Baseball offence continues once a player reaches base. Outs, score, the batted ball and defensive ability all influence whether to advance. Good running includes quick starts and knowing when to stop. Shift attention away from the batter occasionally to see the information runners gather between pitches and during a developing play.
A lead contains both opportunity and danger
Moving away from a base reduces the distance to the next one but exposes the runner to a pickoff attempt. The runner must remain able to return while reading the pitcher's intentions. The base and the pitcher's actions affect that reading, so a larger lead is not automatically a better one.
Read the kind of batted ball
Ground balls, line drives and fly balls create different obligations and risks. The possibility of a catch can require a runner to wait or prepare to return rather than sprint immediately. What looks like hesitation may be a deliberate attempt to avoid giving the defence an additional out.
Judge the advance within the inning
Trying to move from first to third or score from third requires an assessment of the outfielder and throwing distance. Two outs may create a different calculation from none. Compare the benefit of the extra base with the cost of losing a remaining offensive opportunity, rather than celebrating every aggressive attempt equally.
