Third Base Coach: What to say

1. Number of outs
2. “On your own past the catcher & pitcher”
3. “Watch the snap throw from the catcher” 

4. If other runners are on base – “Get the bat out of the way and tell following runners what to do on a play at the plate” – you don’t want a runner trying to score to have to slide on a bat that is still laying near the plate.  If it might be in the way of a future runner and the umpire doesn’t remove it himself, the responsibility falls on the runner at 3rd to notice and pick it up on their way home.  After doing so they need to turn around and tell any runners that follow whether to slide or not and where on a play at the plate.
5. If less than 2 outs:
• “Back to the bag on a ball in the air – fair or foul”
• “Slide on a play at home” – this is for leagues where collisions at the plate are illegal.
• What to do on a ground ball:  “Go on contact” (click HERE for details about this play) or “Make the ball go through the infield” , etc.
6. If a runner is on second base:  This responsibility is shared by the 1st and 3rd base coaches but since the runner looks to the 3rd base coach for signals, the reminders usually are more easily given by the 3rd base coach. 
• “Get a good read on a ground ball.”  With less than 2 outs, I explain to my players beforehand that they need to react differently on the various types of ground balls.  On hard hit balls in front of them (at the shortstop), they will want to stay at second and have him make the more difficult throw across to first base instead of just giving him the opportunity to make a short throw to 3rd base to erase the runner in scoring position.  However, if a ball is hit slowly where the shortstop or third baseman must charge heavily, chances are good the runner on second will make it easily to third.  That’s why I don’t say “only come to 3rd on balls hit behind you” because there are always exceptions.  Good base runners need to see the ball off the bat and just react.
• “Know where everyone is.”  Before each pitch, the runner at second needs to know where the infielders and outfielders are positioned in order to know whether they can go to third on a ground ball, whether to wait for a fly ball to drop, or just take off and score.  When deciding to stay or go, looking for where the fielders are after the ball is hit is too late.  A runner needs to gather that information before the pitch.
• “Don’t run into a tag.”  Even with two outs, a runner at second base does not have to go to third on a ground ball hit at the third baseman – unless it’s a force of course.  Even so, a runner should never allow the third baseman to tag him on the way by.  Make him throw the ball to get an out, especially the last out of an inning! 

After reading the post for 1st base coaches and now the suggestions for the 3rd base coaches, I can almost hear some people say, “How in the world will I have time to say all that?” My answer to that would be that I only say it once to the runner as soon as he gets to the bag, not after every pitch.  I do so because I don’t want the runner to mess something up in part because I forgot to remind them.  I also go over all of these comments and explanations well beforehand in practice.  Therefore, the runners are not learning anything new.  They are just being reminded.  

Note: The higher up a player goes in baseball, the less likely they will hear these constant reminders from base coaches.  It becomes a given that base runners should know most of this stuff.