By Ryan Sienko

TO BE A SUCCESSFUL OUTFIELDER YOU MUST

Know where hitters have hit the ball previously
Anticipate where the ball will be hit
Make ALL of the routine plays
Understand that If a Ball Gets By You Bad Things Happen
Communicate with your Fellow Outfielders on Every Play
Keep Proper Distance Between Yourself and the Other Outfielders
Know How Many Outs There are at All Times
Know the Count
Know the Hitters Tendencies
Work Together
Hit the Cut Off Man
Know When to Take Risks with Dives
Know the Situations in the Games when You Need to Play “No Doubles”
Get Your Feet in Position Before you Field Fly Balls and Ground Balls
Work Through EVERY Ball and Throw The Ball Hard THROUGH the Cut Off Man or Intended Base
Know what Base to Throw to if the Ball is hit to your Left, Right, Straight, In, and Back BEFORE EACH PITCH
Back Up Every Play Toward You From the Infield
Work Daily On Your Drills
Know Where the Sun is at All Times
Know What the Wind is doing at All Times
Know the Speed of the Runners
Know the Range of the Fielders In Front of You
Understand the Urgency of Each Play

TO BE A SUCCESSFUL INFIELDER YOU MUST

TAKE PRIDE IN NOT LETTING BALLS GET PAST YOU
Use Your Voice to Call For the Ball
Yell “GET OVER” on Every Ball Hit to the Right Side of the Infield
Know where Hitters have hit the ball previously
Make ALL of the routine plays
Be in a LOW Ready Position for EVERY PITCH
Keep Your Hands in FRONT of you at All Times
Field The Ball In Front of You, Not Underneath You
Know the Coverage’s (Bunts, 1st and 3rd,
Know the Situations and Understand when To play In, Even, Regular, Back, Right, or Left
Understand the Timing of the Play
Understand the Speed of the Runner
Anticipate where the Ball May be Hit because of the Hitter, Situation, and Pitch
Know How Many Outs There are at All Times
Know the Count
Know the Hitters Tendencies
Work Together with your Fellow Infielder’s
Work Through EVERY Ball and Throw The Ball Hard THROUGH Intended Base
Work Daily On Your Drills
Know Where the Sun is at All Times
Know What the Wind is doing at All Times
Know the Speed of the Runners
Know the Range of the Fielders Behind You
Understand the Urgency of Each Play
Understand Where the Middle Infielders Want Your Feed to Be.
Give the Second Baseman and Shortstop Quick and Accurate Feeds On Potential Double Plays
Know the Situations in the Games when You Need to Play “No Doubles”
Do Your Best To NEVER Let a Ball Thrown From the Outfield Get Past You at 3rd Base (3rd basemen)
Anticipate & Be Prepared for Throw To Third on a Ground Ball to Shortstop in 5 Hole with Runner on 2nd
Work On Footwork around Bag (Middle Infielders and 1st Basemen)
Stay Low and Anticipate a Bad Feed on Every Rep (Middle Infielders and 1st Basemen)
React to Get Bunts and Slow Rollers
Understand When You Really Need to Get in Front of the Ball and Knock it Down


TO BE A SUCCESSFUL CATCHER YOU MUST

Understand and Execute a Plan against Hitters
Plan TWO to THREE Pitches Ahead During an At Bat
Use Certain Pitches to Set Up Other Pitchers During the Current At Bat and Future At Bats
Use Your Body Language and Voice To Lead the Team
Catch Every Ball
Use Your Legs to Put Your Body In position to Receive Pitches and Make them Look like Strikes
Put Your Body in Position to Block Balls Within 2 Widths of your Body
Anticipate a Bad Pitch Every Pitch
Do the Following Items If There is going to be a potential play at home plateo Clearing away bato Check Runners
o Getting Cut Off Man in Position
o Getting into position to receive the ball

You can help an infielder determine if the ball is in play or out of play
Determine if there is going to be a potential play with an advancing runner
See Any runners that are in motion (Potential double play)
See and alert any bases not covered by fielders
Make sure the pitcher is backing up the proper base
BE PREPARED TO AND BE VOCAL WHEN TELLING OTHER FIELDER’S ON THE FIELD:

