DJ's Baseball Blog

Right field is the best position on the baseball field.  The right fielder has one of the strongest arms on the team.   That strong arm combined with smart play can stop rallies. Right fielders also tend to hit for power, which gives them another way to affect a game.  One aspect to right fielders that is often overlooked is their responsibilities for backing up throws.

A right fielder needs a strong arm.  Some of the longest throws are from the right field corner to third base and from the right-center field wall to home plate.  Having a reputation for a strong arm will keep runners from taking an extra base.

A right fielder that has a strong arm and is good at getting to the ball can stop rallies before they begin.  Getting to the ball quickly will prevent a runner from going first to third on a base hit.  If the runner does go, a strong throw will get him out at third.  In one case, there are runners at first and second and the double play is still possible.  In the other case, there is one more out and just a runner at second.  Without a good right fielder, there are probably runners at second and third.

Right fielders also tend to hit for power.  They hit home runs and drive in a lot of runs.  This takes pressure off of the pitchers and the defense.

Another very important job for the right fielder is backing up throws.  Any throw from in front of the pitcher to the first baseman is backed up by the right fielder.  Also, any throw from third base or shortstop to second base is backed up by the right fielder.  If any of these throws gets by the fielder, the right fielder gets to it and prevents the runners from taking extra bases.

So there you have it. Right field is the best position to play. Right fielders put an end to the opponent’s rallies and produce rallies for their own team.  They also back up certain throws and limit the damage of errant throws.

If you are a right fielder, you are in company with baseball greats such as: Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Roger Maris, Roberto Clemente, Tony Gwynn, Reggie Jackson, Frank Robinson, Ichiro Suzuki, Cory Hart, and Justin Upton.  There are four right fielders in the top 13 all time home run leaders.  It was a right fielder that held the single season home run mark from 1919 until 1998.  An impressive feat, indeed!

This is part of a series of articles explaining why each position on the baseball field is the best. This series is aimed towards coaches at all levels. It is my belief that every position is important, and they each need players with different strengths.

Left field is the best position on the baseball field. Since most hitters are right handed, and the best hitters pull the ball, the best hitters hit the ball to left field most often. Left fielders are counted on to be solid fielders, keeping runners from taking extra bases. At the plate, they are generally fast and are powerful hitters.

More than half of Major League hitters are right handed. A good hitter will pull the ball more often, which will give the left fielder more chances to field the ball with all of those right handed hitters. Also, those hits will generally be hit harder, making it that much more important to have a good fielder in left field.

A good left fielder will get to the ball quickly and get it back to the infield before the runners can take extra bases. A left fielder with good range will rob hitters of base hits by getting to more fly balls and catching them for outs. It is also the left fielder’s job to get back up many throws to third base, which can keep runners from scoring on errant throws.

Many times, a left fielder’s bat is just as important as their glove. They tend to have a good mix of speed and power. Their speed helps them get on base more often, and also allows them to steal bases. Their power helps them drive in runs.

In short, left field is the best position because of all of the action. More balls will be hit to left field, because the majority of hitters are right handed. Whether it is racing to catch a fly ball, cutting the ball off and holding the runner at first base, or backing up a play at third base and saving a run, left field provides plenty of excitement.

Some of the best left fielders of different eras are: Ted Williams, Ralph Kiner, Carl Yestremski, Lou Brock, Willie Stargell, Rickey Henderson, and Ryan Braun. Ted Williams is considered by many to be the best hitter of all time. Ralph Kiner hit 40 or more home runs 5 times. Carl Yestremski was the last to lead the league in average, home runs and RBIs in the same season. Willie Stargell hit 475 home runs. Lou Brock held the Major League record for stolen bases in a season and in a career, until Rickey Henderson broke them. And Ryan Braun is one of the best young hitters, batting over .300 and hitting 128 home runs in his first four seasons.

This is part of a series of articles explaining why each position on the baseball field is the best. This series is aimed towards coaches at all levels. It is my belief that every position is important, and they each need players with different strengths. It is my hope that coaches can use this series to help inspire a love for the game of baseball.

