Beginner

Tag up

Also known as: tagging, retoque de base, avanço em fly de sacrifício

Definition

Fazer o tag up significa que o corredor de base retorna e toca sua base atual no momento em que uma bola alta é capturada, para então partir em direção à próxima base — o método legal de avançar em uma bola alta capturada.

Quando uma bola alta é rebatida, os corredores de base precisam esperar na sua base (tocando-a) até a bola ser capturada. No instante em que o jogador de outfield toca a bola, eles podem avançar. Corredores de elite observam os olhos e a linguagem corporal do jogador de outfield enquanto mantêm um pé na base, e explodem no instante em que a bola encosta na luva. Em flies de sacrifício vindos do outfield, corredores na terceira base quase sempre devem fazer o tag up. Em bolas altas mais curtas, a profundidade do jogador de outfield, a velocidade do corredor e a força de braço do jogador de outfield entram na conta de se o tag up vai render uma base extra.

Beginner tip

Position your foot on the inside corner of the bag. This means closest to the base you are advancing toward. This means before the pitch is delivered. As a result, when a fly ball is hit you are already in the optimal push-off position without needing to reposition.

Advanced note

Practice watching the ball into the outfielder's glove from a tagged-up position in particular by having a partner track fly balls in the outfield. At the same time, you stand with your foot on the bag and call "catch!" the instant you see glove-ball contact. This means this trains the precise timing discipline that separates tag-up masters from average baserunners.

Example

Ele fez o tag up da terceira base em uma bola de profundidade média para o centro e marcou ponto com facilidade — sua leitura do posicionamento do jogador de outfield disse a ele que o arremesso chegaria atrasado.

How it shows up on video

On video, tag-up quality is measured by the runner's foot position on the bag at the moment of catch, the direction the body is facing. The explosiveness of the first step off the bag. Common errors include the runner having both feet flat on the ground rather than positioned on the bag in a ready-to-push stance, the body facing the outfield rather than angled toward the next base. The runner losing contact with the bag for an instant before the catch. This means which creates a retouch obligation that negates the advance.

Common mistakes

Leaving the bag too early before the ball is caught. This means even a tenth-of-a-second early departure is a legal violation that results in an out if appealed by the defense
Standing flat against the center of the bag rather than on the inside corner with the body angled toward the next base, losing the push-off position advantage that fast taggers use to gain an extra step
Making the tag-up decision based on the depth of the fly ball alone without considering the outfielder's arm strength, throwing angle. The presence or absence of a cut-off play
Not watching the ball all the way into the outfielder's glove. This prevents precise timing of the departure. This means watching the fielder's glove make contact is the signal that must be seen before the departure step

In SwingVantage Motion Lab

SwingVantage measures foot position on the bag at the catch frame and timing of the first departure step relative to the catch contact frame, identifying early departures and measuring the body angle at departure. The system computes a tag-up efficiency score based on departure timing and initial step direction, benchmarked against the runner's historical best.

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