i know jack about baseball, so i've got a few questions:

what makes an outfielder, above average? is there an attribute or statistic that measures this? is it making the fewest dropped balls? is it speed? or is it more intuitive? like, don't hit it to so and so, because he'll snag all the pop ups.

also how are basemen usually chosen? it seems pretty random to me. like are there particular skills that each base requires?

For outfielders, each spot out there is different but the two main attributes for defense are range and arm. Range is the amount of ground that can be covered. If you have outfielders with good range, they can cut off balls hit to the gaps to hold them to singles and get to more balls in general to catch them on the fly and record outs.

Guys with great arms discourage baserunners from going after extra bases. If a ball's hit to Vlad Guerrerro, who has a great arm, most average baserunners won't try and stretch a borderline hit into a double or try and tag and take home on anything but the deepest of fly balls because there's a good chance they might get gunned down at the plate.

Ususally the best defenders play centerfield, and those are the guys who make the real spectacular diving and leaping catches. Think Torii Hunter, Jim Edmonds, etc. Ken Griffey back in his prime was famous for climbing the outfield walls and snatching back home runs.

Instincts and solid fundamentals play an important role as well. As pretty as the spectacular plays look, some of the best outfielders never make them because they position themselves so well before the pitch is even thrown and have the instincts to get good jumps on where the ball will be on first contact.

Also of note is the fact that a player usually needs to have a better bat to get regular Major League playing time at one of the corner outfield spots than in center because the defensive contributions aren't as important. You need a much better bat to make it as a right or left fielder than as a center fielder.

As for the infield, the best defender is usually at Shortstop. Range, again, is very important here. If you have a great defensive shortstop, he can single handedly make your team's era look real good by getting to more balls before they make it out of the infield.

Third base is usually reserved for a guy with a strong arm who has good, quick reflexes. It is commonly referred to as the "Hot Corner" because right handed hitters often turn on fastballs quick and drill them toward third, where the third baseman needs to cut them off quick before they can make it into an outfield corner where they often go for extra bases. They need a strong arm to make the long throw to first in time to get the out.

Second Baseman are often failed shortstops. They need to be able to cover almost as much ground as shortstops but not as many balls are hit that way so it's not considered "quite" as important a position. They don't need as good of an arm to make the shorter throw to first.

First basemen are usually sluggers, and often aren't great fielders. There aren't that many hitters who really can turn on a ball and send it down the first base line. They tend to be big targets since they take so many throws at first base and their bats usually are good enough to make up for any deficiencies in the field.

Why is it that most teams SS or 3rd Basemen are usually big HR hitters?

Also of note is the fact that a player usually needs to have a better bat to get regular Major League playing time at one of the corner outfield spots than in center because the defensive contributions aren't as important. You need a much better bat to make it as a right or left fielder than as a center fielder.


Wow...that pretty much sums up Manny Ramierez. What a defensive liabilty.

Why is it that most teams SS or 3rd Basemen are usually big HR hitters?

The Shortstops as power hitters is more of a recent trend. it never used to be that way as much, and I think you'd be surprised at how many shortstops aren't big power hitters. For every Miguel Tejada, there's a couple of Alex Gonzalezes, Jack Wilsons, Jimmy Rollins, and Rafael Furcals. What it really comes down to is that the best pure athletes tend to become shortstops because it's such a difficult position to play. This thus translates to more power hitters and better hitters overall playing short.

As for third base, you don't have to cover as much ground as short or second so bigger, bulkier players often end up there, and they're the types that will hit alot of homers. It's just another spot where a team can manage to get alot of power into the lineup without sacrificing too much on the defensive end.

Baseball positional setting in general has a lot of ying/yang between offense and defense to it. Every team would love to send out a lineup with 9 David Ortiz clones on it, but as many runs as such a team could score, they'd give up a dozen more with all the hits allowed in the field. Thus a GM/Manager must try and find the proper balance between offense and defense in the field. Thus the real powerful guys who usually aren't too adept in the field tend to end up in the positions where they can hurt you the least, namely first, third, right and left.

Also of note is the fact that a player usually needs to have a better bat to get regular Major League playing time at one of the corner outfield spots than in center because the defensive contributions aren't as important. You need a much better bat to make it as a right or left fielder than as a center fielder.


Wow...that pretty much sums up Manny Ramierez. What a defensive liabilty.

Yeah, they're pretty well stuck, because David Ortiz is even worse in the field so they can't stick manny at DH without losing Ortiz's bat.

Why are hitting a fastball down the third baseline or hitting a pitch down the first baseline both considered "turning on the ball" (for the same handed batter)? Is it only when you hit a ball up the middle that you didn't "turn on the ball"?

I mean, for a right hander I can understand a hit down 3rd as "turning" as you've gotta get the bat around more. Why isn't hitting it down first considered "not turning"?

