When Lou Brock retired in 1979 the fans would never have believed that a rookie in the league (Ricky Henderson) would one day shatter the record for stolen bases. Lou Brock was a legend..... Henderson was out of this world!!!
For the last 20 years stolen bases have been over shadowed by homeruns, but true baseball fans understand the importance they bring to the game. As a coach I have always been surprised that many coaches (especially youth coaches) fail to teach the skill. Secretly I have always wondered if coaches don't teach the required skills because they don't believe in stealing bases..... or if the true reason is they don't know how to coach the act.....?
In time I have become convinced it is a lack of knowledge that limits the number of stolen bases .... Dad/Coaches just don't know what to teach.
When my sons were young...... 3 maybe 4 years old I taught them to slide. In the coming years I would often meet athletes 11 or 12 years old that had yet been instructed on the art of sliding..... If you can't slide you can't steal bases.
Most coaches, and quite a few fathers teach baserunners to watch a pitcher's feet (specifically a right hander's back heel). A pitcher cannot pick a runner off 1st base without first picking up the right foot and the heel is the first thing to move. I have seen this skill taught from little league to professional baseball. Coaches and dads alike take pride in helping their athletes be the best..... But are they?
You will never be the BEST if you are doing what every other athlete is doing....... Stealing bases is a perfect example.
It is true that you cannot throw a pickoff throw until you pick up your heel, and if a base runner watches the heel they should never get picked off. However, can they steal second base.....?
It's like playing checkers...... you might be good, but the chess player beats you every time. Yes, the heel is a great thing to know, but understanding the shoulder will make you a legend. A pitcher has to load his back foot to throw hard to home. When a pitcher loads their back leg, their right shoulder will dip (not much...but the dip is there). If a base runner learns to spot the dip, they can steal second base anytime they want.......
If you want to be the best at anything, you must first learn the skill. But let me say this again,..... "......if you want to be the very best, you cannot do exactly what everyone else is doing. You must study life, learn the game and then master it. Doing what everyone else does, makes you average, not a star!!!"
Play chess...... be a legend.
How many coaches have you heard tell you to watch the heel...... Are you average? Are they? Let's play chess.......
