How to Throw a Baseball Runner Out at Third

Clubhouse Gas Casey: We’re fortunate enough again to be joined by Brandon Smith. Brandon got Casey Bass disease the last time he was here and we all went along so we hadn’t take the throw out show and cut it into 2 shows so today Brandon is going to work with us on throwing out runners at 3rd base. If you missed the show where we worked on throwing out runners at 2nd or blocking or receiving feel free to go to my archives and check them out. They’re fantastic shows. If this is your first time with us Brandon is baseball catching expert he played in the Ace and Mets organization all the way up in Triple A and now he is an instructor so today on Clubhouse Gas throwing out guys at 3rd base right here on Clubhouse Gas. Brandon: In this session we’re going to talk about throwing the runner out at 3rd base, this whole play develops right in front of the catcher. He sees the runner break very clearly. He’s going to see the ball coming in very clearly and this is a shorter throw obviously than the second base. So there are a lot of things working in the catchers favor to be successful at throwing this runner out at 3rd base. One obstacle though that we’ve got to account for is that most of a time there’s a right handed batter standing in this batter’s box whose in our way for making a successful throw. So what we’ve got to do is we’ve got to come up with a way to get around that batter so we can still make a quick accurate throw to second base and I want to show you— I want to demonstrate the footwork that we’re gong to use for that. We’re going to work out of our action stance so we got our hip up about knee high. We got our bare hand behind the glove and in this case what I’m going to do is I’m still going to lead with my right foot. The difference here is on my right foot instead of jabbing forward which would put me right in the center of the batters box and right in the way the batter. I’m going to jab out with my right foot behind my left foot so this time the right foot is going to drop step to clear the batter. By dropping back with the right foot not only does my instep again get in line to third base but I’m well clear the hitter and I’m online to make an accurate throw to third base. So at full speed what this is going to look like is we catch the ball first, drop step and we’re going to make an accurate throw down to third base. Something else that may occur on this plate is if the pitch is outside. Now in this case will send the ball up off the plate, we’ll say that the pitch was outside and if my body is already swaying that way, then in this instant I will catch the ball and I wall jab out in front of the base, in front of the batter. This is the more difficult way to go but it beats the alternative of catching the ball out here and then having to try to track all the way back around the batter. Again on this one we’re going to see the play developing in front of us. We catch the ball as we jab out and I turn to make that accurate throw to third. This almost is like a pitchout. Again this is going to be a very, very easy play because we see it unfold in front of us typically the outside pitches are easier for us to handle so it’s just almost like a mini pitchout come up and go. One of the common mistakes guys make is that they don’t clear the batter. So if I’m down here and I catch the ball and I go to a stand up to throw over the batters head, but even though at 6”2’ relatively a taller catcher, ever if it’s a smaller batter and I’ve got to throw over his head I run the risk of my hand coming through and hitting his bat or hitting his helmet.’ Now it doesn’t sound that much but when you’re hands are coming through full speed and you hit a bat or a helmet you understand what I’m saying it’s going to cause some pain. So even if you can throw over this batter go around him. On the balls down the middle or inside we’re going to drop step to make the accurate throw and on pitch outside we’re going to jab out to get in line to make that throw to 3rd base. By working on these reference points to be quick back here to be in a good position is going to make you a better catcher at throwing this runner out at 3rd base. Casey: That’s going to do it for us today Brandon and it absolutely amazes me, I’ve coached 4 different sports baseball, football, track and basketball and it’s all about footwork. Brandon: It is. Casey: Every single sport it’s all about footwork. I learned a lot today especially about the footwork to get outside and square it up and go in the third base. Coaches I know you just want to get in the cage and have them hit and hit them a bunch of ground balls but it really comes to breaking stuff down step by step and the more fundamental we get, the better prepared these guys will be for the game and for the next level so take these tips, take them to heart so instill them in your players. That will do it for us today. We’ll see you right back here next time for another great edition of Clubhouse Gas.