Number of Outs
Bunt Coverages
1st and 3rd Coverages
Where to throw on Bunts
Where to throw on Cut Offs/Relays
Where to back up (Pitchers)
If there is room in Foul Territory on Pop Ups
Positioning for Certain Hitters
Throwing to First Base on a Ground Ball with a 3-2 2 Out Count
Telling the Pitcher to “Get Over” or cover first base on a ground ball to the right side when a
Left- handed hitter comes to the plate.
To go to an uncovered base if needed (One base further than the runner)
Work the Umpire
Speed Up or Slow Down the Tempo of the Game
Protect the Pitcher

FIELD
Check the Wind
Check the area from Home Plate to the Backstop
Check the Sun/Lights
Check the Area between the dugouts for holes, weird angles, anything that you would need to know how the ball is going react behind you.
Roll Balls Down the Lines to See how the Ball Rolls (Fair or Foul)
Throw Balls Against Backstop to see how balls bounce
Look to Dugouts to see where openings are (to know where to run to for backing up throws)
Look at area in front of home plate – is it hard or soft
Check to See if Home Plate is Soft or Hard
Check to see if Home Plate is Slippery

OPPOSITION
Get Lineup and stats if possible
Know who runs
Who is the best hitter
Who is the worst hitter
Where in the box do the hitters stand?
Front or Back?o Front usually looking Breaking Balls or Off Speedo Back – Usually looking Hard
Where are the hitters feet?o On top of plate (Weakness Away)o Away from plate (Weakness In)
How does the hitter stand?o Straight Up (Low ball hitter)o Crouched Down (High ball hitter)
Who is hot?
Who is not?
Who is the best contact hitter?
Who has the biggest strikeout potential?
Who hits in the clutch?
Who takes certain pitches?
Who swings at the first pitch?
Who will take a walk?
Who will take a hit by pitch late in the game?PITCHERS ON OWN STAFF (Both Starter and Relievers)
Go over opposition line up hitter by hitter.
Know all signs with no men on base and with men on base. (Before they go into the game)
Come up with a game plan each day – Some hitters will get hot or cold during a series
Understand each pitchers strengths and weaknesses.
Know what each pitcher likes to do in certain situations (ex. First pitch after a home run, with two strikes and no one on base etc.)
Know how much time the starting pitcher needs to get ready and at what time he wants to start getting ready.
What is the pitcher’s command pitch?
What is the pitcher’s go to pitch?
What is the pitcher’s ranking of his pitches?
What is the pitcher’s out pitch?
Can the pitcher pitch inside?
Where is his command side of the plate?
What pitch does the pitcher go to when ahead in the count?
What pitch does the pitcher go to when behind in the count?
What pitch does the pitcher go to when even in the count?
Can the pitcher hold runners on with a pick-off move?
What is his time to Home Plate?
Understand how does the pitcher handle pressure?
Understand how does each hitter match up to the pitcher?
Understand where does the pitcher tend to miss with each pitch?
Can the pitcher field his position?
Can you use complex signs with particular pitchers?
Can the pitcher see the signs?UMPIRE
Know all the umpires’ names
If you have worked with an umpire before, know the strike zone that he/she features.

PERSONAL PREPARATION TO PLAY

Know when to get loose and how much you need to get loose to be ready to play
Know how much to throw before getting the pitcher in the bullpen
Know how much you need to catch in the bullpen before being ready for the game
When to do drills or extra hitting
Know workload limitations for hitting, throwing, drills etc.
Make sure that you manage the available time to get all of the above events completed

Ryan is the founder of Catch & Throw and also is the Catching Coordinator for the 2017 & 2018 National League Champions, and 2020 World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers.  He held the position of Assistant Catching Coordinator for the Los Angeles Dodgers from January 2015 to Oct 2018.  Ryan can be reached at ryan@catchandthrow.com