Baserunning rules are more complicated than you think. Basically, if the runner can't go to the previous base because another runner is on it or headed to it or it's home plate, you don't need to tag the runner with the ball. Just touch the base with your foot once you have the ball. Also, there are different rules for runners if the ball is caught or not caught. You can't run to the next base until the ball is caught. And if you did, thinking the ball couldn't be caught but it was, you better get back to the base you were on...quickly.

18:00 Bo Jackson threw that ball from over 310 feet away. Harold Reynolds, the runner and a fast one at that, could not believe that Jackson got him out from that far away. He watched the video of it several times and still couldn't believe it. Bo knew!

It's difficult to imagine, but some of these throws are coming in at distances beyond a football field endzone to endzone. The arm talent these guys have is insane

You’re absolutely right, Daz. The third base coach is signaling to the runner to keep running from third to home. He makes a big circular motion with his arm to tell the runner to go, because the runner doesn’t have the time to turn his head to see where the ball is. He relies on the third base coach to tell him what to do.

Bo Jackson was possibly the most gifted athlete of his generation. Top flight baseball and American football in the off season. The film about him has someone referring to an incident when as a young man he was swimming in a local river, standing thigh deep in the water he bent and did a full back somersault landing on his feet. Strength for miles...

Rick ankiel was a young stud pitcher who was dominant untill he got the yips in the playoffs and threw like ten balls to the backstop and he started taking shots to deal with anxiety during the games and eventually went down to the minors to become an outfielder and he probably extended his career by 6 or 7 years

That older clip from the 80s. That dude Bo Jackson had a crazy strong arm, he also played football in the NFL and was an elite running back. He was a rare 2-sport athlete, all-star in both.

You guys should watch the career highlights of Bo Jackson. He was a top level baseball and American football player. Injuries cut his career short but he was amazing.

One of those highlights was of Bo Jackson. Check him out. An amazing NFL and MLB star with a sick set of highlights. Bo knows 😜

do a reaction of BO JACKSON!!!! he played NFL and MLB

The standing on the base only matters if it's a force out. It's kind of hard to explain.

Yeah guys the 3rd base coach tells the runners to go or stay. So even if the guy gets thrown out at home they don’t blame the runner it was the coaches decision. Most of these are perfect throws an that’s why the coach sends them because he realizes they have to throw it perfect to get them and the odds are in your favor that won’t happen. Love the videos on baseball.

If the ball is caught by a fielder then a runner may do what is called tagging up. The runner can't leave a base until the ball is caught. That's why the runner at 12:20 was doubled up at first, he left first early thinking the ball would not be caught and had to retreat back to first base and did not beat the throw to first

Its a very pleasant surprise to see video of Roberto Clemente showing his RIDICULOUS arm. It is without question, he had the strongest the game has ever seen. People don't realize how HUGE old Forbes field was. The throw seen here was right at 400 feet...and that was right center, much less dead center...

You guys need to react to Bo Jackson highlights.

Once again you have to give these umps credit for the calls.

Bo Jackso who threw the runner at home also played NFL at the same time

Baseball is a game of anticipation, once you understand what's going on its not slow or boring because every play has so many possible outcomes.

You need to include Jesse Barfield. I skimmed through and only saw one Blue Jay highlight when you should have included 3-4 Barfield throws alone. I remember one throw he made against Kansas City. Willie Wilson was on third base. A fly ball was hit towards the right field foul line. Jesse caught the ball facing the seats. He spun around 180 degrees and threw to home plate. There was a camera angle taken down the line from the outfield fence due to Jesse's arm. It showed the ball travel like a fastball from the mound. NO ARC. The catcher, Ernie Whitt, was used to these throws from Jesse and was already in a crouch at home plate. The ball hit Whitt's glove without having to move it. Wilson didn't even think about going as Jesse's reputation preceded him.

The thing to remember is you can never have two runners "safe" on one base. In situations where the runner if forced to advance because the batter and anyone who might be in-between is forced to advance, any tag on the base is an out because the runner cannot avoid going for the base. That's a force out. In a run-down, the runner had the option and got caught, but he has a chance of getting back to either base safely. In that case you want to guard the base with your foot so you are there first and/or tag the runner - both if possible. When combined with other rules like .. runners can overrun first base, runners cannot run outside the base path, and the fact that runners have to tag back up to the original base if the ball is caught ... it requires base-running skills and knowledge on top of the other skills.

