Richmond City Baseball Player Handbook Updated June 2015
Visit the 13U Pee Wee Chuckers website at: www.ballcharts.com/pwchuckers 1 P a g e
Welcome to the Richmond 13U Pee Wee AAA Chuckers! Our collective goal is a Provincial Championship. But equally as important, is that you develop as a baseball player, both physically and mentally, and that you have fun playing high level baseball, as part of a team. Expectations The PHYSICAL game involves learning proper technique and mechanics, repetition and conditioning. You need to develop the skills to do what needs to be done on the field. The MENTAL game involves hard work, concentration and focus, controlling your emotions and a positive and winning attitude. You need to have the confidence to do what needs to be done on the field. TEAMWORK involves player-to-player support. This occurs through mutual respect, positive talk/chatter and always supporting your teammates, in games and at practice. Richmond s Pee Wee AAA Chuckers is a rep program -- that means you are REPRESENTING your city, your association, your team, your parents and yourself. Behave accordingly. You are expected to: Be fully committed to baseball from the end of the Spring season through Provincials. Work hard and hustle every time you set foot on the field, whether it s in game or practice. Look and act like a ball player. Have a positive, winning attitude. Be a good teammate and be a team player. 2 P a g e
You are also expected to know what's going on. You are the member of this team, not your parents. You must: Check the schedule on the website and Team Snap. Let the coaches know why you are late or need to miss a game or practice (it better be good!) Bring all your equipment. Bring both jerseys to all games. Bring water and healthy snacks, especially to double-headers, tournaments and long practices. Get enough rest and hydrate before game day. Becoming a Better Baseball Player In addition to building on your fundamental skills throwing, catching, groundballs, flyballs, hitting at Pee Wee AAA, you will start to learn defensive, offensive and pitching strategies and more advanced plays. Defensive Strategies Know the situation -- What inning is it? What is the score? How many are out? Is this run important? What is the count? Is it a steal or bunt situation? Where are they in the batting order? What will you do if the ball comes to you? Visualize what you will do. Be prepared to play the ball on every single pitch. What will you do if the ball doesn't come to you? Everybody moves on every defensive play -- if you don't know what to do, ask! Pay attention, even when you aren't on the field -- You never know when you will be in the same situation. Learn from watching. We will work on the following defensive plays: 1. Basic Cut-Offs 3 P a g e
2. Relays & Double Cuts 3. Bunt Defences 4. 1st & 3rd Defences 5. Pick-offs & Holding Runners Hitting Strategies Watch the opposing pitcher -- What pitches does he have? What pitches does he throw for strikes? Does he follow a pattern? And discuss this in the dugout with your teammates, after each at bat. Know your pitch & Get a good pitch to hit -- Concentrate on getting a pitch you can drive up the middle or the other way (left centre or right centre field). From practice you will learn what pitches you hit well. Work the count -- Your best chance to get a hit is a hitters count (2-0, 3-1), when the pitcher is behind and needs to throw a strike. You will also often get a fastball over the plate on the first pitch or 3-2. Be ready, but don't guess. Lay off curves early in the count You do not need to swing at a curve ball early or when you are ahead in the count. If the pitcher throws it for a strike, so be it. "Protect" with two strikes -- Choke up, move slightly closer to the plate, move up in the box and shorten your swing. Your goal is to put the ball in play and make the defense earn the out. Know the situation -- Understand your role, especially with runners in scoring position. A good at bat doesn t always end in a hit (e.g., hitting behind a runner on 2B or a Sac Fly). At Pee Wee AAA, we will be working on the following offensive plays: 1. Hit & Run 2. Run & Hit 3. Sacrifice Bunt 4 P a g e
4. Safety Squeeze 5. Run & Bunt 6. Suicide Squeeze 7. Hitting Behind the Runner 8. Straight Steal 9. Delayed Steal 10. Early Steal Pitching Strategies Get ahead, stay ahead -- If you get behind, you are in a hitters count and the hitter has a better chance to beat you. Throw Strikes -- Your job is to throw strikes, and make good pitches, not strike out every batter you face. Keep the ball down -- This means more ground balls and more outs. Pitchers who leave the ball up tend to get hit harder. Work inside / Use the whole strike zone -- All good pitchers take control of (own) the inside part of the plate. Don't worry about hitting batters. Don't give in -- Attack the hitter and close the door with two strikes and/or two outs. Stick to your game plan and make the hitter hit your pitch. Stay calm -- A rattled pitcher is done like dinner. Don't show emotion. Hits and errors happen. A good pitcher will bounce back and make the next pitch and get the next out. Learning to pitch out of a jam is an invaluable skill. Hold runners -- Give our catcher a chance. Most runners steal on the pitcher. Go over to first a few times. Vary your looks. And if you aren't comfortable, if the runner takes off, or if the runner has a really big lead, step off! 5 P a g e