Viper Sayings & Their Meanings:

 

It’s A Team Game: It takes a team to win.  This is not an individual sport.  Play your role and do your job as it presents itself.  Players are here for “We”, not “me”.

Come Back to Wallingford: Used at Northern Exposure for the first time…outfielder playing way to deep and needs to come back to the city we are playing in.  Substitute whatever city you want for where you are playing.

Know Your Neighborhood: When you are a base runner, you always need to know where the fielders are around you.  Know where the outfielders are playing, and where the infielders are playing.  Allows for better leads and reads.

If It’s Easy Everyone Would Do It: Just a reminder that this is a hard game to play, and mistakes/ errors poor judgments happen.  Learn from them and remember you are one of a select few that chose to play this game.

Go To School On That: Notice tendencies.  If a team is playing a certain way, remember it for a future play.  From pitch sequences to a fielder who is prone to mistakes to a bunt and going 1^st to 3^rd.  Any tendency you need to take note of.

You Call It, You Own It: You call a ball, it is yours.  Do not pull up or ever call someone else.

Cash The Check: Execute the play.  Get the runners home.  Get the hit to drive it two.

Protect Your Backside Runner: Breakup the double play and go in hard and fast.  Do not give up and do not slide meekly.

We’re Live: Reminder to the fielders there is a play at first on a 3^rd strike that hits the dirt.

We Are Everywhere: We have present and former players, fans and parents everywhere.

Sell Your Bat on eBay: If you are not going to swing at strikes (and strike out looking) to get base hits or move the runners, sell your bat on eBay.  You do not need it.  Maybe someone else can use it the way it is supposed to be used.

Turn Your Shoulder: Face your shoulder to your target when you throw to make accurate throws.

1-3-7: First and Third charge the bunt, left fielder covers third.

Keep The Line Moving: Extend the inning and keep getting more batters to the plate.  Allow the lineup to keep moving that inning.

Come On Blue: A nice way to remind the umpire they may have missed a call.

Down That River: Pitchers…throw the ball between the plate and the batter’s box.  That is known as the river.  Catchers need to set up there to steal it.

Don’t Give It Away: Do not play too far back to allow a bunt to get down, but do not play all the way in either.  Play to field the hard ground ball but not in for a bunt only.

Pound It: Pitchers, throw a strike down the middle.  You are not in trouble here.

Make Me Tackle You: Runners need to be rounding third base at full speed with the intent to score on base hits.  Coaches need to tell them to stay or go.  Goes with “Know Your Neighborhood”.  Coaches, remind your baserunners they should be running so hard you should have to tackle the runner to stop them.

Roll: On an inside pitch, roll and allow it to hit you.  Get baserunners.  Also rattles the pitcher and enables bunts, slashes, hit and run.  Against good pitching in tight games, batters cannot get out of the way on inside pitches.  Get hit and go to first.  May mean the game.  We have ice in the dugout for when you score.

Get ‘Em Going: Coaches, that is the line to your players you select that day to get your team stretched and moving.  Keep the choices rotating so they all feel a part of it.

Read It: So much of this game is a read on what is happening.  Players need to see what is happening and make decisions.  The game gets too fast to coach every play.  Read the throw from the outfield to either go back or take the extra base.  Read the ground ball in front of you if you should go or not, etc.

Go Where the Ball Takes You:  Mostly for force plays, if the ball is taking you towards first base, go to first base.  If the ball is taking a shortstop toward third and there is a force or tag, go there.  Bases are too short to stop and go backwards.   Getting the lead runner is not always possible and ensuring an out (unless a do or die) is a better decision.

Love You Guys: Remind your players how much you care for them…all the time.

No Mystery: Similar to “Pound It”.  Let the world know a fastball over the plate is coming.  It is not a mystery.  Make the batter earn the base vs walking.

If She Bunts, Send A Thank you Card: Need to really balance taking away a bunt. If the best power hitter is up and gets behind in the count, she is likely not bunting.  If their best hitter is up and you will accept a bunt vs. a double or worse, let her bunt…likely doing you a favor.  Play your bunt defense accordingly and use sound judgment.

Box It Up: Look for good pitchers in hitters counts.  The more the count gets in your favor, the more selective you can be.  You have earned it.

Max Effort of 4-6 Seconds: We are asking our players to max out their effort for 4-6 seconds to make a play.  That is it.  No reason to drift, not be ready or not hustle for 4-6 seconds.  Not asking anyone to run a 5K.

Move The Chain: If you move an outfielder over, likely the other outfielders need to move too.  Very rare you only have to move one outfielder.  Think of them connected by a chain and they all move together.

Get On Top: Goes with “Be Short”, but pop ups and swinging under the ball is of no help.  Get on top means hitting the top half of the ball and put the ball in play.

Come on Irish!: Reminder to use playful nicknames.

Two Out RBI’s Are Stakes Through the Heart: Want to demoralize a team?  Get base hits with runners on and two outs.  Makes teams give up and propels your team at the same time.  Hence why tough at bats are critical,  see “Be Short” and “Get On Top”.

Be Great: Play with confidence and perform in the moment(s) that present themselves.  Comes with “Practice Scared”.

Be A Wall: Catchers, do not let anything get by you.  Block whatever you can however you can.  Pitchers do not be killing worms or throwing 33-38-41’ fastballs.

Left Foot: Lefty batter is up, adjust your defense and pitch calling accordingly.

Get Here!: Hustle and always looking for that next base.  1^st base coaches: use this to get your player down the line.  3^rd base coaches, use that to get them from 1^st to 3^rd.

