by Coach Griff
Pick yourself up with a pick off.
<aside> 🥒 What is a pick off?
When a pitcher throws to a fielder, instead of the catcher, in an attempt to tag a runner who is too far off.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAcBT37D7Y4
There’s nothing quite as sweet as picking off a runner.
Just as they got the better of you and made it on base, their time is cut short and they’re back on the dugout bench.
Learning how to pick off will get you out of many jams, and it will stop runners stealing.
The way you pick off is inherently linked with what arm you throw with.
In baseball, left-hand pitchers have a distinct advantage with pick offs - primarily because they look directly at runners on first base. This gives them an extra opportunity to pick off that right-handers only get at third base. Because of this, right-handers often have quicker mechanics to compensate
It’s pretty simple really, you just throw it towards a base.
If you’re interested in actually getting those runners out, check out the videos below.
There aren’t many videos around for this, but Andy Pettitte is a great example.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=La2jd5nk07w&t=28s
This video goes a bit more in depth into overall pick off knowledge.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WThd8w7uDU
You should pick off any time you think a runner is too far off their base.
How far is too far? Well that depends on how good your pick off is. As you get quicker and more accurate, you can keep runners closer to the base.
<aside> 🪝 Catchers can also call for a pick off by flicking their thumb during signals.
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