What is a delayed robbery?

In this article, I will explain what a delayed robbery is. I’ll start by defining what a stolen base is and then describe what constitutes a delayed robbery. Below I will give some tips on how to achieve one successfully. And finally, I will suggest some situations where a delayed robbery could be used.

A stolen base occurs when a runner advances to another base taking advantage of the pitcher and the defense. According to Major League Baseball Official Rule 10.07 *:

The official scorer will credit a stolen base to a runner each time the runner advances a base unaided by a hit, an out, an error, a force out, a fielder’s choice, a pass, a wild pitch, or a balk. ..

Most stolen bases occur when a runner starts as soon as the pitcher begins his move to home plate. Once the catcher receives the ball, he tries to send the runner off. In a delayed steal, the runner doesn’t start until after the ball crosses the plate, trusting that the defense isn’t paying attention. A successful delayed steal will generally cause the catcher to start the motion of throwing the ball back to the pitcher, causing him to stop that motion and reload to pitch to the base. On top of that, the fielder may have started to return to his position instead of covering the base. All of this gives the runner more time to get to base safely.

One of the keys to a successful delayed robbery is secondary advantage. This occurs when the pitcher begins his move to home plate or when the ball crosses home plate, depending on when the runner can legally leave the base. This perk is a random couple of steps to the next base and must be used on every pitch. The runner must begin running to the next base as soon as, but not before, the second shuffle is completed. At this point, the catcher and the middle players will react as if there is no stolen base. If there is a shot, it is most likely wandering as the catcher will have to double-clutch and the infielder will be slow to reach base.

Now that we know how to perform a delayed robbery, let’s see when to do it. The first thing to consider is how infielders react after the pitch. If they always take a step or two toward the base that they would cover, it will be more difficult to steal that base because the fielder will be in position to shoot. However, if they simply return to their pre-launch position, they will be susceptible to a delayed draw. In this situation, even with a slow running back, the fielder will have a hard time getting to base in time to field the shot.

Another good time to take the delayed steal is when there are runners on first and third and less than 2 outs. Since delayed steal tends to confuse fielders and lead to missed shots, there is a good chance the runner on third will score. Even if they don’t throw a pitch, there are now 2 runners in scoring position and the double play has been avoided.

Now you know what a delayed robbery is and how to use it effectively. Go ahead and surprise some defenders!

* www.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/official_rules/official_scorer_10.jsp