Baseball Basics: Fielding Positions
As simple as it might seem to the naked eye, baseball is a very technical game in actuality. It is not only about pitchers throwing pitches and batters scoring runs only. There are logistics behind every play and every move is technical in nature.
A batter alone might not be valuable to the structure of the team unless his defensive abilities in the field at least match his offensive approach on the plate. This blend of two completely diverse approaches is what makes baseball as interesting as it
is.
The starting line-up for each team is comprised of nine players, eight of whom are everyday players and the ninth is the starting pitcher who usually plays once a week. Every team has a pitching rotation and every pitcher in the rotation is tactically allotted
games.
The fielders play a very important part in determining the fate of the team. The eight fielders are disbursed around the field with three players patrolling the outfield while the remaining five guarding the infield.
The infield has four bases with a player on each base and a defensive player between the second base and the third base commonly known as shortstop.
Home base is guarded by the catcher who is positioned right behind the home plate. He is usually a tactfully sound player who guides the pitcher as to which deliveries to throw and catches the pitches which the batter is unable to hit. The catcher also comes
into play when the runner is about to reach home base after circling all other bases and needs to be tagged out before he completes his run. He is usually padded up with face protection as well given his sensitive positioning.
Adjacent to the catcher is the Home Plate Umpire who is responsible of monitoring and deciding whether the pitch is a strike or a ball.
Protecting the first base is the first baseman who is a defensive fielder positioned on or near the first base bag. Accompanying him at this position are First Base Coach and First Base Umpire. The First Base Coach is a team member in uniform whose chief
responsibility is to guide the base runners stationed at first base. The Umpire at first base is mainly responsible to declare a runner safe or out at first base. He is also liable to declare a hit fair or foul along the right field line and making deferred
strike-out calls in case of a right-handed batter.
The second baseman is stationed near the second base bag, 90 feet away from the first base. The second base Umpire is responsible for calling plays at second base.
The third baseman covers the third base bag and is usually the best fielder in the team because of the immense workload required on that position. He is accompanied by Third Base Umpire and Third Base Coach who have the same responsibilities as the First
Base Umpire and First Base Coach. The Third Base Umpire is responsible for the left field and deferred strike-out calls for left-handed batters.
Strategically positioned between the second baseman and third baseman is the shortstop who aims at protecting runs through that area. Most batters in baseball are right-handed and naturally pull the ball, hence the importance of this position.
The centre fielder is usually the fastest of the three outfielders as he covers the most area. The left fielder is a defensive outfielder who guards the left field which is the farthest from the home base. The right fielder is dwelled in the right field
and is responsible for guarding the right outfield.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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