How to Steal Third Base

Stealing bases in baseball is one of the most interesting and exciting plays in sports. There are different strategies for stealing different bases however, and the swiping of third base revolves mainly around intellect and the jump rather than pure speed. Taking third base is a skill and there are many hints and tips that one needs to know when trying to take the extra base.

First off, the general rule of thumb in baseball is never make the first or third out at third base. You can always score from second base on a base hit and can be moved over as well. A runner would need to reach third base because they score more easily and they can score on a sacrifice fly. There are plenty of benefits for having a runner at third base and the ability to steal it can make a team so much more dangerous.

Here are the ways to take third base and some helpful hints.

1. You must have a good jump. Since the distance from home plate to third base is only 90 feet the catcher has only a short distance to throw out the runner, so you want a nice size jump in order to make it.

2. Steal the signs. It is hard but it is also possible to steal the signs from the catcher to the pitcher. The better pitches to steal on are breaking pitches because of the high probability that the pitch will land in the dirt and squirt away. Also the pitches are slower and the ball gets to the plate a lot slower.

3. Read the pitch. If while taking your jump you can tell you did not get a good enough one you should stop and retreat. However, if you can read that the pitch is going to end up in the dirt, get off to the races. The ball has a possibility of getting to the backstop or the catcher will take a lot of time picking up and throwing it down to third.

4. Get a read on the pitcher. A lot of amateur pitchers will fall into the same routine while checking you back to second base. If this is the case, know when he will start his delivery and take off as soon as it is safe and you know the pitcher is making the delivery.