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Old Thu May 29, 2003, 12:27pm
WestMichBlue WestMichBlue is offline
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Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: West Michigan
Posts: 964
Can't disagree with anything you said, Mike, but with respect to the following - there is a right way, and a wrong way to back up a play. "A fielder moving to a play or to back up a play is doing what they are supposed to do.

You don't back up a play 5' behind the bag. You have no time to react to a missed throw. I have this problem a lot with H.S. players at 2B; I didn't expect it with adult male players.

When a runner goes for 2nd my first steps are parallel to the base line with an eye on F4. I expect her to go diagonally towards F8 to put herself 10' - 15' behind second. When she clears me I turn in towards 2B to make the call.

Maybe you can fault my mechanics. I want to end up 8' to 10' behind and just to the RF side of 2B. When F4 runs parallel to me she ends up between me and the tag.

In H.S. play I have sometimes bumped F4 or put my hands to her shoulder and pushed her aside. Then after the play I talk to her about not coming in front of me when I am making a call. That always solves it; H.S. kids learn quickly. But this dude was 6'5" (and 40 yrs youngers) and I'm not sure that I wanted to be pushing him!

WMB
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