A hold is a baseball term for when one player asks another to advance him in the batting order, usually so he can get a better pitch to hit. A catcher may ask someone in the on-deck circle to bat higher in the lineup if his pitcher has a hard time throwing certain pitches or is having trouble locating them.
A coach may request that his pitcher have an infielder move up as well if there’s a particular weakness in that player’s stance, which might compromise his defense. In rare cases, it could also be done by simply asking the opposing team’s manager to do so.
In general, holds are very uncommon in professional baseball because the mound is typically moved back and forth only twice per game. But they can occur much more often at lower levels of play where pitchers have more freedom to adjust their games on the fly and use different pitches from multiple locations as needed.
This article covers everything you need to know about holds including its definition, how it’s determined and how it can be removed from your game once you discover you have it.
What is a hold in Baseball?
A hold occurs when a catcher asks another player to bat higher in the batting order. The catcher may also ask another player to move down in the lineup. A hold is a baseball term for when one player asks another to advance him in the batting order, usually so he can get a better pitch to hit.
A catcher may ask someone in the on-deck circle to bat higher in the lineup if his pitcher has a hard time throwing certain pitches or is having trouble locating them.
A coach may request that his pitcher have an infielder move up as well if there’s a particular weakness in that player’s stance, which might compromise his defense. In rare cases, it could also be done by simply asking the opposing team’s manager to do so.
How is Holds Determined in Baseball?
If the catcher and first baseman want to request a hold, they approach the plate umpire and ask him to “hold” anyone they want. This means the pair want to hold someone back in the batting order so they can get a better pitch to hit.
If they are successful, the umpire will nod his head in agreement. The holds are reviewed every day by the league’s official scorer, who makes a determination as to who actually asked for the hold.
The scorer cannot simply assume the pitcher has been holding someone, as there are plenty of legitimate reasons for one pitcher to ask another to hold. Neither can the scorer simply assume the request is coming from the catcher, as it’s perfectly legal for a first baseman who sees a weakness in his own stance to ask a pitcher to find a way to pitch to him.
How to Avoid Holds
The most obvious way to avoid baseball holds is to ask the pitcher to alter his game plan so he doesn’t have to hold anyone in the first place. This isn’t always an option, though, as a pitcher will rarely if ever change the way he wants to pitch based on what other players are doing.
And you can’t simply tell the batter to change his approach, as this isn’t allowed either and would probably get him out of the game. The most effective way to avoid holds is to simply be more aware of the situation on the field and in the dugout than your opponents are.
Pay attention to what pitch the pitcher is throwing and where, so you know when and where to move to get a better pitch to hit. Make sure you have your stance in check and have your hands positioned correctly to hit the ball hard. These are all things you can do to make sure you do not hold anyone in the batting order.
Ways to Get Rid of a Hold on Your Game
– Use the pitcher’s hitting coach to help with your at-bats. This is an excellent way to help you avoid holds on your game. One of the great things about the coach-to-player relationship is that you are essentially in charge of the other person. You can tell the coach what you want him to focus on and what you want him to avoid.
This is a valuable tool because the coach is more aware of your weaknesses than you may be, so he can make adjustments to help you avoid holds. – Have the coach talk to the pitcher about his hitting approach. This is the best way to get rid of holds in baseball. It’s best to have the hitting coach explain to the pitcher what you want to see him throw.
A simple “I love this pitch, but I have trouble hitting it with my stance” will get the point across. The pitcher will most likely not understand this, but the coach can explain that it’s a weakness in his own stance that he’d like to see him avoid whenever possible.
– Have your coach talk to the opposing pitcher’s manager. This is a great way to avoid holds in baseball. You can approach the opposing manager and ask him to have his pitcher avoid the situations in which you are weak. This is a very easy solution to a very difficult problem.
– Have your coach talk to the catcher about his approach. This is another great way to get rid of holds in baseball. The best way to tell the catcher what you want from him is to have him explain to the coach what he wants to do. Again, a simple phrase such as “I want to see him throw this pitch here” will suffice.
Wrapping up
Holding is a baseball term for when one player asks another to advance him in the batting order, usually so he can get a better pitch to hit. A catcher may ask someone in the on-deck circle to bat higher in the lineup if his pitcher has a hard time throwing certain pitches or is having trouble locating them.
A coach may request that his pitcher have an infielder move up as well if there’s a particular weakness in that player’s stance, which might compromise his defense. In rare cases, it could also be done by simply asking the opposing team’s manager to do so.
This article covers everything you need to know about holds including its definition, how it’s determined and how it can be removed from your game once you discover you have it.
