Getting Extra Runners in a Game

One of the strategic things as a coach you are responsible for is spacing out your runners, and planning when to use them. Most slopitch rules limit and range from zero to four. In the case of SPN (Slo-Pitch National, www.slo-pitch.com) the limit is 3 runners, and we'll work within SPN rules for the sake of this article.

There are a multitude of reasons you put a runner on: injury, speed, knowledge, etc. Regardless of your reasons, there is a way to change the runner on a bag without using one of you runners: substitutions.

Substitutions are usually thought of as done on the defensive side of the game, or before you start batting your inning. But why substitute a .500 hitter for a .800 hitter? Let the .800 hitter hit; when he/she gets on base and you feel you need to put a runner on, make a substitution.

From this, you benefit by:

• Your better hitter hits
• Your faster runner runs
• You can still use the player that went to run as a courtesy runner later in the game
• You didn't use a courtesy runner

The second scenario this can really help is in the case of an injured power hitter who needs only to either hit a home run, hit a deep fly ball, or get to 1st base while moving other runners. Those pesky quad injuries that sneak up on players don't take enough of a power hitters swing to not move base runners, so here is how you as a coach can use your players' strengths to win a game.

First, when the situation arrives, have your power hitter warm up on deck. Make a slow walk to the ump to make sure you give the batter enough time to settle in; make the substitution. In the case where the batter makes it to first base, you can re-enter your original batter to run, again with all of the benefits listed above. Reserve this move for high RBI opportunities or runners on base that need to score.

Slopitch Coaching 101
Bradley Holbrook

Slopitch Coaching 101 - The Beginning

Hi,

My name is Bradley Holbrook, and I am a slopitch enthusiast. I love playing and watching any level of play, but first and foremost I love to manage a team. As of autumn 2008, I have coached a team for 5 years, played slopitch for 7 years, and played 7 years of minor baseball.

This blog is dedicated to team managers. Every article will be dedicated to one scenerio, situational play, or stretegic subject and will show pros, cons, and the how to on each one.