The L'Anse sentinel., 1923-06-29
GOOD BASE RUNNING
REQUIRES PRACTICE
Baseball Player Must Learn to
Start Fast and Master Hook
or FaII-AWay Slide.
(By CARL LUNDGREN, Baseball Coach.
University of Illinois.)

| (By CARL LUNDGREN, Baseball Coach,
University of Illinois)
To become a good, intelligent base
runner, player must put in a great
deal of practice, experimenting,
thought, and, above all, be able to
use good judgment In running.
He should learn to start fast and
master the hook or fall-away slide. The
fast start means the saving of stride
or possibly two In the race with the
ball and the hook slide makes 1t diff
ficult for the opponents to touch you
with the ball, frequently saving you
from being tricked out at the end of
your journey. This slide should be
mastered at the very beginning and
the ability to use 1t on either side of
the base, thereby enabling you to
watch your opponent, who is receiving
the thrown ball, and slide as far away
from him as possible. II the throw Is
received In front of the base, naturally
you should slide to the back; II 1t is
received back of the base, your slide
should be in front, and If the throw is
high slide either way or straight.
Next in Importance, certainly, is your
ability to get good lead from which
to run from any base. Many slow
runners are excellent base runners be-
cause of their ability or knack Of get
ting this lead. There are two leads
off any base. One is often called the
one-way lead where the runner leads
off so far that he must return to his
base at the slightest false move of the
pitcher; in other words, he dares not
| lean toward the base in advance for
fear of being caught Off. nor can he
advance on the pitch as he should be-
cause II will take him so far from his
base that a throw from the catcher
will catch him. The other and proper
lead may be called two-way lead by
which the base runner may return or
advance with his start or lead obtained
from the pitchers delivery. There
are comparatively few pitchers that do
not give away the fact that they are
going to pitch TO the plate some con-
siderable time before they do pitch
there and 1t is this fact that clever
base runners can and do take advan-
| tage of. The base runner always
should he trying for this lead and II
he can time his lead or start toward
the next base just in advance or even
at the same time that the pitcher
starts to pitch. he will have an excel
lent start and should run provided 1t
Is the proper time In the game to rum
Consequently II Is readily to be seen
that team should study the opposing
pitcher from the bench to discover the
first move that he makes when he
pitches to the plate that will give
them this start II they become base
runners later OF course, the pitcher
is trying to disguise this first move by
other false moves or half-balk moves.
At second base the base runner
should determine how long a lead he
can take and still return safely pro-
vided the pitcher turns to catch him.
He may advance beyond this lead by
quick starts and returns to this point
but should never return beyond that
point unless the pitcher turns to
catch him. Infielders should not be
able to drive you back beyond that
point.
At third base the lead should be
such that the runner can advance until
the ball passes the hitter and then
can return In safety. In case the ball
Is hit, the runner is then on his way
to serve. At all bases the runner
should be advancing toward the next
base on all pitches until the ball passes
the batter when he should return fast.
Fast should be emphasized. lf the ball
Is hit. the runner has running lead
toward the next base.
Probably the next important thing In
base running is good Judgment. Theve
are times In game that bases should
be run and times when they certainly
should not be run. II Is not good base
ball to run bases when your team is
behind unless your run will tie the
score. Your run will make little DIFF
ference ms to winning the game unless
more batters score, in which case your
run would have been batted in. Ycu
are only giving your opponents added I
opportunities to make put-out. which
you are trying to avoid doing above
all things. As rule II Ia not wise
to run bnses when the batter Is In the
hole. that is, the pitcher has the ad-
vantage as to balls and strikes because
the pitcher can waste the bah on
pltch-out to catch you without harming
himself to any extent.
You should also consider the pitch \
er's ability to hold you close to the
base: also the catcher's ability 70