Questions on pregame infield practice

[baseballdad]

When taking infield prior to a game is it traditional for the visiting team or the home team to take it first or does it matter?

I have a young team with a range of talent-some 7 year olds who have never played and 10 year olds that can turn a double play. Right now I am lining 3 players up at each infield position and giving them infield grounders and fly balls one at a time at infield so it is close since some of the younger kids don't catch long fly balls. Instead of having outfield and infield.

Any suggestions on doing the pregame infield with this range of players?

[Jake Patterson]

When taking infield prior to a game is it traditional for the visiting team or the home team to take it first or does it matter?

I have a young team with a range of talent-some 7 year olds who have never played and 10 year olds that can turn a double play. Right now I am lining 3 players up at each infield position and giving them infield grounders and fly balls one at a time at infield so it is close since some of the younger kids don't catch long fly balls. Instead of having outfield and infield.

Any suggestions on doing the pregame infield with this range of players?

I always looked at infield practice as an opportunity. I ran mine like a well choreographed event. When playing at home we took infield first (for several reasons) and I made certain we as coaches knew what we were doing and that our job was to make the players look good while getting them warmed up. Too many coaches use this time to rip balls at players to prove their own abilities - that can be done at practice. We had a series of defensive skills we ran through for the outfielders and infielders and finished with a series of drills for the catcher.

[korp]

Home team usually takes infield first, then away, then home takes the field for the game. I would say like 3 or 4 balls maybe of different plays just make sure whatever you do its not too long. Some coaches feel you need a thousand pregame balls but its not really necessary.

[baseballdad]

Jake,
Can you elaborate on the reasons you took it first and the type of drills you did?

[Maxx]

In high school and college, visitors usually take it second because they are traveling......

[Freestate]

We had a series of defensive skills we ran through for the outfielders and infielders and finished with a series of drills for the catcher.

Jake, can you share the drills?

[shake-n-bake]

I do not think that I've seen pre-game warmup actually rehearsed at the age level you're asking about. It's not a bad idea though. I remember this summer when my son's all-star team was playing in the district pool and elimination games. Each team was allowed a very short period of time for pre-game fielding practice - something like 7 minutes.

In that amount of time you can come out and look sharp, polished, and leave the field feeling pretty good about yourself. Or, you can look unorganized, get little accomplished, and get off on the wrong foot a little bit. While you don't light up the scoreboard during warmups, all else being equal, it would be better to have a good one than something bordering on chaos. Sort of like throwing the ball around the diamond after a strikeout or after the catcher throws down to second when the pitcher finishes his warmup throws. If its well executed, it can be a positive thing. But if the catcher throws the ball into CF, then the infielders muck up the drill, its a bit of a downer.

I'd say at that age, the best bet is to get your team prepared prior to taking the field for warmups. Then work the starting lineup in their positions with not so much of an emphasis on how many repetitions, but on great execution and a goal of leaving the field on a high note. Make sure the kids see it that way as well. That it's not so much a physical preparation (you did that in the outfield for the last half hour, hitting them ground balls and fly balls) its about getting mentally prepared to execute when the game starts.

[baseballdad]

I agree shake-n-bake, looking organized and sharp is the key to starting off on the right foot and probably more important than the number of reps.

For todays game I lined all the fielders except the starting catcher up in left center field. I had a coach on 2nd and one at home with bat and ball with the starting catcher. I threw each kid a pop fly from around the infield grass. After they caught the ball they threw it in to 2nd and then jogged to their position. I started with the 1st baseman.

As they arrived at their position the coach at home started hitting grounders to the infielders (first to home intitially) who threw to first and then home to the catcher. If you were the second infielder to arrive at a position you stayed on the grass and then rotated in for your grounder. The coach on 2nd threw his ball to me and I'd do another pop fly until all the kids were playing infield. We ended with the catcher throwiing down to 2nd base. It was a "system" and the kids seemed to respond well with a good infield warm up.

[baseballdad]

Is there a reason why the pitcher is not included in the infield warm up?

[Jake Patterson]

Is there a reason why the pitcher is not included in the infield warm up?They should be at practice, they have other things to worry about during a game. Why would you risk injury or divert their attention right before a game?