Check & Go: Used for the Pitchers, 3^rd Base and SS…if a runner on third and the ball is hit to your right or at you, check the runner and go to first.  If you have to take significant steps to your left or back, “go where the ball takes you” and get the out.

Trail Runners Are Killers: This refers to the runner(s) behind the lead runners.  If, for example, an outfielder throws high or offline, the trail runners need to take that extra base.  These are killers to the other team as it removes force plays and puts runners in scoring positions.  Trail runners need to read plays and throws and take extra bases whenever and as much as possible.  A good 1^st base coach embraces the opportunity to coach trail runners.

Through The Cut: Outfielders, throw through your cut, not to or over your cut.  Let the infielders make the call on what play develops.

Swipe It: Get low and swipe the tag.  No two hands.  Do not hold it. Swipe It!  Sell it like you have made an out before and this is routine.

Winter Workouts Man: How do you make plays in the Spring and Summer?  Working hard in your winter workouts.  These are designed to get your work in and muscle memory right.

Cutlet Out: Cannot let ground balls get through the infield, especially with runners on 2^nd base.  Need to layout and dive, so that when you get up your uniform is dirty, and you look like a beaded cutlet.

Dive Back Corner: Get big leads, as big as you can and dive to the back corner if  a pickoff attempt.  If you are back standing up, you are not getting enough.  This also makes the fielder go to the furthest possible part of the base to get you.  If you are afraid to dive, you should not be playing or at the very least, running.

Be Greedy: Get as big a lead as you can.  Take every base that you can.  Score runs when they are available as you never know how many you need.  Take the strikeouts as a pitcher.  Take the extra base if it is there.  The other team will be trying too.  Do not ever be satisfied.

Yes You Can!: Remind the players they have the ability to do what you are asking.

Come Owwwnnn: Slang for Come On with a traditional baseball twang.

Come Through the Ball: Fielders cannot sit back on balls unless hit so hard there is no choice.  Whenever possible, the ball is charged, played in front of you and the following steps happen: Field, Step, Throw, Follow!

Tunnel Time: Pitchers, pitch with the confidence and flow you do in your pitching tunnel during lessons.  That is usually their most comfortable place…remind them to pitch like they are in their pitching tunnel.

Rip Open: We do not pack pedal.  We rip open and race to where we think the ball is going to drop and beat it there.

Flip It: When the fielder is close to the base where a play needs to be made, the fielder should flip it to their teammate.  Call it out, flip low, chase it and finish high!

Slap D: When you see a lefty, usually a smaller player with speed, back in the box, they will try and slap.  Play your slap defense.  Left side in, LF towards / on the line and move the chain with CF and RF.  Give up the RF line and play in LC and RC, almost CF.    2B covers the middle and 1B stays home.

Think 2 Bases: Do not ever be satisfied with one base…if you can get two, take two but you have to be thinking that way, so your running speed allows you to make quick decisions.

If You Are Not Diving Back, You Are Not Getting Enough: See above on “Dive Back Corner”.  If you can get back in standing enough, you need more.  Coaches need to harp on this all the time until it is routine.

Brooklyn: Catcher throws down to 1^st.  East Coast.

Be Short: More against fast pitchers, but simply put, long, upper cut swings do not work.  Load early, short to the ball and get on top.

Give Me 5 More Minutes: When your career ends, you would give everything for 5 more minutes to play again.

Get More: Goes with “Be Greedy”, “If You Are Not Diving Back, You Are Not Getting Enough”.  Get as big a lead as you can so you can get to the next base or score.

It’s A Simple Game: Play defense, throw strikes, hit the ball and score runs.  Most times, it is as simple as that.

Thirteen: Corners are charging on a bunt.  2B covers 1^st, SS covers 2B or 3B pending on the situation.

Get Your Name in The Paper/ Do Your Job:  Goes with getting the run home with a runner on 3^rd and < 2 outs.  Shorten up.  Make contact and get the run home.  When you get to high school, you get your name in the paper for doing just that.

Beat The Flip: Goes with “Be Greedy”, “Get More”.  Get as big a lead as possible and get to the next base fast enough so you can beat the flip from the fielder and extend the inning.

River Drill: Goes with “Get Your Name in the Paper”.  When you are up with 2 strikes and need to put the ball in play, 95% of the time the pitcher will look to put the ball down the river on the outside corner.  Choke up, move up in the box and on the plate, and put the ball in play to move the runner.  For righties it is to push the right side.   Lefties hook the ball to the right side.  Must try and hit behind the runner.

Butt Below the Ball: When bunting, have to go top down and get your butt below the ball.  Start at Vipers and work down.  If over your hands, pull back.

Watch The Rabbit To 3^rd: When a runner on 1B and the team tries to bunt, the runner will try to go 1^st to 3^rd.  Hence, “1-3-7” and 1b has to be ready to pop the throw to 3^rd.

Don’t Question the Veteran: Veteran: a person of long experience in an occupation or skill.  If the coach is telling you something, they are telling you what they have learned from their experience.  They have been through it before.  Listen & learn.

 

Bonus Sayings Not Listed:

Good Lights/ Way to Eat Your Carrots: Good eyes at the plate.

California: West coast throw to 3^rd

Bury It: Pitchers, get the ball up and in under the hands.

Can of Corn: Easy fly ball out

Practice Scared: Practice scared that you need to cover situations or plays that may come up…be scared that a play or situations comes up and you are unprepared.  Practice scared and prepare for the unexpected.  Also, scared that your competition is out working you.  This is a mindset and a controllable.