A base coach is a very important part of an offensive effort in baseball. The base coaches guide even the most knowledgeable base runners around the bases, especially in a high-pressure situation.

This article presents some of the basic responsibilities of a base coach. Actually, the base coachs job starts right from the time when he first enters the ballpark.

Following are a few such duties of the base coach:

He has to scout the park. That is, he is required to observe the quirks of an unfamiliar ball park. The size of foul territory, distance from the plate to the backstop, the condition of the outfield surface and warning track, the height of the grass, the direction of the wind, and the amount of glare from the sun should be analyzed well.

He should study the other team's tendencies and capabilities during the opponents pre-game infield. For instance, analyze the strength of outfielders and catchers throwing arms, the fielders position in the field, and the ways in which they adjust their position for each batter or pitch.

Also, analyze the opposing pitcher's pick-off moves. For instance, note if his body mechanics telegraph his throws to the base. Try to time his delivery to the plate with a stopwatch.

Now, if a pitcher takes more than 1.5 seconds to deliver a pitch from the stretch position, it becomes quite guaranteed that the base runners will gain an advantage in stealing second base.

It is also important to notice if the opposing pitcher employs a slide step to the plate.

Also, take a note of the pitchers grip and the angle of his arm, wrist, and glove during his wind-up.

Now, your duty is to let your base runners know all this information collected by you. This will not only help the players but will also help you to recall these same factors in pressure situations and make split second decisions.

Last but not the least; try to steal the opposing bench coachs signs when he is calling pitches. However, do not convey the pitches to the batter. If, by mistake, you go wrong in reading the signs, your batter can suffer a lot.

To conclude, by predicting pitch selection, base coaches can formulate an offensive strategy and anticipate the defense's reactions.