Why are hitting a fastball down the third baseline or hitting a pitch down the first baseline both considered "turning on the ball" (for the same handed batter)? Is it only when you hit a ball up the middle that you didn't "turn on the ball"?

I mean, for a right hander I can understand a hit down 3rd as "turning" as you've gotta get the bat around more. Why isn't hitting it down first considered "not turning"?
I don't know. I always thought Lefties "turned on" a ball and hit it down the first base line and Righties "turned on" balls and hit them down third.

There are alot of bad announcers who say things wrong, so alot of the specifics have gotten muddled up.

I mean, for a right hander I can understand a hit down 3rd as "turning" as you've gotta get the bat around more. Why isn't hitting it down first considered "not turning"?

I could be wrong (correct me if I am), as I don't know for sure, but if you're right handed and hit it down first, you're not turning your hips through nearly as much, and therefore not "turning" on it.

That's what I'm saying e-ray, it seems like it shouldn't be "turning on the ball".


It is commonly referred to as the "Hot Corner" because right handed hitters often turn on fastballs quick and drill them toward third,

First basemen are usually sluggers, and often aren't great fielders. There aren't that many hitters who really can turn on a ball and send it down the first base line.

Vinny,
So then here you are talking about right handers and then lefties?

That's what I'm saying e-ray, it seems like it shouldn't be "turning on the ball".


It is commonly referred to as the "Hot Corner" because right handed hitters often turn on fastballs quick and drill them toward third,

First basemen are usually sluggers, and often aren't great fielders. There aren't that many hitters who really can turn on a ball and send it down the first base line.

Vinny,
So then here you are talking about right handers and then lefties?

Yeah. There aren't as many left handed hitters in general and so there aren't that as many hitters who can "turn on" a ball and send it down the first baseline. Thus first base isn't as important a defensive position because there aren't as many tough plays to make.

Oh, I guess I misread your post, Fool. I thought you were wondering why they didn't call hitting it down first turning it. But since that's not what you were saying, I'm in the same boat as you. I don't know, I haven't read Vinny's post above, and I will after I click submit.

When a hitter "turns on" a ball, they are able to really extend their arms and get all their power on the swing. Thus it usually comes off like a rocket. When a right handed hitter hits the ball toward third, it's often hit real hard. When a right handed hitter hits the ball toward first, he's not able to get as much of a full swing behind it. The opposite's true for left-handed hitters.

And what are the different type of double and triple plays?

Like a 643 and stuff like that.

And what are the different type of double and triple plays?

Like a 643 and stuff like that.

The positions all have numbers (like how the PG position is 1 in basketball)

Heres a listing. http://r-mw.com/baseball/images/numbers.gif
So a 6-4-3 double play would mean the ball is hit (not on the fly) to the shortstop (6), who tosses it to the second baseman (4) who steps on the bag and throws it over to first (3). The 6-4-3 is the classic double play.

wow, great questions guys. lots of stuff i've always wondered about.

What's the difference between a 2-seam fastball and a 4-seam fastball?

http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/sports/1283281.html?page=3&c=y

4-Seamer
http://media.popularmechanics.com/images/tb_4seamer.jpg
The 4-seam fastball is the king of the power pitches, and can be delivered with the most accuracy. The grip side view shows how shallow the ball lies in the hand. The ball is held on the wide seams and is thrown over the top. As the ball is released, the fingertips impart straight backspin, with all four seams rotating. This produces a true pitch from the mound to the plate, so there is very little lateral movement.

2-Seamerhttp://media.popularmechanics.com/images/tb_2seamer.jpg
The 2-seam fastball is gripped with the fingers on the narrow seams. As with the 4-seamer, you don't want the ball too deep in the hand, a deeper grip effectuating more pull and backspin. Fingertip pressure with either the middle or index finger against the seam generates sidespin, which causes the ball to drop as it nears the plate. This late movement is called a sinking or tailing fastball. Hurled by a lefty, the ball will move down and away from a righthand hitter. Thrown by a righthand pitcher, the ball will move down and away from a lefthand hitter. Whereas the 4-seam fastball is favored by power pitchers, the 2-seamer is used more by ground-ball pitchers.

The Cutter
The cut fastball, or cutter, is thrown using either of the above grips. The key is to keep your hand behind the ball as long as possible and let the grip pressure in the middle finger give it the sidespin or cut. The cutter will move in or out a few inches--like a tight slider--as it nears the plate, but it won't drop like the sinking fastball.

Dry Spitter
http://media.popularmechanics.com/images/tb_spitter.jpg
The dry spitter is thrown with your fingers on the hide as opposed to the seams of the baseball. Before the spitter was made illegal, hurlers would put saliva on the ball to reduce friction, and it would sort of squirt out of their hand like a pingpong ball. These days, the pitcher can have a little coating of mound dirt on his fingers. This also reduces friction. The ball comes out with virtually no spin and will sink as it reaches the plate.