Others have already said, but can't heap enough praises on Bo Jackson. Heisman Trophy-winning Running Back (more or less, the dominant college football player of his generation), then became an all-star in both professional baseball and NFL. He was amazing in the NFL too and one of the great baseball players too. It's a huge shame he was injured in football because he probably could have played 20 years in MLB and been like a right handed Barry Bonds (but a much, much better fielder and baserunner), but he had a terrible football injury the ended both of his professional sport careers early. People are right to point out that the throw at 18:00 was insane and the video doesn't capture it well. A lot of people would struggle to throw a baseball accurately even a few feet, and these guys are throwing strikes (sometimes flat-footed) from 300+ feet away. One of the amazing thing about MLB is just how freakishly good a lot of the players are, especially when it comes to fielding. Some of them are so good they sometimes make it look effortless so you don't always appreciate how good they are, but then you have moments like these where you realize just what kinds of crazy things they can do.

One of my favorite reactions from you blokes. Great job!

You have to tag the runner if he is not “forced” to advance. Also called a force out. Example, runners on first and second base. Ground ball is hit to the third baseman. The runners are “forced” to advance with the batter having to go to first. The third baseman can step on the bag for the out. Remove the runner from first base in this scenario and you would have to tag the runner if he decides to try and advance to third. So in the case of some of the throws the runner is advancing without being forced to advance and thus has to be tagged to be out.

If you ever see anything on Bo Jackson don't pass it up. This video showed a little of him. He was a huge star in both football and baseball until an injury ruined it. An absolute stud athlete. His "Bo knows" commercials were huge in the 80's.

Well Bo Jackson can do it all...amazing! Edit: I really miss baseball. Haven't really had time to get back into watching games but it really is a fun sport when you know whats going on

I'm glad they had a clip of Bo Jackson. American sports legend who played both in the NFL and the MLB at the same time. Career cut short from an injury from one of his NFL games. Bo was one of the best athletes ever.

one of the first throws in this was from the wall at the outfield marked as 350ish feet to home plate. that throw was over three hundred feet and nailed home plate. good outfield throws are really hard to comprehend how far they're throwing the ball. the distance between bases is 90'.

All of the plays where the batter is out on a fly ball and the runner gets thrown out: it's called "tagging up". the runner has to wait until the catch is made before trying to advance. Very exciting baseball play

Usually what happens when a baserunner if he’s a force to take the next base you just have to tag the base itself… For instant if there’s a man on 1st base and the next batter up hits the ball the man on 1st Basee is force to run to run the second because 2 runners can not occupy the same base therefore he has to run to next base. If he’s not force to run like stealing a base or running to the next base and no one behind you that batter has to be tagged out. Also if a batter hits a fly ball and the outfielder catches the ball if there’s a runner already on base he can decide to tag up meaning he has to physically touch the base and wait till it’s caught then he can decide whether to run or stay. Most runners see if the ball is caught very far away from them then they’ll tag up and run to the next base!!!

When a fly ball is caught, the batter is out, but also the base runners need to "tag up", meaning they have to go back to the base they were on when the ball was hit, only then can they try to go to the next base, but there is a chance they don't make it to the next base before the ball, and they can be tagged out. Many runnners just choose to stay at the base they started on, rather than try to beat a throw to the next base. When you hear the term "they doubled him up", it means the base runner left the base before the fly was caught, which means he needs to get back to the base he started from before the outfielder throws the ball back to that starting base. If the outfield catches the fly ball AND throws out the runner trying to get back to his base, that's two outs, a double play. They've "doubled him up".

One thing, though: it isn't just the throws. Having played a little ball myself, you have to have your head in it as a fielder to track the runner that's coming, catch the throw, and have the wherewithal to know where the runner is when you do to wheel around and make the tag. It happens so quickly that you can't even think. You just have to act by instinct.

3 types of outs for the most part. 1. Catching a ball off the bat before it hits the ground. 2. A force out, if there's a runner on first and the batter hits a ball on the ground the man on first is forced to second base, if you have the ball you can force the out by simply putting your foot on 2nd base before the man reaches it. 3. Is a tag out, putting the ball on a runner who's not on a base is a tag out.

Bo knows baseball. Bo knows Football. Bo Knows

you guys have to react to bo jackson....greatest american athlete of all time!!

I love baseball. some people think it's boring but it's stuff like this that makes it fun.

