a mystery to most people.
The intent of this baseball book is multifold:
to strip away the mystery of playing and coaching
this most difficult of all team sports; to provide a
workable system of organization and planning
when learning its four essential skills-running,
throwing, hitting, and fielding; to provide certain
keys to player, coach, and fan for unlocking the
gates to better performance, understanding, and
enjoyment of this marvelous sport; and to lay a
solid foundation of fundamentals upon which the
reader can build a lifelong interest in the sport of
baseball.
This is a layman's book, covering all baseball
interests: high school, college, amateur, recrea-
tional, and professional. One of baseball's endur-
ing qualities is that certain common threads
interweave its fabric. From Williamsport, Penn-
sylvania, to Dodger Stadium, from Taiwan to
Cuba, no matter the level, these common threads