Baserunning For Dummies
It’s 8:01PM on July 27th and Shane Victorino just cost the Phillies another run this season. At 30 years old, Victorino has probably played baseball for now 23 or 24 years. One of the first things that you are taught (after to stop picking grass and pretending that you are a pitcher while playing centerfield) is how to run the bases.
I’m not being negative about Shane, but taking a lead off of second base, looking down and almost being picked off is inexcusable. And, to make it worse, the next pitch was hit to the shortstop and Victorino was caught between second and third base.
Numerous times this year Victorino has been picked off or caught between the basepaths. I’m ok with him being aggressive on the basepaths, because that produces runs in the long run, but the costly mistakes of making the turn at first base on an infield hit, not paying attention when taking a lead and trying to stretch too many singles into doubles is costing this team runs. And right now, the Phillies need to score as many runs as they can.
Maybe, just maybe, they should tell him that it’s back to t-ball rules and he isn’t allowed to leave the base until the catcher has the ball. That’s it. Nothing more. JUST LEARN HOW TO RUN THE BASES!