An Aggressive Baseball Offense

Some of baseball’s best teams have achieved success largely on aggressive tactics and strategy and exceptional speed. The Los Angeles Dodgers have taken advantage of players like Maury Wills, pictured here, Bill Russell, Willie Davis, and others. Manager Walter Alston often had to play for one run, using the hit and run, the steal, and the bunting game. Fast, intelligent base runners like Wills placed considerable pressure on the pitcher.

A high school team cannot rely consistently on the hitting prowess of their top hitters in a scoring situation. Instead, the coach must develop techniques and plays to compensate for his team’s uncertain hitting and to support scoring potential. Even in this era of long ball hitting, he can develop plays such as the hit and run and getting a run with an out to move runners around and to score them from third. The aggressive, positive type of coach who takes the initiative and the advantage of surprise and deception in his offense can achieve considerable advantage.

Hitting away is not the only way to score runs. Bunting, the steal, hit and run, run and hit, and the squeeze play can all advance runners to scoring position or score them. In a close game where one run can mean victory, the advancement of a base-runner can be a significant factor in the outcome.

Hitting the Ball to the Opposite Field Batters like Manny Mota pictured here, who can hit the ball to right field, can be very important to their team. With a man on third base, the hitter tries to ground the ball to the second baseman. Although he makes an out, he scores a run for his team. Therefore, a hitter should be encouraged to go with the pitch. When the ball is out there on the corner, it should be driven to the opposite field. Pick up the ball and see where it is and then go after it.

Hit and Run The hit and run is one of the greatest plays in baseball, but requires base-runners who have speed and are capable of getting a good break. It requires a hitter with good but control to hit the ball through the hole. It is a good play when the pitcher is behind the batter, especially on the three-and-one pitch. With a runner on first base, the right-handed hitter will often try to hit the ball behind the runner, thinking the second baseman will cover. The batter will swing his bat at the ball regardless where the pitch is thrown.

Run and Hit Instead of hitting behind the runner, the hitter simply tries to hit the ball, which for young, inexperienced players is an easier skill to execute. The run and hit can cause many problems for the defense such as breaking up a double play with a slow runner at first. A good time to call for a run and hit is when the pitcher is behind in the count (2 and 2, 2 and 0, or 3 and 1), because he must come in with the pitch.

Hitting Behind the Runner Some coaches believe hitting behind the runner is often better strategy than the bunt or a hit-and-run play. This offensive tactic is usually attempted only when first base is occupied and there are less than two out. In an effort to advance the runner on first to second base, the hitter tries to hit the ball on the ground between the first and second baseman. The runner on first base will break for second. Right-handed hitters will find it effective to go after an outside pitch.

Getting a Run With an Out One of baseball’s unsung heroes is the hitter who is capable of getting a run with an out. With a man on first base, he will attempt to hit the ball to right field to move the runner around. When the infield is not in, hitters should be able to ground the ball to the second baseman.

The Bunting Game can be an important part of a team’s offensive strategy. A varied array of bunts, if used skillfully can exert the type of pressure that has an unsettling effect on the defense, particularly when they are executed with the element of surprise and deception. Pictured here bunting for a base hit is Bobby Valentine, one of the game’s best bunters.

Run and Bunt Play This play is a variation of the sacrifice bunt, in which the base-runner attempts a steal of the next base. To protect the runner, the hitter must bunt the ball regardless where it is pitched. A good time to execute this play is when the pitcher is behind in the count and therefore most likely to make the next a strike. The best game situation is with no out and a runner on first base.

Squeeze Play The safety and suicide squeeze play are usually tried in the late innings with a runner on third base, one out and the team at bat is ahead, tied or no more than one run behind. In trying to score from third base, the runner breaks for the plate on the pitch. A quick start is essential. He has to be leaning in the direction of the plate, a walking lead, taking a step or two up the line and having his weight going forward. As soon as the pitcher releases the ball, he will change gears and go into a run.

Safety Squeeze The runner at third base should make his move only if the ball is bunted on the ground. As soon as the pitcher releases the ball, he will start running. If the ball is popped up or if he misses it, the runner does not go. The hitter does not bunt the ball unless the pitch is a good one. The runner will only try to score if he thinks he can make it. A quick start is essential for the runner on third base. He must get that one little extra step or half step. In this picture, Bill Russell is shown scoring on a squeeze play.

Suicide Squeeze The bunter must hit the ball regardless where it is thrown. He must just try to bunt the ball in fair territory and on the ground. The runner on third base must make his move at the right time. The play will be in trouble if the runner is late breaking or he is too early.

The bunter must protect the runner from suicide by making sure to bunt the ball on the ground in fair territory. To make sure nobody fouls up on this play, a hold sign is often given to the hitter to be sure he gets it. He might answer by picking up dirt and tossing it.

