What first-base coaching is all about. (Baseball).

First-base coaches use a combination of verbal and manual signals to communicate with their hitters and runners.

Many of them are used in every game. Others are used only occasionally. But in one small way or another, call contribute to the outcome of the game.

In our article last month, we covered 16 of the coach's basic duties. To continue:

Coaching point: The first-base coach must warn the runner to make sure the pitcher delivers to the plate.

17. Watch for missed bases.

One of the simplest ways in baseball to pick up a couple of crucial outs per season. In the first-base area, the base coach must keep his eye on the batter who has hit a long ball and is watching to see whether it clears the fence.

Remember Mark McGwire on his record-breaking 62nd home run? He kept watching and watching the ball and, in the process, stepped over the bag without touching it. The first-base coach had to call McGwire back to the bag for the touch.

The base coach must also know when to keep his mouth shut when he sees his runner miss a base, as there are situations when trying to get the runner to return to tag up can do more harm than good.

18. Help the base runner identify the game situation.

The first-base coach should make sure that the runner understands the general offensive strategy when he gets on base, particularly late in the game.

If, for example, his team is well behind and down to its last few outs, his instructions might be "station to station here" or "don't take any chances." Other times he might encourage the baserunner to be aggressive or make sure he knows that he is the go-ahead run.

19. Use a stopwatch.

Baseball is a game of split-seconds. The difference between a right-handed pitcher whose set time to the plate is 1.3 seconds and one whose set time is 1.6 seconds is critical. Many head coaches want their first-base coach to pay special attention to set times with a runner on first, with a runner on second, and when a pitcher employs a slide step. The information must be relayed to the coach who makes the offensive strategy decisions.

20. Use your placement in the coach's box to the best advantage.

There are many different Theories about how to position yourself in the coach's box. Some coaches like to be up at the front of the box so they can be picked up easily by the hitter coming down the line, while others like to be deep in the box because it gives them a better angle to view the mound.

Think about what makes the most sense for you. I prefer to be at the front of the box where I can be easily seen and heard and my sight cannot be blocked by an umpire or first baseman, although it does increase the likelihood of being hit by a batted ball.

21. Use your angle to scout the battery.

Pitchers are creatures of habit. If you watch the game closely, you will occasionally see them tipping off their pitches. For example, some pitchers will hold the ball with a change-up grip while taking the signal. If the catcher signals for some other pitch, you will see the pitcher change his grip accordingly.

The catcher may also tip off the pitch by flashing his signals from a point low enough or with their legs spread wide enough for the opposing coaches to see. The first-base coach is in a great position to read the signals and pass on the information to the hitters and the bench.

22. Help the baserunner read the first baseman's feet.

I am not an advocate of making the first-base coach responsible for letting the baserunner know a bad throw is forcing the first baseman to alter the way he normally receives the ball, putting the runner at risk.

On a ground ball to an infielder on which the throw pulls the first baseman off the bag in the direction of home, the instinct of the fielder will be to drop his glove and just tag the runner going into the base.

If the runner reads the first baseman's feet as he comes off the bag, he should slide into the base to make the tag play more difficult, as well as to avoid injury. The base coach's yell of "Down!" or "Slide!" can put the runner into harm's way.

In some extreme circumstances, the coach's call can be helpful. As a rule, however, it is best for the base coach not to direct the runner's slide.

23. Control the traffic on fly balls.

This is another thing that may happen only one or two times a year, but can be important. On a fly ball that appears to be a routine out, the base coach must stay with the runner and tell him where to be in the event the ball is not caught.

The hitter will often be frustrated coming down the line and mess up the play so that when the ball drops safely the runner will be somewhere in no-man's land as the ball is quickly retrieved.

The coach must direct his hitters to run out the fly ball and be in the right position to reach the maximum base if the ball goes uncaught. The coach must also help control the traffic on balls hit in the air with first base already occupied.

24. Use a verbal code to let the baserunner know when he has missed a signal.

How many times have you seen a baserunner miss the first sign and then proceed to miss several more in the course of the next few at-bats?

Unfortunately, players get distracted on the basepaths and get their coaches mad at them for missing signal after signal. It's a good idea for the first-base coach to have a code that will let a player know that he has missed a signal without giving away the fact that some sort of offensive play is in the works.

25. Help the baserunner make an appropriate read on balls hit to outfield.

More often than most base coaches think, the baserunner will need help in finding a ball hit to an outfielder or in making a good read on a hard-hit ball.

It is always helpful to have the coach tell him that his fly ball isn't going to be caught or that he should go halfway on a ball likely to be caught.

While the ultimate decision will rest with the baserunner, the coach must help him whenever the runner makes a poor read.

26. Take responsibility for the back runner with runners on second and third.

While head coaches differ on this, most want the first-base coach to assume responsibility, especially against a right-handed pitcher. With the third-base coach occupied with the lead runner, it makes sense for the first-base coach to help out with the back runner, especially in identifying the pitcher's inside move. The strategy should be established prior to the season.

27. Break down the pitcher's move and habits for your baserunners.

The first-base coach can learn about the nuances of the pitcher's pick-off move early in the game. Does he have a slow move and/or a good move? Does he have a balk move? Does he tip off when he is throwing to first? Does he tip off when he's going to the plate?

It is important to put all this information into your baserunners' heads. If, for example, a left-handed pitcher looks to the plate on his leg kick whenever he is going to throw to first base, this becomes crucial information for the baserunner in avoiding pickoffs and getting good jumps to second base.

Since the players in the dugout won't have the visual angle necessary for such observation, it will be up to the first-base coach to get it to the runner quickly and efficiently.

28. Tell the baserunner when the pick-off throw has been returned to the pitcher.

I've seen runners get tagged out after diving back to first base because they don't know where the ball is. They will get up, brush themselves off, and begin to take their lead before checking to see whether the ball has been returned to the pitcher and whether the pitcher is on the rubber.

The best way to avoid such mishaps is by having the base coach inform the runner that the ball has been returned to the pitcher and to stay on the bag until the pitcher is on the rubber.

29. Take the extra base on balls thrown through to the plate.

The first-base coach can help set up big innings by helping runners take the extra base on plays to the plate. Anytime a single creates a potential play at the plate (on a runner coming from second), the hitter should think of moving up to second whenever the ball is thrown through to home, provided second base is unoccupied, of course.

This is a good way to keep a rally going, get another runner onto scoring position, and can take away the force play or perhaps a double play.

This is a very underrated and under-practiced play. The hitter should make a big turn (bigger if the first baseman has left the area to become the deep cut-off man), watch the ball go through to home, and not be fooled by a fake cut-off.

The alert first-base coach should be assisting the runner on the play, not watching the play at the plate.

30. Help the baserunners with their leads.

While the third-base coach usually has the best visual perspective on the baserunner's lead off first, the first-base coach can also help. An experienced base coach can plainly see whether a lead is too big or too small and should correct the situation immediately.

31. Keep your players from arguing with umpires.

All discussions with umpires should involve the head coach, not the assistant coaches and certainly not the players. Whenever a player (especially one of the better players) takes exception to a call, the first-base coach should step in and get him away from the umpire and let the head coach represent the team in any dispute.

32. Remind the runner of two-out, two-strike situations.

The first-base coach should alert the baserunner to run on the swing, rather than the batted ball. This will give the runners a little better jump on the ball.