Coach Lessmann is a member of the Association of Coaches Hall of Hame and the Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame. He played in the Yankee organization, and worked as a scout for the Cincinnati Reds for nine seasons. He also coached Meramec Community College for 27 years, once winning the Junior College National Title.
One of the fallacies in Little League baseball is that a right-handed pitcher must step off the rubber before he throws to first base. The rule book is clear: you may just pivot on the rubber, and throw.
When you turn, rather than striding out, keep your feet as close together as possible. The key is quickness.
Keep it short, like a football quarterback throwing a short pass or a catcher throwing to second. On the turn, keep your hands together and throw right out of the glove.
The rules say that "the pitcher must step directly and gain ground toward a base in an attempt to pick off a runner. 'Directly' is interpreted to mean 'within a 45 degree angle measuring from the pivot foot toward the base the pitcher is throwing toward.'"
In fact, years ago they had a "45 degree line" for left-handers. They couldn't enforce it, though, and eventually they took it out. Now it's up to the umpire's discretion.
Mix your moves to first base. One of the worst moves is to look home, and then throw to first; everybody in the park knows that's coming. Give the runner that move the first time; then look to first, look home, and throw back to first.
You can freeze a runner by varying the length of the time you look at him during the leg kick and subsequent throw. You might nail him by looking at him eyeball to eyeball throughout your delivery, turn to home plate, and then throw to first.
Left-handers can set a runner up by giving him one or two really bad moves, and then following with a good one.
Learn to use your head and eyes to your advantage. Don't look away from the runner; look directly at him for as long as you can.
The first time around, let the runner see your bad move: throw over with a slow motion, using a full circle over the top. Then -- when you decide to get him -- start your delivery but stop your arm motion at 6 o'clock (at the bottom), and just flip the ball out of your hip pocket. Open up your hip and throw with a quick, sidearm motion.
To practice, get a tennis ball or rubber ball and pick a target on the basement wall. Start with 15 moves. Make several bad moves in a row, and several good ones. Then mix it up. I remember doing it myself as young as 11 or 12 years old. I'd work on setting the hitter up.
For left-handers, especially, it's amazingly effective. Picking off a couple of runners in strategic spots will end up winning you some ballgames.
I remember in 1955 I pitched a no-hitter in a professional game. I picked three runners off first base, and that made a huge difference. That's three extra batters I didn't have to pitch to.
Get together ahead of time with your first baseman, or else you might end up picking him off along with the runner, and you'll wind up fishing the ball out of the bullpen.
It happens, particularly at the Little League level. You get a 10-year-old pitcher who's way ahead of everybody else and he's continuously throwing the ball by the first baseman.
Get together with the first baseman before the game starts. Or, during
practice, go off to the side and practice with him for two or three minutes
just running through things three or four times so you're both used to it.
Make a game of it. Pretend that every time a runner gets on first, you
throw over and pick him off.
Part 12: Fielding: Infield Grounders and Flies
Part 11: Situation Hitting
Part 10: Improving Your Fastball, Curve, Slider, and Changeup
Part 9: Hitting the Off-Speed Pitch
Part 8: The Sacrifice Bunt and Drag Bunt
Part 7: Pickoff Moves For Righthanders and Lefthanders
Part 6: Injury Zones
Part 5: The Pitching Windup
Part 4: Lower-Half Hitting
Part 3: Hitting Preparation and Stance
Part 2: Pitching Follow-Through
Part 1: Pitching - Stretching & Pre-Game Preparations