Chris Mackie – Quickball Co-Founder
Prior to stepping onto the diamond to play Quickball “Cycle,” you’ll first need to do two things. One, put on your best base running shoes and, two, carefully consider what your team’s strategy should be — at bat and in the field.
The rules for Cycle are pretty simple. Four-inning game, timed team at bats and two-way scoring. Facing a teammate or impartial pitcher throwing batting practice (“BP”) speed, batters swing for singles in the first inning, doubles in the second, triples in the third and inside-the- park home runs in the fourth.
Hit safely and you score. Make an out and the defense scores. Of course, the defense must execute a couple of key base-to-base relays in the final two innings — relaying a live ball from first base to third base in inning three, and turning a second-to-first-to-home triple play in inning four.
To learn the best ways to build team success, here is a crash course in strategy:
1st Inning
OFFENSE: Generally speaking, more offensive points are scored in the first inning than in any other inning. When at bat, a hit can produce up to two points per batter — one for being safe; and one if the hit lands beyond the outfield fence line. Each batter should work towards hitting grounders and line drives to the left side or up the middle. Long fly balls to any field can be caught (preventing a score) and grounders to the right side make it easy for the defense to throw out the runner at first base.
DEFENSE: To prevent scoring, infielders should play a drawn-in partial shift to the left side (for right-handed batters) or to the right side (for left-handed batters). The outfield should include at least two “deep” fielders (playing behind the fence line) to rob home runs. A staggered shift to the “pull side” of the batter is also a good idea. By staggered we mean that the outfielders should play at different depths to take away both the line drive and the long fly ball home run. What a defense should not do is position fielders just inside of the fence line. It is very difficult to throw out runners at first base from this distance. One final note — when hitters beat the shift, don’t continue to pursue the ball. Just let it go and get ready for the next batter.
2nd Inning
OFFENSE: As batters swing for doubles, the strategy should be to consistently drive the ball down the lines or toward the gaps in left-center and right-center. Being quick out of the box is also key as it puts pressure on the defense.
DEFENSE: Fielders should play straight-away and deep. Also, remember that a first baseman is not necessary in this inning. Position that extra fielder as needed.
3rd Inning
OFFENSE: Offensive strategy for this inning is simple. Regardless of where the ball is hit, sprint full-speed out of the box.Proper turns rounding first and second base are also essential. A triple is one of the rarest hits in baseball and it’s equally difficult in Quickball if you fail to hustle. Speed is crucial in this round. One other tip is to hit the ball to the left side if possible — ideally, down the left field line. This creates a longer relay throw to first base for the defense (which is required in this inning.)
DEFENSE: Guard the lines and put your strongest arms in left and left-center field. Well- executed relays gain in importance during this inning. Position your outfield deep and designate who is handling your cutoffs before the inning starts.Also, make sure someone backs up first base. Many times throws to first base will sail over the head of the first baseman. If no one is there to back him or her up, the defense loses valuable seconds pursuing the ball.
4th Inning
OFFENSE: Power and hustle shine for the offense in this inning. The longer the hit and the quicker the batter circles the bases, the more likely he or she is to score. At the plate, the batter should be trying to drive the ball deep to push the defense back. But even on a slow roller to the infield, an immediate takeoff upon contact can produce success. Hits down either baseline are also effective.
DEFENSE: On defense, the alignment should be straight up with an accent on playing deep. Backups and cutoffs are once again key since plenty can go wrong when rushing to turn a double play. Also, remember that the triple play sequence must be from second-to-first-to-home. A fielder not in that sequence should back up home plate in case the relay throw to the plate misses the target.
Follow each of these tips and a Quickball Cycle championship will be in your future!