At about 12 minutes they referred to Rick Ankiel, the left handed right fielder who threw soo accurately...he began his career as a rising star pitcher, rookie whiz pitcher. But within a few years he’d lost his ability to be the pitcher he once was. He was basically done with baseball--as a pitcher. He, Rick Ankiel, reinvented himself to a position player, and made it back to the major league as a position player with the best arm!

Bo Knows Baseball. Bo Knows Football. Bo Knows

Check out Bo Jackson. He played in the NFL and MLB simultaneously. Absolutely incredible athlete featured a couple of times in this video.

Love this... Such gems when dudes get gunned down from hundreds of feet...

The basic rule of thumb of whether or not you have to tag out a runner is if they're being forced onto the base they're running to, you can tag the base. This includes when the ball is caught before it hits the ground and all runners must return to the bases they were on before the ball was hit. However, a runner cannot go backwards otherwise, as in you can't have someone run from 3rd to 2nd in a "progression" of the play. But that's the reason why some of these plays are so great. It's not enough to just catch the ball from the outfield because a good number of these plays are plays onto free bases (they don't have another runner on the base behind them forcing them onto the plate they're running to.) Because of that, they HAVE to be tagged out physically. The base option is no longer viable except if they were to get to base, step off of it and then you could tag the base; because that's the base they're supposed to be touching before the ball leaves the bat. Do you have to be touching it? No, but it's kind of the assumed position you have as a runner. You're physically occupying that base and you can get a lead onto the next base, but if you're caught not at your assumed position of being on that base and the ball tags your base, you're out . . . unless you and your team mates all make a coordinated steal together which is really risky. But for simplicity's sake, just go with if they're being forced on to a base from a runner behind them, they don't have to be physically tagged; the base can be tagged and they'll be out.

One of my favorite parts of this video is the 1st baseman at 12:20. He sort of stands around at 1st base as if the ball was still a ways away, doesnt give away to the runner that he ball is actually almost there. Then lunges and catches it at the last second. Pretty good stuff.

I absolutely love the first clip mainly because I was about 150' away from Cespedes when he made that throw. All the fans in our section were screaming when he misplayed the ball, then screaming more when we thought another run was going to score. When we saw the called out we screamed until we saw the replay. Then we gave him a mini standing ovation. The distance and accuracy of the throw and the pressure he was on by all of us screaming when he misplayed the ball added to the shear awe we were in. I will never forget that throw.

The guy standing next to 3rd base, the 3rd base coach has lots of uses. He lets the runner know if he should advance to 3rd from 2nd base, also gives a signal to slide into 3rd if it's a close play, and waves them on to home plate if they think the runner has a good chance of making it.

Made a Patreon request months ago about Bo Jackson - Super Bo (Remastered). Best athlete ever.

Amazing talent. My coach would have had an aneurysm if one of us tried to throw from right field to third base 😂

The guy who throws the ball in and the runner doesn't even try to go is Rick Ankiel, he used to be a big fastball pitcher but got the shakes, and kept throwing wild balls against the backstops. They gave him some time and converted him to an outfielder where he did great, so yeah that guy did not want to run on one of the strongest arms in the league.

Most of these throws are from lengths equivalent to a soccer/football field and hitting the goal post. Insanely accurate.

I'm glad to see how well you understand the game and how much you appreciate it!

The plays that show Rick Ankiel in the outfield...you should know he started his career as a pitcher so he has always had a strong, accurate arm.

Unless there are two outs, If the ball is hit into the air and is catchable to a field player the runner must tag up(have his foot on the bag) before he runs to the next bag. If there are two outs the base runners always run on contact no matter what in hopes the fielder drops the ball.

The rules of baseball state that the runners on base are not allowed to advance on a ball caught in the air, but once the ball is caught the runners are always free to try and advance as long as the runner touches the base they're on when (or after) the ball is caught. This is commonly referred to as 'tagging up'. Any runner off the base when the ball is caught has to get back to the base they were on before a fielder in possession of the ball can touch the base. Alternately, the runner can always be tagged out when they're between the bases. ("Tagging" a runner out can either be with the ball or the glove holding the ball.) Yes, the batter is always out if the ball is caught in the air (not touching the ground or a wall/fencing) by a fielder, just like in cricket. I had never given it a thought, but yeah, announcers never mention that the batter is out. I guess that's just to be assumed by the audience. Whether or not the fielder has to tag the runner, or can just touch the base while possessing the ball, is dependent upon whether or not the runner has the option of returning to the base they came from. Two runners can't occupy the same base at the same time, so if the runner can't go back because that base is occupied by another runner the fielder with the ball just has to touch the base. No need to tag the runner. Runners can't advance on a foul ball (a ball that lands outside the white lines), but if the ball is caught in foul territory it's not considered a foul ball (it didn't touch the ground, after all) so any runners on base can tag up and try to advance, just like on a fly ball to the outfield.

