# Baseball Tricks, umm, BobT?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-tricks-umm-bobt/63778>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 30, 2001, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-tricks-umm-bobt/63778 "2001-04-30T00:40:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\
**Post date:** [March 12, 2003, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-tricks-umm-bobt/63778/21 "2003-03-12T08:00:04Z")

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The base coach can tell the runner anything he wants to. His only restriction is that he can’t touch the runner.

About the only job the first base coach has is to yell “BACK!” on pickoff throws.

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**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\
**Post date:** [March 12, 2003, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-tricks-umm-bobt/63778/22 "2003-03-12T11:08:27Z")

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Dry–it was the Angels, who were fooled twice in a month by the Red Sox’ Marty Barrett in (I’m guessing here) July of '86 (maybe '85)–I saw one of these, at Fenway in an afternoon game.

Actuallly, I didn’t see it, of course. That’s the beauty of the HBT—no one actuallly sees it, you just say “What the hell!?” and try to figure out why the runner is leaving the field and another out is recorded.

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**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\
**Post date:** [March 12, 2003, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-tricks-umm-bobt/63778/23 "2003-03-12T11:35:35Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Dread Pirate Jimbo \*  
> **…the first baseman fakes missing the throw entirely and starts after the phantom overthrow. When the runner bites and takes off for second, he is promptly tagged out or run down.**

The Dodgers got us on this one in LA… mid-80s, I’m guessing. Brett Butler stole second, the SS covering looked helplessly at center field. Butler looked for the ball, back at the SS, and took off, when he he promptly tagged by the SS. Great centerfield shot of Butler laughing like a goofball.

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