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Communicating without words

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Posted: Wednesday September 08, 1999 07:50 PM

Every baseball game, you see players and coaches communicating without words. Of course, I'm talking about the use of signs. And how well they're received can mean the difference between winning and losing.

Every guy has his own style for giving signs. San Diego third base coach Tim Flannery can be one of the quickest, while the Yankees Willie Randolph usually has a more deliberate pace. Atlanta's Ned Yost seems very focused, while St. Louis' Rene Lacheman looks almost casual. But the key is to make sure that the message gets across.

Minnesota manager Tom Kelly has said that it was a nightmare trying to get his young team to understand signs at the beginning of the season and that hurt. But even the most experienced players can get confused.

Missing a sign can cost a team a big inning, or even a game. The Astros were trailing 6-5 in the seventh when either Matt Mieske or Carl Everett missed a sign for a squeeze. The result, Everett gets hung out to dry on a botched play, and Houston lost.

And signs are also important on defense. Middle infielders usually use an open or closed mouth to tell each other who's covering second. Of course, my mouth used to get tired with all that opening and closing, so I usually just nodded. But a miscommunication here, and the ball ends up in center field instead of as an out.

And one of the most frustrating things for a manager is when a batter has to step out of the box and ask for signs to be repeated. That tips off the other team that something's up and it usually results in the play being called off.

Remember, while understanding the signs is important, the key is always execution. Getting a sign for a squeeze play or a hit and run is great, but if you can't get the bat on the ball it just doesn't matter.

 

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