Nose til leather

Baseball is a game with tons of sayings, phrases, and cliches meant to teach or remind a player about a component of the game.  The title of this post is a phrase I heard recently from a local college coach near me.

“Nose til leather.”

The purpose of this phrase to remind infielders to continue moving towards the target of their throws for a few steps.  Staying on that line after the throw tends to improve accuracy since the player’s momentum is consistently going in only the direction of the throw.  But one question still remains …

How far does the player continue on the line?  One step?  Three?  Ten?

Of course, every play is different but a basic answer is implied in the phrase “Nose til leather.”  

Continue moving in a straight line towards your target until the ball hits his glove.

A good message and worth saying often.