After fielding a groundball and receiving cuts, which were both addressed earlier, executing a proper tag is the next on-field skill for an infielder. The tag is an under-coached and incredibly important component of the infielder’s game. There are three types of tag an infielder should be ready to execute: the “V” tag, the double tag, and the hold tag. The first two are exhibited in the next movie in the chapter. When preparing for a tag, the infielder realizes that receiving the ball high to low is the priority in tags. Every ball, no matter how bad the throw, must be knocked down by the infielder. Also in preparation for the tag, the infielder should get his feet in front of the base and force the runner to go around the infielder. This may cause some contact at the bag but more than likely this will cause the runner to stutter step to slow down, especially if that runner has not faced a courageous infielder.
Tags