I love the baseball reactions. More please. Not so serious baseball? I think you guys would like that.

If you guys were to watch a game it would make a lot of sense to you. When the ball is caught then all players have to return to the base they were on, most of the time on a deep ball the players will stand on base and once the ball is caught then they will leave as soon as the ball is caught and try to move up a base, or try to score. If they leave the base before the ball is caught then they are automatically out so it's a race to run from the base to the next base before being tagged out.

The guy who threw to home and the runner never even tried to run was a pitcher previously. But he ended up having some sort of mental block and all of a sudden he couldnt throw a strike, like not even close, the ball would nearly fly into the stands on some pitches. It was the weirdest thing. He was able to re-invent himself as a outfielder though.

So ideally, when throwing a ball to a baseman from outfield, you want to position the ball as close to that baseman's knees as possible so that there's minimal maneuvering needed to get a potential tag. But just the ability to get the ball in-line from hundreds of feet away is great.

Bojack vs Harold Reynolds is the best one ever, just how effortless Bo throws it.

8:45. Bo had already had a hip replacement that ended his football career. His baseball days were numbered too.

That older film of the right fielder throwing to home (gold hats) is of Roberto Clemente--the greatest arm in the history of baseball--he was 38 years old at the time of that game.

The guys on the bases making some great catches too man .. crazy 🔥

Base runners must "tag up" when a hit ball is caught before it bounces by a fielder. That means they have to remain on or go back to the last base they occupied. For example, if the batter hits the ball into the outfield and it is caught, many times the runner on 3rd base will tag up and then try to sprint home before the ball can get to home. The play is called a "sacrifice fly", because you sacrifice one out to advance the batter.

@9:51 That's something I've seen in Cricket running errors. It's the old, "Yes, no, wait, NUTS!"

Ideally, fielders throw the ball with a grip that will make it travel as straight as possible. Usually, this will be with a '4 seam' grip where the middle and index finger each touch the seams of the ball in two places. When there is little time to get a good grip, the ball can sail and drift away from the target, especially when thrown hard.

@12:24...On a fly ball catch, you can advance to the next base, but I have to have your foot on your current base until it is caught....then you can run if you want, but you can then get tagged out at the advanced base. In this case - the fly ball was caught by the outfielder, the batter it out. The guy running back to first didn't think the ball would be caught and had to step on 2nd to continue back to 1st base. The outfielder threw the ball to the 1st baseman and ONLY had to step on the base to get the runner out....that is called a forced out.

Third base coach is watching the play. He was telling his slow runner to hold but when the outfielder misses the ball, he sees that and sends him home. He's safe without the highlight throw

15:05 Suzuki Ichiro is the most famous and legendary Japanese baseball player in whole Asia before shohei ohtani.

Tagging up rule- if I’m a runner on base and the hitter hits a fly ball, I can’t leave the base until the ball is caught. So I get ready to take off until the ball hits the fielders glove. However I can run if I’m sure the ball won’t be caught on the fly. Strategy: If the runner is not sure wether the ball is going to caught of the fly then it’s usually advised that he goes 1/2 way to the next base and watches. If caught then the runner runs back to the base. If dropped then he would advance to the next base.

Great job, guys, thank you for the video. Let me try to explain something. If a player is on first base and the batter hits the the ball, the batter has to run to first base, so the runner on first is forced to run to second, and if the ball is thrown to second, the second baseman just has to be touching the bag when he catches the ball, the runner is "forced out". If the ball is hit in the air or a line drive, and the runner thinks it is not going to be caught, he might start running, but if the ball is caught, then he has to run back to the base he came from. And if the ball is thrown back to the player on the base he came from, that player just has to touch the base before the runner gets back, and the runner is forced out. Then, if you have a runner on second, and the batter hits the ball, the man on second is not forced to run to third, but if he does try to run, and the ball is thrown to third, the player with the ball has to tag out the runner. And then, if you have a runner, lets say on third, but it could be any base, and the batter hits along fly ball, the runner can "tag up" and start running as soon as the ball is caught, providing the catch wasn't the third out, in which case the inning is over, and if the ball is thrown home whoever catches it has to tag the runner out. Hope that helps. Keep up the good work.

