Baseball/Softball: Watch for the Numbers on a Fly Ball When Advancing From First Base

Dick Moss, Editor, PE Update.com

Successful baserunners play the percentages. Here are some easy-to-remember guidelines for leading, tagging up and advancing to second base when a teammate hits a deep fly ball.

Fly Ball Away from the Outfielder
If the ball is hit deep into the outfield and away from the fielder, your runner should advance as far as possible — even around second base. If the ball isn't caught, the runner will have a huge jump on the way to third or even to home plate. If the ball is caught, s/he should have enough time to return to first base.

A good coaching cue is to tell your baserunner to advance as far as possible if the outfielder shows the numbers on his/her back—this means s/he's sprinting deeper into the outfield.

Fly Ball at the Outfielder
On the other hand, if it's a deep fly ball directly to the outfielder, your baserunner should not risk advancing too far. Instruct your runner to tag up and get ready to advance to second when the catch is made. Whether to run or not depends on the outfielder's arm and the speed of your baserunner.

References:
1. Rod Delmonico, Hit and Run Baseball, Human Kinetics Publishers, 1992.
2. Len Tirrill, Coaching Kids and Parents: Baseball Fundamentals, CreateSpace, 2012.

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