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 describing what constitutes a delayed steal. Below I will give some tips on how to achieve one successfully. And finally, I’ll suggest some situations where a delayed steal could be used.

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

The official scorer shall credit a runner with a stolen base whenever the runner advances one base without the aid of a hit, out, error, force out, fielder’s choice, pass ball, wild pitch, or balk. .

Most stolen bases occur when a runner starts as soon as the pitcher begins his move toward home plate. Once the catcher gets the ball, he tries to throw out the runner. On a steal-delay, the runner doesn’t start until the ball crosses home plate, trusting that the defense isn’t paying attention. A successful delayed steal will usually cause the catcher to start the movement of returning the ball to the pitcher, causing him to stop that movement and reload to throw to the base. On top of that, the fielder may have started to get back into his position instead of covering the base. All of this gives the runner more time to reach base safely.

One of the keys to a successful delayed steal is the secondary advantage. This occurs when the pitcher starts his move toward home plate or when the ball crosses home plate, depending on when the runner can legally leave the base. This buff is a couple of random 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 complete. At this point, the catcher and infielders will be reacting as if there was no stolen base. If there is a pitch, it will most likely be an errant throw, since the catcher will have to double-clutch and the infielder will be late on base.

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

Another good time to steal is when there are runners on first and third and less than 2 out. Since the delayed steal tends to confuse fielders and cause erratic throws, there’s a good chance the runner on third will score. Even if they don’t make a throw, there are now 2 runners in scoring position and double play has been avoided.

So now you know what a delayed steal is and how to use it effectively. Go ahead and surprise some defensemen!

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