There also an imaginary baseline that runners cannot stray to far outside. So from base to base the runner must stay basically on a line

The infielder can either get a baserunner out by catching the ball with his foot on the base ahead of the runner (force out) OR by touching the runner with the glove or hand holding the ball (tag out) A lot of times though on a throw from the outfield you might see the infielder try and do BOTH as the runner is sliding in, just to leave no doubt in the umpire’s mind that the runner was out

Wow these throws are incredible! OB Daz is correct about the base coaches. There are 1st and 3rd base coaches. Their job is to signal the runner to keep going or stop. There is no 2nd base coach because coaches cannot be in the play area and have to remain out of bounds. The job of a base coach is to keep the runner from having to slow down and assess the situation of the play. As a runner approaches 2nd base he looks to the 3rd base coach to tell him whether to stop at 2nd or keep going. In the clip around 13:57 into your reaction, the announcer says "He's being waved home by Cookie Rohas". "Being waved home" means the 3rd base coach is visually indicating to the baserunner to keep running like hell and try to score.

You are correct; the 3rd base coach helps the runner know whether to stand up or slide into 3rd base OR continue running past 3rd base and try to score a run at home plate. That coach is like a rear view mirror for the runner because they can't see behind them where the ball is and where, or if, it's being thrown.

I counted 4 Yasiel Puig highlights. Guy has a cannon for an arm.

To explain why runners don’t try to dodge tags: Is because if they do they are usually called Out because they left the base path. The base path is established by the runner but it needs to be a straight line from base A to base B. The sliding is there to try to combat the tags ie going under them or dodging them with their hands and stuff like that.

On a cricket field, the longest possible throw to the opposite wicket is about 300 feet (for the larger grounds). A good number of these throws were from over 300 feet away. The accuracy is simply mind blowing

React to Bo Jackson. Probably the best athlete of all time

Most exciting play in baseball? When runner on 3rd tries to score on fly ball. Rules are you can't leave the base UNTIL the ball is caught. Then it`s a matter of can you reach Home Plate before the ball? It helps of course to grow up playing the game to know the rules.

A lot of people don't realize that the pitcher isnt the only one with a cannon for a arm. Also if you're on third base and ur coming home you used to be able to run straight over the catcher if he was standing in the baseline.

Oh and it depends on when you have to tag the actual base runner with the glove or just put your foot on the next base. One can be tagged out with the glove at any point really, this is called a tag out. A fielder can only put his foot on the next base when the base runner has no other destination, this is called a force out. Usually a tag out occurs when the base runner has already run through a base while the ball is in play (1 to 3; 2 to 3 but rarely; or 2 to home; almost never 1 to 2 unless a base runner is attempting to steal). A force out always either occurs when their is another base runner behind them needing to advance (usually after the ball is out into play) or when a fly ball is caught and the base runner left the base before the fly was caught by the fielder. The baserunner then has to proceed back to their original base before the ball was put into play before the ball reaches the base, where the fielder only had to step on the base. This is called tagging up, or in this case not tagging up

I believe in another video someone asked if professional players ever play in more than one sport. There haven’t been very many, but Bo Jackson did play both professional baseball and football and was an All-Star in both sports. Tom Brady was drafted out of college to the Montreal Expos (a Major League Baseball team that doesn’t exist anymore) but chose to focus on football instead. Which seems to have turned out well for him 😉

I would love for you guys to get an official MLB baseball and 3 baseball gloves and film a session with the 3 of you trying to play catch with each other.

13:17. The great Roberto Clemente. He died in a 1973 plane crash taking disaster relief supplies to Nicaragua.