In 1985, Henderson scored 146 runs. In 1986, it was 130. Long after his record 130 steals in 1982, he still swiped bases as if they were 20 feet apart. He walked more than any other player in baseball history except Barry Bonds. He led off a game 81 times with a home run, as if to prove there was nothing he couldn’t do to manufacture a run. “I had the good fortune of playing in three decades, and when you play that long, you’re going to see some unbelievable players,” Randolph said. “But for me, pound for pound, for the things that Rickey could do with his legs alone, I’ve never seen anyone change the complexion of a game like him.”

His legs were such muscular weapons of mass destruction, such forces of nature that they occasionally needed to be treated with additional love and care. In hindsight, this wasn’t all rationalization. Henderson apparently knew how to get the most from his body. When the Mets signed him as a 39-year-old in 1999, he was the majors’ stolen-base leader with 66. The entire 1998 Mets team had 62. In the context of the steroid scandals to come (none of which Henderson has been connected to beyond sharing the Oakland clubhouse with Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire), Henderson- related controversies seem like baseball misdemeanors. He could be a nuisance, but who cares now as long as he was natural?

“If you looked at his legs and whole body, you’d think he was one of those guys who were in the gym all the time, but he wasn’t,” Randolph said. “He was like Bo Jackson or LeBron James – built like a man when he was a kid.”

Hitting behind Henderson, Randolph said, was natural for him, being a patient right-handed hitter with good peripheral vision, the ability to wait on his swing until he saw Henderson take off and hit the ball to the opposite field.

On earlier Yankee teams, he hit behind a rabbit of lesser renown, Mickey Rivers, a character in his own right. “With Mickey, we would communicate because he didn’t know the signs and I had to let him know when the hit-and-run was on,” Randolph said. “With Rickey, nothing, really, other than sometimes in the on-deck circle he’d say about a pitcher, usually a left-hander, ‘I have trouble picking up this guy.’ So I knew he might not run and I could swing earlier in the count.”

Randolph and Henderson will forever be linked by friendship and their pairing in the Yankees’ batting order. “It was a pleasure hitting behind him, and a privilege to watch him,” Randolph said.

While power is an extremely valuable skill, it’s not everything. Once Ludwick learned that, he began the transition that has made him not only a home run threat, but an all-around hitter, an All-Star and maybe even a Most Valuable Player candidate. “When I was younger, all I really cared about was home runs,” Ludwick said. “My approach was look for the ball middle-in. I was more open with my stance. And all I tried to do was see how far I could yank a ball to left field.”

In 2007, Ludwick provided instant power and a real boost to the St. Louis offense. He ripped 14 homers and 36 extra-base hits in 303-at-bats while batting .267 and slugging .479. Yet, he wasn’t guaranteed a full-time job when spring training started in 2008. In 2008, though, he fleshed out his skills, and he became an everyday player. In 152 games, Ludwick batted .299, with 161 base hits, 37 homers, 113 RBI, and a .591 slugging average. Swinging for the fences, however, he had 146 strikeouts, with 62 walks. Ryan drew a walk every 8.5 at-bats, a significant improvement from his previous year in the big leagues. Ludwick is not just a slugger anymore. He’s a hitter. Batting coach Hal McRae said, “Ryan is putting his ability to play. He’s got .300 ability.”

It’s worth noting that Ludwick’s power is still predominantly to left field. Twenty-seven of his 37 homers this year have been to left or left center, with only one to right center and none to straightaway right field.

When Ludwick hits the ball out of the park, it’s most likely pulled. It’s what he does the rest of the time that’s different. He was poking singles and doubles to right field with much more frequency. Ludwick closed his stance a bit, shortened his swing some, but mostly he adjusted his frame of mind. Give Ludwick something to pull, and he’ll pull it – and he’s got a chance to pull it out of the park. But nowadays, if you work him away, he’ll go with it and take the base hit.

“He learned that some nights you can’t hit a home run,” McRae said. “That was something he had to do. Take what you can get. There are times when you know you’re capable of hitting home runs without lengthening your swing. And there are times when your swing is a little too long to hit the ball out of the ballpark, so ‘I’ve got to try to get base hits.’ He’s matured in that way.” Ludwick happily gives credit to McRae, who focuses more on approach than on anything intensely mechanical. He also points to that same word McRae used: maturing. It wasn’t so much that Ludwick didn’t have the ability to round out his game. It was about the willingness.

“I don’t know why it happened this way, but I think over the last year and a half I really matured as a hitter,” Ludwick said. “I handle pitches within the entire strike zone a lot better. For the most part, I can bear down a little bit better than I used to.” Ryan also bore down from at-bat to at-bat. It may be too strong to say that Ludwick had a tendency to give at-bats away. But he acknowledges he is now more able to make sure that every at-bat is a good one. When he slumps, Ludwick doesn’t get out of his game. Witness his funk in June. It didn’t sink his season and, in fact, he came back hotter than ever in July and August.

“I think he’s applying himself,” said manager Tony LaRussa. “And he’s a hungry guy. We’re seeing the ability to correct his stroke.” That’s something major league hitters do. And that’s what Ludwick is now. He’s not a “Quad-A” slugger. He’s a big league hitter.