How To Complete A Baseball Rundown

We're doing rundowns today, okay? How many of you have been in a rundown at some point this past season? Okay, so pretty much anyone that's played organized baseball has been in a rundown, right? We just had one last last game, right? Wasn't it Ronan? Ronan was in a rundown last game, wasn't he? Or two games ago? He was. You weren't paying attention. He was. He fumbled the ball, all right? So we got it. Yeah, remember that? He thought he meant like running. No, he was in he was he was the third baseman. Now listen, there's a couple of really important steps to a rundown. Let's talk basics first. How many throws do we want to come? Yes, we want a throw, a catch, and attack. That is our goal in a rundown. Everyone have to get that? Now there's some things, listen, because there's some things that are taught in rundowns that I personally don't agree with. But I know when players come to us, I have to coach a little differently. So we're going to talk about everything that happens in a rundown. Let's say we pick him off. Okay, Marco, just turn and throw it to me. See if you can hit me. Look at that throw by Marco. So it starts with a good throw from Marco. Once I get the ball, I have the ball. What's the first thing I do? The first thing I do is I take the ball out of my glove. Everyone have that? I don't chase him with the ball in my glove. Because then if I have to throw it, I have to dig in, take it out, and throw the ball. I want to catch it and immediately take the ball out of my glove. Now, what's the next thing I do after I take the ball out of my glove? Okay, I got to run him. But where do I run? Your lane. Yes. So I pick a lane. So if I catch the ball, Henry, you get that? Yeah. If I catch the ball inside the runner, see how I'm inside? My lane is now inside. Everyone got that? If Marco makes a bad throw and he takes me over here, am I inside the runner or outside? Outside. So now my lane is outside. I never run the runner like right at him. That's what I see everyone do. Run right at him. Because when it's time to throw, Jack, come here for a sec. When it's time to throw, what do I have to do? Yeah, I got to throw it up over his head. Right. I want to be on a side. Okay. So I catch the ball. I take it out. I pick a lane depending on where the ball took me. What does my receiver do, the guy at the next base? He picks the same lane that I do. Everyone got that? So if I pick inside, where's he go? If I go outside, where's he go? Outside. Beautiful. So let's say we go inside. Okay. Now, see how we're both inside the runner? I run him like this, but I'm always inside. Everyone got it? Okay. If he starts to come inside a little bit more, I just come inside a little bit more. Everyone got that? What should you do if you're the base runner and you're in a rundown and you're running that way? What should you try to do? Okay. But let's say you've already turned your back and you're sprinting. What do you do? Yeah. So you want to run right at this guy's gloves. Why would you want to run right at him? You're making me have to throw it, Jack. You're making me have to throw it up over his head again. Everyone got that? Okay. So now, Jack, go back to third. We pick him off. I get it out. I pick my lane. Jack picks his lane. What's my next step? What do I got to do now? I got to run at him, but I've got to sprint at him. Okay. So this is a big mistake I see. We run and we just run like this. This is not getting anyone out of it, but it's got to be a dead sprint. Everyone got it? Why do I have to sprint? Yes, but I also sprint because I need him to commit. If he is going to do this, right? If I don't sprint, then he can run sideways like this. Everyone see that? And if he can run sideways, wow, it's like you've been coached before. Very good. If he can run sideways, then once I throw it, he can go like this. Everyone see that? That's why most rundowns last an hour and a half because the guy is running sideways. You guys don't get him to turn. So if I sprint at him, what's he have to do? He has to commit. He has to turn. So once he turns like this, and now I see his numbers and he's running, when I throw the ball, do you think he's going to be able to stop and go the other way? No. So you've got to run them as fast as you can to get him to commit. And then once he commits, we can give the ball up. Okay. Now, a couple more things. If I catch the ball here, what's coach Jack going to do? Is he going to just stand on third base like that? He's going to close the gap. Very good. So he's going to start to move this way because we don't want to run a guy 90 feet. It's too long. We want to run a guy like 50 feet if we can. So he's going to start to close the gap. So I'm running them hard. Coach is closing the gap. Now, hold on. See how Nick committed right there? So watch this. So as I'm sprinting, once