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Step 1
A right-handed pitcher needs to open up his body and peer over his left shoulder so he can see the runner and the first baseman. The move to first base must be quick and decisive. A pitcher has to follow the rules when going after the base runner. The right-handed pitcher's left leg can't cross an imaginary 45-degree line between first and home when going after the runner. If his left leg goes more towards home than it does first and he throws to first, that is a balk and the runner gets awarded second base. A balk is also called if his leg goes more towards first base but he throws the ball home. Right-handed pitchers with strong moves usually take a quick look at the runner at first, look toward home and then step and throw to first base. A ball that is delivered to the inside part of the bag has the best chance of getting the runner before he gets back to the bag.
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Step 2
A left-handed pitcher has a much bigger advantage than his right-handed counterpart because he is looking at the runner before the pitch. He does not have to peer over his shoulder in order to get a look at what's going on. He can tell if the runner's lead is too long or even if he is leaning toward second base. The left-hander should use deception to his advantage. While his right leg can't cross the imaginary 45-degree line when he is throwing to first, he can make his throw over while looking at home plate. This has been the move of choice for left-handed pitchers for years, as they throw accurately and quickly to first while looking at home, which causes caution to the base runner.
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Step 3
Stepping off the mound allows the pitcher to get off a snap throw without moving his feet. Once the pitcher takes his back foot off the mound, he is no longer in a position to legally throw a pitch. As a result, he can now throw over to first any way he chooses. If the pitcher notices that the runner on first is intently staring at his feet, stepping off the mound can momentarily fool the runner and paralyze him into holding his position. If the pitcher immediately snaps off a throw to first, he has picked off the hesitant runner and sent him back to the dugout.
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Step 4
A strong-armed catcher can fire a quick throw to first and catch a runner napping. If the pitcher throws home, a good base runner usually adds to his lead. If a right-handed batter is at the plate and the pitch is on the outside half of the plate, the catcher can usually get rid of the ball quickly and fire it to first base. This quick throw can result in an out if the first baseman can catch it and apply a quick tag on the base runner.
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Step 5
Use videotape to study the baserunning tendencies of your opponents. While the base runner is going to spend most of his time studying your move to first, you can tell from videotape if he has any "tells" when he is about to steal. Some runners tend to go on the first pitch of a sequence to the batter, while others will go on the second pitch. They might dangle their fingers before taking off or they might get a few inches lower in their stance. These are all tells that the pitcher can use to fire a strike over to first when trying to pick off the runner.
