It’s incredible how a quick tag can make or break a great throw. The most recent example was Javier Baez tagging Cody Bellinger in Game 1 of the NLCS. Bellinger got a great jump on Mike Montgomery curveball, almost assuring that he had the base stolen. Wilson Contreras fired a rocket from his knees, a perfect throw. Baez lets the ball travel perfectly and makes the play so close it required a replay. This YouTube link shows how Baez follows the secret to make the play close:
It’s important to let the ball travel deeper into the tag. Because the ball travels faster than your hand, it’s critical to not slow down the process. Generally, a baserunner can steal second in 3.3 – 3.4 seconds. Since most pitchers strive for a 1.2 or less release time to the plate, and most catchers are releasing the ball in 2.0 seconds or less, not properly receiving the ball can make the difference between a runner being called out or safe. Those are the numbers for getting a runner out.
Letting the ball travel deeper goes like this: instead of stretching your arm out towards the ball, you keep your glove closer to the base. Obviously, if the ball is far away, catching the ball is paramount. But, assuming a good throw, keep your glove closer to the baseline. This reduces the amount of travel that your glove has to traverse. With reduced travel, you’ve increased your chance to get the runner out.
It can help to try it out for yourself; have someone time you as they throw you the ball. Extend your arm out, then bring it back to tag someone. Follow that up with waiting for the ball to travel and then make the tag. You’ll soon realize that the less distance your glove travels, the quicker your tags will be.
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