The closing pitcher is the best position on the baseball field. The closer is the one who gets called at the end of a game to finish it. They come in when the game is close and make sure that the lead is not surrendered. It is a position that includes high pressure, but also high prestige.

No matter how good the starting pitcher is, if they don’t pitch a complete game, somebody needs to come in and pitch the last inning or two. This is where the closing pitcher comes in. The closer specializes in pitching one or two innings effectively and often. They can usually pitch two or three days in a row, as opposed to starting pitchers, who usually pitch every fifth day.

The closing pitcher comes in late in the game when the game is close. Their team will have a slim lead that the closer needs to maintain. The rest of the pitchers got the team to this point, now the closer is called on to shut the other team down. A good closer will keep the lead and earn a save.

This is not a position for the light of heart. There is a lot of pressure involved in a save situation. In order to qualify for a save, the pitcher must come in when either a) the pitcher has no more than a 3 run lead and pitches at least 1 inning, or b) the pitcher comes in when the potential tying run is either on base, at bat, or on deck. There is no room for error. One bad inning by a closer usually means a loss for his team. Unlike a starter, there is not much time, if any at all, for the team to come back.

With this pressure comes prestige. A good closer is valued by his team. In the Major Leagues, a closer has been the MVP four times, League Championship Series MVP three times, and World Series MVP 3 times.

Some of the best closing pitchers from different eras are: Rollie Fingers, Bruce Sutter, Dennis Eckersly, Eric Gagne, and Trevor Hoffman. All of these pitchers, and many more, were essential to their teams’ success.

This is part of a series of articles explaining why each position on the baseball field is the best. This series is aimed towards coaches at all levels. It is my belief that every position is important, and they each need players with different strengths. It is my hope that coaches can use this series to help inspire a love for the game of baseball.

The starting pitcher is the best position on the baseball field. Without the starting pitcher, the game could not be played. The starter sets the tone for the whole game. And no other player can affect the outcome of the game more often than the starting pitcher.

The game begins with the first pitch. That can amount to quite a bit of pressure. The starting pitcher needs to not only handle that pressure, but thrive on it. All eyes are on the pitcher at the start of every play. And with that first pitch, the pitcher can assert his dominance. Which brings me to my next point.

The starting pitcher sets the tone for both teams. A dominant first inning can deflate the opponent and energize the pitcher’s team. When the pitcher’s teammates know that they do not need to score many runs to win, there is less pressure on them. A relaxed hitter is a successful hitter. The opponents, on the other hand, will feel more pressure as the game goes on. A bad first inning will have the opposite effect, with the opponents being more relaxed.

As much as the first inning sets the tone of the game, there is more that the starting pitcher does that affects the outcome of the game. One bad inning can spell doom for the team. It can wipe out a lead or the opponent’s lead to a seemingly insurmountable lead. It does not take much to swing the momentum.

A dominant performance by the starting pitcher will make it very difficult for the opponent to score any runs, much less score enough to win. The longer the starter pitches well, the better the chance that his team will win. This is why the starter usually gets the win or loss. It is also why a starter needs to pitch at least 5 innings in order to get the win.

A good starting pitcher will pitch deep into games. This helps the team win more than just these games. As the starter pitches more innings, the bullpen pitches less innings. And a rested bullpen is more effective. If the starter is getting roughed up early and the bullpen needs to pitch more innings, then the bullpen will be less effective in the coming games.

So there you have it. The starting pitcher is the best position to play. That is where the game, and every play after that, starts. The starter is the one who has the most impact on the team’s wins and losses.

Some of the best pitchers from different eras are: Cy Young, Warren Spahn, Nolan Ryan, Curt Shilling, and Roy Halladay. All but Shilling and Hallady have at least 300 wins, with Cy Young topping the list at 511. It is no wonder that the most prestigious pitching award is called the Cy Young Award. Shilling finished with 216 wins (82^nd all time). Halladay is entering his 14^th season with 169 wins. All of these pitchers, and many more, were essential to their teams’ success.

This is part of a series of articles explaining why each position on the baseball field is the best. This series is aimed towards coaches at all levels. It is my belief that every position is important, and they each need players with different strengths.