Recently, the kids and I have been playing baseball after lunch.
There are only two people on each team, unless I’m wearing the baby in the Bjorn and our 2-year old decides to be my running partner. Then it’s 2 vs. 4, but the team of 2 definitely has the advantage over the bobbling team of 4.
Within minutes of “Play ball!” there’s a player on First and a player on Second and no one to bat them home. In days gone by, we’d send the player on Second back home and create a ghost runner on Second. You, too? But this stinks because then the ghost runner gets all the thrill of rounding the bases and tagging home plate! What’s the fun of that? (Who invented ghost runners, anyway? They are the most confusing things in history. They get all tangled up in themselves and I can never keep them straight.)
SO… I thought of something to hack backyard baseball.
We put a bat at every base. Then, whoever is “up”, bats from the base he is already on. The pitcher and the outfielder simply rotate and wah-lah, the field rotates, too. The Batter swings, hits, and both players advance to the next base(s).
Here’s Kai batting from Second. See if you can follow this: if he strikes out here, it counts as an out, but he stays on base. (Lia is waiting on First base and will bat next, hopefully sending Kai to Third… or even Home!) If he begins to run to Third and a Superstar Mother with a baby-in-a-Bjorn happens to tag him out, he’s out as a runner and heads back to Home plate to try again.
(Don’t worry, you’ll totally understand what I mean once you’re out there with the kiddos.)
We simply alternate between the batters, pitching to them at whichever base they land upon. There are 3 outs and all of the other rules apply.
We think that playing with a bat at every base is just more fun, quicker, less confusing, and provides more opportunities to pitch, bat, and run!
ANNOUNCER: “AND THERE’S MALACHI STEALING HOME PLATE WHILE THE PITCHER PREPARES TO PITCH TO SECOND BASE AND THE OUTFIELDER TAKES A PHOTOGRAPH FROM THE PORCH AND SNEAKS INSIDE FOR SOME CHOCOLATE!”
Backyard baseball at its best. 🙂