Nick commits, turn, stop right there. Once he commits, now we know we've got him. What's coach Jack going to do? He's going to start to get momentum towards me so that when I throw the ball, let's do it in kind of slow motion. Ready? Get momentum, catch, tag him. Everyone understand that? So you guys in the back, watch this. Jack, you go on that side. This is what happens too much too. Jack, start running them a little bit. Dad, ready? You guys sit flat footed, catch it. Now he can stop and now I've got to run and chase him down too hard. Instead of, do it again. You've got to be able to catch the ball with momentum. Watch me, everyone. Do it about 50%. Ready? Momentum, catch, tag. Don't ever, ever change direction because I have a running head start and he doesn't. So if you want to complete a rundown, you need to know how to catch a ball. These glasses don't stay on my head. You've got to be able to catch a ball while running. If you can only catch while staying stationary, it's really hard to complete a rundown. Everyone got it? Okay. Start coming this way. Stop right there. So I've caught it with momentum. Now, once I have it, I'm going to, if I just catch it, he's right here, boom, I just tag him. If I catch it and he somehow starts to run away from me, what am I doing now? I'm taking the ball out of my glove. What is the guy doing that just threw the ball? He's following his throw on what side? The side that he's on. So if the lane is inside, where does he stay? Inside. He leaves inside and where does he go? To third because that's where he just threw it to. And now I get him going this way. Everyone got that? If he doesn't leave, Jack, stay right there. Everyone watch me. If he throws the ball, these are the mistakes I see. One, I see this, throw the ball and then cross this way. Well, what happens if he turns around, come back and I go to cross this way. I get back there. What just happened? So what's up? What's happened? He goes to third base. He's safe. So if you're in a rundown and you see a guy close to you, what should you do? Yeah. Just run into him. Just bang into him. You know, just act like you're a soccer player. Who or act like you're a basketball player in 2022 and just, you know, just go flopping on the ground. There you go. Just got out of the rundown. Okay. You can flop. Cool. Who here plays soccer? You know, you guys, when the guy comes over to you and he goes, you fall on the ground, you can do that. Yep. Sorry, soccer guys. All right. Yep. Coach Jack played soccer in college. Do any of you guys know that? My coach, coach Jack Antonelli. He played soccer in college. Baseball and soccer. All right. Everyone understand that? Okay. So when I throw the ball, I leave on the side or on the lane that I'm in. I stay on that side. I never cross the runner. I go to the next base. Last question. You got a ball when it's time. If I'm running like this and I can tag the runner, slow down a little bit, Nick, how do I tag them? I put the ball into my glove, but I still have it in this hand. It's in my hand, but it's in my glove and I tag them like that. I don't ever tag just like that because that can happen. Everyone see that? So yeah, exactly. It happens a lot. So you take the ball and you get close. You put it in your glove. Boom. You tag them with two hands. All right. And let them know. Sound good? When you throw the ball, last thing. Did everyone see how I threw the ball? Ready? Yeah. Anyone never played darts before? Okay. It's like playing darts. So I run this way. I'm running. I want to give it up. I dart it. See that dart right there? Bang. Right on. Okay. I don't wind up. Okay. The other thing is be careful when you get close. Right? Say we start getting close. Be careful. He gets momentum. Be careful giving pump fakes because what happens when he gets momentum, right? He gets momentum and then you pump fake and he doesn't throw. Yeah. You stop. Like if I'm like this waiting for the ball and he pump fakes and the ball didn't come out. Now I'm like, whoa, what just happened? I want the ball. It didn't come out. Now I stop. Now I have no momentum. Now he throws it. Now I catch it without momentum and now we run them down again. And then we play catch, you know, 15 times in a row. Everyone got it? Yes, coach. Okay. So careful when you get close with the pump fakes because you're going to pump out. You might fake this guy out. You're going to fake your guy out just as much. Any questions with that? You guys good with rundowns? If you've got hitters that you're looking to improve before the start of next season, this is essential for you. Matt Antonelli here, former major league player, first round pick and college coach. With this course, we're going to show you exactly step-by-step how to generate power, develop at speed and enhance swing mechanics. 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