I wonder if you’ve ever noticed, while watching a baseball game, that there’s always an offensive base coach standing next to the first or third base bag. You might recall the coach standing behind third base, excitedly waving their hands to instruct a runner to sprint home or hold up at third when scoring. However, there’s also a first base coach. My impression of the first base coach is quite simple, just two things.

  1. When a play is very close, the first base coach will decisively signal ‘safe,’ no questions asked.
  2. When a batter gets to first base, the coach helps hand them their glove and protective gear.

Wait a minute! These don’t seem like professional coaching duties; I could just find any bat boy to do them. Besides, the only other time a first base coach seems to get attention is for amusing moments when dodging line drives (just kidding).

This makes no sense at all. After all, a first base coach is still a coach; they can’t just be handing out gloves and signaling ‘safe’ every day while collecting a paycheck, right? So, I became quite curious: what exactly do first base coaches quietly do behind the scenes, out of the camera’s view?

According to the official MLB website, the first base coach’s job is to relay coaches’ signals to batters and runners, assist in indicating appropriate stolen base times, or remind runners during a pitcher’s pickoff attempt. Additionally, before every pitch, the first base coach must stand within a designated box behind first base and cannot leave it until the ball is hit.

That sounds a bit abstract. Relaying signals is easy enough to understand, but what exactly do ‘indicating stolen base times’ and ‘reminding about pickoffs’ entail? How are these tasks specifically carried out?

To answer this question, I looked up other sources. Former MLB player Matt Antonelli, who has transitioned to YouTube with his channel “Antonelli Baseball,” shared his observations on base coaches from his playing days.

Do First Base Coaches Need Quick Mental Math?

According to him, the first base coach actually holds a stopwatch. The moment the pitcher lifts their lead leg, the coach starts the stopwatch; they stop it when the ball enters the catcher’s mitt. We’ll temporarily call this recorded time the “pitching time.” By adding the “pitching time” to each catcher’s known “Pop time” (the time it takes for the catcher to receive the ball and throw it to second base), you can calculate the actual time it takes for the pitcher-catcher duo to catch a stolen base attempt.

In short, time required to catch a stolen base = “pitching time” + “Pop time”.

Every runner should be well aware of their average stolen base speed and time. So, if a runner’s average stolen base time < the opponent’s time required to catch a stolen base, then the runner has a higher stolen base success rate; conversely, the success rate is lower.

When a runner is on base, the first base coach quickly calculates the time it takes for the pitcher-catcher duo to catch a stolen base attempt using mental math, and gives the runner an estimated time. The runner can then decide whether or not to attempt a steal based on this estimate.

At the same time, the first base coach, carefully observing the pitcher’s movements, will also remind runners during a pickoff attempt. According to a SportsRec report, the first base coach will loudly shout: “Back!!!”, ensuring that a runner who has made it to first base doesn’t easily get tagged out due to a momentary lapse in attention.

The Nagging Parents on the Field

The first base coach’s job doesn’t stop there. They’re like parents, constantly reminding the runner on first where to run on a ground ball, where to move on a fly ball, what the current out count is, and so on…

Wait a minute! Aren’t these players already in the Major Leagues? Why would they still need to be reminded of such basic baseball knowledge, or even the out count?

If you’re thinking that, then you’re completely wrong!

In 2009, Milton Bradley of the Cubs threw a caught fly ball into the stands after two outs, essentially gifting the Twins a run; Joey Votto, after tagging out a batter at first, casually trotted towards the dugout; even Ichiro Suzuki once slowly walked towards the dugout after catching a fly ball in the outfield, only realizing his huge mistake several seconds later. In fact, there’s a full 10-minute compilation video on YouTube documenting various instances of players forgetting the out count. This shows that even for MLB players, forgetting the out count, while not common, is also not rare.

This is where the base coaches come in. Whether at first or third base, they will periodically huddle with runners, reminding them what the current out count is and what strategy to adopt. For example, with two outs, the coach might say, “As soon as the batter hits the ball, just run as hard as you can”; or with only one out, the coach will remind players how to avoid a double play.

Their reminders extend far beyond these. Antonelli also mentioned that coaches will tell you the current score difference, the batter’s count, the outfielders’ positioning, and so on. Every single detail can completely influence a runner’s split-second decision, and that difference of milliseconds is key to a runner scoring.

Furthermore, if there’s a left-handed batter at the plate today, the runner’s view might be obstructed. In this situation, the first base coach must clearly know what’s happening at home plate, and if a wild pitch occurs, they must immediately instruct the runner whether they can advance to second base. To ensure runners are fully aware of the situation on the field at every moment, the coach’s mind must be sharper than the players’, constantly reminding them of basic baserunning knowledge to minimize the possibility of baserunning errors.

Finally, during a game, when there’s a very close call at first base, the coach must also separate an agitated batter, much like parents breaking up a children’s fight, to protect their players from being ejected and to buy time for the manager.

Conclusion

While the third base coach often receives more spotlight, the first base coach’s duties are certainly no less significant. In a game, first base is the gateway to scoring, the first hurdle all runners must face, and the initial challenge a batter encounters after completing their at-bat. For batters who have just finished hitting, they need someone to remind them what to do next and how to do it, and the first base coach serves as their compass. Compared to third base, more runners pass through first base, and there are more situations to manage. Coaches constantly whisper reminders to the passing runners about everything happening on the field, fearing that a player might be off their game, forget the out count, or make a baserunning error, becoming the most embarrassing focus of the game or even costing the team a crucial run.

“That ball gets through the left side, a solid base hit!” While everyone in the stadium cheers for the batter who just hit a single, the unseen efforts beyond the spotlight are influencing the team’s victory…  

References:

Antonelli Baseball：What Do Base Coaches Do? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-BAqPKWQeo&t=90s

MLB Official Website

Jeff Boldberg. Tips on How to Coach First Base in Baseball. SportsRec.

Video Source:

MLB Official：https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUtG-fXfKnI&t=2s

Image Source:

MLB Official Website

Cover Image Source:

MLB Kansas City Royals Official Website PC：Duane Burleson/Getty Images