Split-Finger
http://media.popularmechanics.com/images/tb_split.jpg
The split-finger fastball is released with relatively little spin. The ball has a tumbling rotation and a late downward movement--similar to the dry spitter. You can change the velocity of the split-finger pitch by varying the position and pressure of your fingers on the ball.

The fastball is the only pitch you can throw to all four quadrants of the strike zone, and it's not used nearly enough today. Look at a pitcher's best games, and I'll bet you'll see a high percentage of fastballs and good control. That's why David Wells has been so successful. He favors his fastball, and throws most of them for strikes. His stuff is consistent, start to start, and he has very few arm problems. He trusts his fastball. To be successful, all pitchers, like Wells, need to trust their fastball and say, here it is, hit it if you can!

BWT, if anyone was wondering (like me for a while) what the difference between a curve ball and s slider is, the Curve has a downword action on it. The slider moves side to side. Just to clear that up [smilie=antlers.gif]

Rule 5?

Rule 5?

If anyone still has access to the old posts, I wrote a long spiel on this a while ago. If not I'll try and do it later this afternoon.

Re: What makes a great outfielder. Arm range is extremely important, but so is gauging the ball. The best outfielders can read the ball coming off the bat well before it's flight crosses the basepaths. The allows them to get a solid "jump" on the ball, turning what could have been a gap double into a diving out.

I was watching a game the other day, and a mid-inning double switch moved the CF to LF. The batter came in quick on a curve and drove a shot in that direction. The outfielder, not in his normal position, couldn't make an early enough read and dove for a ball he should have let drop. Turned out to be a huge inning. I believ it was the second game of the Dodgers/Phillies doubleheader.

Also, keep in mind that scouting plays a huge part in OF positioning... i.e., the Bonds shift, with the LF in LCF, and the shortstop literally on top of second base.

I thought we had a thread for questions about baseball, but I cant find it.


But when a relief pitcher comes into the game and they show all his stats, what does the hold stat mean?

I know it's referring to holds for a closer in order for the closer to get the save, but I don't know the official requirements for a hold. As in say, it's 5-2, we bring in Rodney for the 8th. He gets the job done and we're still ahead for Jones, he gets the hold. I think that's how it works...

What is the purpose of fielder's choice? I hate that rule. Just give them the hit.

You serious, Arch? If someone grounds into a force out, you give that person a hit? That'd be dumb.

Ticket Question:

Can you buy tickets for a game other than that day's game at the stadium? I'd rather not pay the ticket master fee since I can easily drive by the stadium.

I think you can.

I know you can order them online and leave them at willcall, no extra charge.

Why are lefty hitters bad against left pitchers, but righties are just fine with righty pitchers?

I think it has something to do with the angle they see the ball at, or something.....Vinny?

I think the concept's pretty much the same for lefty-lefty and righty-righty. It's harder to pick up the ball at the release point when the pitcher is same-sided as you are. Also, breaking balls work in the opposite direction, when you think about it, so that makes a big difference.

The reason it's not so pronounced of a problem and it's not talked about so much is that righties see righties so much more often that they get used to it. The pitcher's advantage is mitigated.

Funny, when I used to play, I always felt more confertable vs a righty than a lefty.

What the fuck is up with Andruw Jones swing?

Vinny - you must have played college ball somewhere, because you have a pretty firm grasp on the intriciacies of the game.

Arch - where you serious on these questions? Because outside of this thread, you know your shit about baseball.

Fucked up. During a game, i'll see something and think to ask about it, then i'll compleatly forget.

sorry for the elementary question, but what's purpose of a "set up" pitcher?

I'll say the obvious answer (to me anyway) and let Vinny come up with something more intricate. Set-up guys are usually the next best relief pitcher to your closer, for your tight spots where your starter's thrown too many and it's not yet your typical one-inning save situation that closers have grown accustomed to, therefore the set-up man was born.

That's just my view anywho.

What happens if there are no runners on base when a balk is called? Does the batter go to 1st? Or does it not matter since there are no runners on base?

What happens if there are no runners on base when a balk is called? Does the batter go to 1st? Or does it not matter since there are no runners on base?

I think the runner gets first, but I very well may be wrong.

A balk can't be called with no runners on because in the definition of a balk is that it is done in an attempt to deceive the runners. No runners, no deception.

A balk can't be called with no runners on because in the definition of a balk is that it is done in an attempt to deceive the runners. No runners, no deception.
Yes, but if a pitcher makes a deceptive motion towards homeplate to throw off the batter's timing, can he be warned?

I read something once about once you start your motion, regardless of baserunner situation, you MUST follow through.

I think it's called a ball if you do that.