The baserunning rules in baseball are basically: 1. You can choose to try to run to the next base (that is, try to advance when the ball is hit, or try to steal), but 2. You can be *forced* to run if the batter hits the ball safely and there are no empty bases behind you. For instance, if you hit a double (you make it to first and then second base), you don't *have* to run on the next hit because first base is open for the hitter at the plate. If you are on second, and there is a runner on first, then *both* of you have to run if the batter hits the ball. However... 3. If the ball is hit in the air and the defense catches it before it hits the ground, you have to go back to touch the base you were on when the ball was hit. (This rule that requires the runner to "tag up,' as it's called, is to prevent the strategy of just hitting the ball really super high and running the bases before it comes down.) Sometimes runners will choose *not* to run when the ball is hit in the air. This happened in the last clip you showed with runners on 1st and 3rd. The runner at 3rd sees the ball hit in the air and holds at 3rd until it's caught, then tries to make a break for home. Sometimes hitters will deliberately hit the ball high in the air and deep in order to advance the runners (example at 7:30; this is called a *sacrifice* play); the hitter is out but the runner can tag up and move ahead, possibly scoring. Obviously this doesn't work when there are already 2 outs. 4. The runners are required to return to their bases if the ball is hit foul (it goes to the left, the right, or behind the field of play). 5. Base runners can't pass one another or occupy the same base. 6. If you skip a base because you failed to touch it, you're out.

The 3rd baseman is the guy really making the play.

This video kind of skimmed over where Bo Jackson threw out Harold Reynolds. That play *is* a classic. If you see a longer version sometime you'll see the manager of Reynold's team, guy named Lefevre, come out and argue with the umpires. That manager's son Ryan Lefevre is now an on-air personality with Bo Jackson's team, the Royals.

The runner is obligated to go to the next base when the ball is put in fair territory. After that base, the fielders must tag the runner physically while the runner is off the base for there to be an out. If the runner goes past the base accidentally, the fielder can tag them out. It's not about the timing, it's about touching the base. In the case of Puig throwing to 3rd base (the second throw in this video), the runner could have stopped at 1st base, but didn't. After he passed 1st base, the fielding team must tag him while he's not touching a base. This all applies to home plate too, in all cases. A runner on 3rd with 2 runners behind him must go home, and the fielders do not have to touch him, but can stand on home plate and receive the ball to get an out. Most of the time, the runner going home is not obligated, and the fielder must tag him.

Surprised you did not recognize Bo Jackson--best athlete ever, period. Was a great NFL player and played in MLB at the same time. 6ft 1, 235 lbs, ran a 4.15 40 yard dash--his combined highlights in NFL and MLB are unparalleled.

Really hoping if you react to Bo Jackson, you'll also do SWEETNESS Walter Payton, the GOAT football player

12:05 that's correct, the first and third base coaches tell the runner whether to stop at the base or keep going. 19:40 on a fly ball the runners can't leave their base until the fielder catches (or drops) the ball.

Dwight Evans had one of the best arms I ever saw . That guy had a cannon. Now if you go back back to the 50s there was a guy by the name of Carl Furillo nicknamed The Reading Rifle. He also had a cannon attached to his arm.

Understanding the traffic on the base paths can be confusing. 1) the force out is when the defender only has to touch the base to get an out… like when a batter smacks a ball to the infield with bases empty, they throw to 1st base… cuz the batter has no where else to run. Same thing happens when a runner is on 1st base & the batter hits the ball to an infielder… they can throw to 1st base to get an out, but the best choice would be to throw to 2nd base to get “the lead runner”… who is “forced out”. They don’t have to tag this runner, they just step on the base. Now take the case of a runner only on 2nd base, or perhaps runners on 2nd & 3rd… but 1st base is open. Here, when the batter hits the ball to an infielder, the runners are not “forced” to advance… but can if they want, but the defender/infielder has to tag them with the ball in glove to get an out, not just touch the base (because it’s not a “force” play). A “sacrifice fly” is when the runner or runners on base try to advance on a fly ball caught by an defender/outfielder… usually a runner tries to move from 2nd to 3rd base, or from 3rd base to home… both sometimes result in a big throw from an outfielder to home plate or to a base, where they also have to tag the runner. The “sac fly” results in a lot of runs (points) scored from 3rd base to home plate, but is also an out… so it can be used only when there are either zero or 1 out in the inning. Hope this helps, love the baseball clips!

If the runner isn't being pushed from behind, you must tag him, not the base. If a man is 0n third, and nobody is on second, and the batter hits a ground ball to third, and the third baseman throws home, the runner must be tagged, because the runner at third didn't have to run - he wasn't being pushed. If the bases were loaded in the same scenario, that runner at third would be out by the catcher tagging home base (home plate) or the runner before he touched the base. This being forced was featured in the movie - Blast from The Past, when Brandon Fraser's character, who had only had baseball described to him, finally understood when he watched a game in person. He said, "I get it now, he MUST run." Or something like that.