[baseballdad]

One thing I do differently is have the pitchers take infield on the mound. That is, I throw to the first, second, and third basemen, the shortstop, and the pitcher. John T. Reed

He also runs through pitcher cover first, pitcher cover home during the pregame infield.

On this youth team I usually use about 4 pitchers in the game. They all usually take infield warm-up but usually play their other position-even the starter. I was thinking that the starting pitcher could be in the infield at his position and throw some pitches to the catcher who could then make some throws out to the baseman.

By the time we do infield the starting pitcher and catcher have warmed up together. Then they take infield with the team.

[baseballdad]

I tried out a new pregame infield last night for the youth 7-10 year old team I'm coaching. It went pretty well, but the team hadn't seen it until pregame last night so I'm sure they will improve as they get used to it. It is based on info I got from Jake Patterson and from John T. Reed's Youth Baseball Coaching (who uses the pitcher during pregame).
For our team this seemed pretty effective to accomplish warm up, practicing important game plays and showing off for the other team. On this team everyone has a primary infield position as well as plays outfield.

I broke the 12 man team into 2 squads. The starting infield, pitcher and catcher were the first to take the infield while another coach threw outfield practice to the other six. I stood at home plate with a bucket of balls and bat with the catcher.

1) We started out throwing with infield drawn in on the edge of the grass.
We threw 1-2-5-4-6-3-2 and repeated this in reverse 2-3-6-4-5-2-1.
2) hit GB to each position with throws to 1st including bunt for catcher.
3) threw 1 throw double plays to each baseman (baseman catches ball, tags base and throws to 1st.
4) threw pop up double plays to each position including pitcher and catcher (I had them all throw to 1st last night but eventually I want to call the base to get the runner).
5) the pitcher cover first with a GB to 1st base.
6) the pitcher threw a pitch home and we had the catcher throw down to 2nd. Did that twice.
7)he pitcher threw a dry pitch and I tossed the ball behind the catcher for a pitcher cover home play.
8) finished with a foul pop for the catcher.
That took about 8 minutes.
I brought in the 2nd group who played their infield positions while the other half practiced outfield.
I didn't have time to repeat the whole sequence so we need to learn to do it faster. And last night I was missing one player so I didn't need to have the back up catcher play that position. I will have to if we have a full team.

[Jake Patterson]

I tried out a new pregame infield last night for the youth 7-10 year old team I'm coaching. It went pretty well, but the team hadn't seen it until pregame last night so I'm sure they will improve as they get used to it. It is based on info I got from Jake Patterson and from John T. Reed's Youth Baseball Coaching (who uses the pitcher during pregame).
For our team this seemed pretty effective to accomplish warm up, practicing important game plays and showing off for the other team. On this team everyone has a primary infield position as well as plays outfield.

I broke the 12 man team into 2 squads. The starting infield, pitcher and catcher were the first to take the infield while another coach threw outfield practice to the other six. I stood at home plate with a bucket of balls and bat with the catcher.

1) We started out throwing with infield drawn in on the edge of the grass.
We threw 1-2-5-4-6-3-1 and repeated this in reverse 1-3-6-4-5-2-1.
2) hit GB to each position with throws to 1st including bunt for catcher.
3) threw 1 throw double plays to each baseman (baseman catches ball, tags base and throws to 1st.
4) threw pop up double plays to each position including pitcher and catcher (I had them all throw to 1st last night but eventually I want to call the base to get the runner).
5) the pitcher cover first with a GB to 1st base.
6) the pitcher threw a pitch home and we had the catcher throw down to 2nd. Did that twice.
7)he pitcher threw a dry pitch and I tossed the ball behind the catcher for a pitcher cover home play.
8) finished with a foul pop for the catcher.
That took about 8 minutes.
I brought in the 2nd group who played their infield positions while the other half practiced outfield.
I didn't have time to repeat the whole sequence so we need to learn to do it faster. And last night I was missing one player so I didn't need to have the back up catcher play that position. I will have to if we have a full team.

Looks great! What I found is what specifically is done is not as important as how well it is done. A well done pre-game can be pretty intimidating. Now all you need is for your catcher to show up with his gear on, Mohawk and eye black!

[rich]

Jake, I'm confused on your " choosing" to take infield first. Any Babe Ruth or
American Legon local, State, Regional or World Series games I've been involved with are very strict on the 10 limit time limit on infield. No coach gets to decide if he wants to go first or second.