If she was watching the NLCS, I know that Allison Herholtz rolled her eyes and heard my voice as she watched the Kung Fu Panda fail to get back and cover third for the Giants in Game 5. So did Avery Share, Claire Simizon, and many other girls who played softball on teams I coached. They remember the freeze drill.
The defense would be set and I would hit the ball out of my hand from the plate. Right before hitting it, I would call out the situation. Where runners were and how many outs. The second the fielder touched the ball I yelled freeze. I then proceeded to go player by player and make sure they were in the right place. Then we did it again. And again. And again. Rule #1? Every base is always covered.
If the ball isn’t hit to you, then you get to where you should be. As soon as Halladay’s bunt stayed at home plate, Pablo Sandoval should have sprinted back to third base, Freddy Sanchez to second and Aubrey Huff to first. The second they realized the ball wasn’t coming to them. I preached it over and over and over again. Even the catcher. My daughter Emily knew to get out of her crouch and stand ready at the plate, even if the bases were empty and the ball was hit on the ground to first.
If I know that. If Allison, Avery, Claire, Emily and all the other girls know that, then how do major league baseball players not? A few years ago I was watching a game and saw the Royals’ Willie Wilson, one of the fastest men to ever play the game, go half way on a fly ball to the outfield. Why do I bring this up? Because Wilson was on THIRD! Trust me, Allison, Avery, Claire, and Emily would all have had their foot planted on the bag waiting for the ball to touch the glove and then would have scored. Wilson? He jogged back to third when it was caught and then stayed put as the throw came in. He could have walked home had he tagged properly.
Why are fundamentals so bad at the major league level? Good question. The obvious answer is that players are rushed and in the majors too soon. I don’t buy that. 12 year old girls know the fundamentals. I think great players are allowed to get away with relying on their overwhelming talent. As the Panda learned, that can cost you.
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