One way to get to enjoy watching baseball more is focusing on the pitcher/batter duel. Each team has scouts that do research on each opposing player. They use that data to determine how to approach each opposing player during the games according to their strengths and weaknesses. For instance, if a player's batting style means he will favor hitting pitches that are low and outside, it would be beneficial for the pitcher to pitch to them high and inside. Many times a pitcher will lead a batter with multiple pitches because more than one pitch is allowed. The use of statistics and strategies are rampant in baseball.

A runner can only be put out by a fielder with the ball tagging the base in two situations: force plays and appeal plays. In a force play, the runner is forced to run to the next base when the ball is hit into play because all the bases behind him are occupied (since the batter has to run, he can be forced out at first base). In an appeal play, the runner has done something like leave a base early when a fly ball is caught, or miss a base when circling the bases. In all other situations, the runner must be tagged, not the base. It doesn't matter which base it is. Force plays when the ball is hit into the outfield are uncommon, although you can see one at 15:48. The play at 12:12 is an appeal play, because the runner had to get back to first base after the fly ball was caught. A runner who deviates more than three feet (about one meter) from the line between him and the base in order to avoid a tag will be called out. There's no rule requiring the runner to stay in the dirt area. Basically, a runner isn't allowed to run sideways to avoid a tag.

Ichiro Suzuki (from Japan) is my absolute favorite baseball player of all time

A baserunner can always be tagged out, but the difference between needing to step on the base to get a person out or tag a person out is if they are a "forced runner" or not. Two base runners cannot occupy the same base at the same time. If a baserunner is on first and the ball is hit into play, the baserunner must advance, because the hitter can only occupy first. Baserunners must advance if all previous bases are occupied by fellow baserunners, so they are "forced" to attempt to advance. In this instance, the defense can stand on the next base of a runner with the ball in hand to get the out because it is "forced runner". If there is a previous base that is not occupied then the baserunner is not a forced runner and they must be tagged. If a runner has already touched a bag and is trying to get back to the bag, they must be tagged. Same rules apply to home plate, if the bases are loaded the catcher just has to touch to home plate to get the baserunner from third base out. If a baserunner is unforced coming into home(one or more bases not occupied), then the catcher must tag the runner.

The one from 12:12 is great just for the distance he threw the ball and on the fly to first base. Clemente at 13:12 was impressive too, it prevented a run being scored. I believe that was the 1971 World Series, that's why there's video. Clemente was known for his strong arm, not just for his bat. But I think the most amazing throw I've ever seen was Ellis Valentine in 1978. You can see it in this video at 1:18: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ebenmdl_2aeqqZ8.html Dave Winfield had a strong arm too. I think it was 1977 or 1978 when Winfield was with the Padres and they played in Montreal and the power went out. The game eventually got resumed the next day but while waiting for lights to come back and only in emergency lighting, both Winfield and Valentine put their arms on display for the fans and threw balls from home plate over the outfield wall, a minimum of 330 feet. There is surely no video of that but I remember listening to that game on radio, the lights goes out and the announcers described what was happening.

Roberto Clemente(Pittsburgh yellow cap, '54-'72), featured in just the one old clip, considered by many if not most the best arm in history. So good, people largely stopped trying to run on him. He was the first Hispanic superstar. He died tragically while flying aide to his home Puerto Rico after an earthquake devastated the small country. He'd rented an older plane & pilot, made multiple trips and eventually the plane failed killing them. A true Hero his great career led to his enshrinement in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

If you are forced to go to the next base because a runner behind you has to have a base to occupy, you need only to tag the base, but if a runner is advancing extra bases the runner must be tagged

In regards to whether they have to tag the runner or the base, it depends on if it's a force out or not, meaning the runner has to advance because there's another one behind him, in which case they can just tag the base. If it's not a force out, they have to tag the runner, because theoretically, the runner could stop and run back to the previous base.

Baseball is much more enjoyable to watch in person than on TV as a general rule. Most people can't go/afford to go to every game because they play like 160 games per year and that's before the post-season. So you have to watch your team most of the time on TV, but it it's really enjoyable to go watch a good baseball game especially on a day with good weather. Grab a beer and a brat or hot dog and sit and watch the game unfold.