The Lost Art of Baserunning

More and more athletes nowadays are receiving individual instruction outside of club training sessions that are catered to improve specialized aspects of their game, such as pitching, hitting, and catching.

As this option is being utilized more heavily within the softball community—especially by those athletes who may not be able to train with their club team on a regular basis for whatever reason—private, position-specific lessons are quickly becoming a “norm” for athletes competing at a high level.

Former all-star players and renowned coaches have met the demand for individualized instruction with an ever-growing supply, making it possible for players at all levels to learn from the best of the best—and this reflects in the rapidly-increasing level of talent that takes the field each season at the elite showcases. Gone are the days of being able to hand-pick the “good” from the “great”— all of these players have great hitters and pitching staffs that have earned them spots in these tournaments.

In these situations, where each team has meticulously-trained athletes in all positions, offensively and defensively, what can an athlete do to stand out from the crowd?

As the title suggests, it is in my opinion that the mechanics and importance of baserunning have become an undervalued aspect of the game amidst this era of private lessons and once-a-month team practices. With the only exposure to baserunning instruction coming from in-game experiences, collegiate camps, or a reliance on whatever mechanics one was taught in little league, the intricacies of the skill have taken a backseat in the development of today’s athletes.

Curious if my perspective might be shared by others in the softball community, I reached out to hear what some notable coaches had to say on the topic.

Pat Murphy of Alabama, Shannon Doepking of Syracuse, Pat Moyer of the Tennessee Fury, and Rocky Thompson of the Birmingham Thunderbolts each had unique things to say regarding their baserunning philosophies and how the skill can make or break games.

However, the general consensus is as follows: aggressive, instinctual baserunning wins games.

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Pat Murphy, Head Coach of Alabama Softball

Pat Murphy, who will soon be completing his 25th season coaching the Alabama Roll Tide, agreed that baserunning, as a skill, has been neglected in recent years.

“It’s a skill that can win or lose a game and I totally believe it is an under taught skill,” Coach Murphy begun. “I wish it would start at the lower levels because I think we could have so many better baserunners when they got to college. To me, it’s a learned skill—once you get on the base, you are your own coach. Too many times when a coach has to yell the instruction for a runner during the game, it’s too late.”

Coach Murphy recalled a clinic he attended some 20 years ago in which former University of Georgia softball coach Lu Harris-Champer shared her philosophy on baserunning.

“I left, kicking myself the entire way home because she had shared so many great ideas,” commented Coach Murphy. “My greatest takeaway that I absolutely was going to take to my team was this: she gave her players the authority to run. Ever since then, it’s almost been like the players make all their own calls on the bases. It’s made the game so much more fun for the players and for our fans.”

The motto of the team is “Assume 2nd” which is a testament to Coach Murphy’s commitment to having his athletes make the most of their abilities.

“If you are aggressive, even on a single to left field, the way you turn after reaching 1st, if you look like you might be going to 2nd, it could cause the outfielder to panic, bobble the ball, misplay it, or throw it away,” says the coach. “It’s the littlest things, but if you do that for 66 games, that left fielder will make a mistake and you will to be ready to just trod into 2nd. If you assume you’re only getting a single, the defense will never have to be aggressive with that play. They will notice that you are jogging to 1st and that is no pressure on anybody.”

He compares his aggressive baserunning ideology with that of a team that has athletes who can successfully and consistently shoot three-pointers in basketball.

“If you have players who can shoot three-pointers, why are you shooting layups? If you have fast kids on your team, why aren’t you giving them the green light?”

For the Roll Tide, the athletes who have the so-called “green light” are known by the team and their job is to steal second if they get on. At that point, the hitter’s job is to put something in play that allows that baserunner to score. Simple as that.

The team frequently holds “classroom talks” to discuss aspects of their game that are worth celebrating, as well as those that could be improved upon. During one of these meetings, Coach Murphy recalls, he made clear to his athletes that he would rather see aggressive baserunning that results in outs and a lesson learned than for them to be cautious on the bases.

“If you get thrown out, its not your fault, its mine. So don’t think for a second that i’m going to take that green light,” said the coach. “The catcher had a great throw, the shortstop had a great tag, whatever.”

With an stolen-base percentage that consistently situates around 80-85%, the Alabama coaching staff is more than comfortable giving a little to get a lot when it comes to developing aggressive baserunning skills.

“When an athlete runs past a coach at 3rd base, that coach cannot be upset,” comments Coach Murphy as a piece of advice for coaches. “No look on his or her body that says, ‘I can’t believe you just got thrown out,’ because that kid, next time she tries to steal, it’s not going to be as aggressive. Instead, she’s gonna have in back of her head that her coach will be upset with her if she gets thrown out.”

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Shannon Doepking, Head Coach of Syracuse Softball

This sentiment is echoed by fellow Division I collegiate coach, Shannon Doepking.

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