In the game of Baseball there are nine fielding positions. Each position is associated with a scorekeepers’ numerical number (from 1-9) to be used in scoring putouts. Each player has a special job associated with that position to help the team win. The game’s most important positions are the pitcher and the catcher. They are what the team revolves around and are called the “battery.” The pitcher’s position is known numerically as number (1) and the catcher’s is number (2). They control the tempo and intensity of the game. The pitcher’s job is to deliver the ball to home plate, keep the ball in the strike zone, and retire the batter by strike out, force out or fly ball. He must also field his position by catching pop flies, charging bunts, …show more content…
He controls his base and backs up the first baseman when necessary. During a bunt situation when the batter taps the ball to one side of the field, the second baseman must be aware so he can cover first base and act like the first baseman. He must also be quick, have good fielding skills and the ability to avoid base runners. The third baseman mostly stays in his corner of the field, which is called the “hot corner” because the balls come to him so fast. His responsibility is to field balls hit to the left side of the infield. He must be quick, efficient, show no fear and have a strong accurate arm to throw across the diamond to first base. Also during a bunt situation the third baseman must charge forward as fast as he can to pick up the ball and throw the runner out. Shortstop is a difficult and important defensive position. The shortstop sees the most action, has the largest ground to cover on the field, and must routinely rotate to cover second and third base and back those players up. He must act as a cut-off man for balls being hit to center or right field. He has the same basic responsibilities as the second baseman in fielding balls and turning double plays, however, he needs to have better arms, hands, and feet, be quick, have a good range, and the ability to lead the infield. Every player must have this mentality but the shortstop must be a
So now that we have learned about what we actually need to play softball let's start with the positions in softball. First there is the Pitcher that is in the middle of the field in a circle called the pitcher's mound. Second there is a Catcher behind home plate. The Catcher catches passed balls and strikes. Then there's the First Baseman, the Second Baseman, and the Third Baseman. There is a Shortstop between 2nd and 3rd and a Left Fielder in the outfield between second and third. A Center Fielder which is in the outfield behind second, the Right Fielder which is in the outfield between first and second
The game of baseball can be divided into three broad categories: hitting, pitching, and defense. No other facet of the game gets as much attention as hitting. For example, every year the MLB puts on a home run derby. No other part of the game draws as much attention. The traditional statistic that measure hitting ability is batting average (BA or AVG). To find a players batting averag...
[1] Baseball is America’s favorite pastime. When people hear the word "America," they think of apple pie, meat and potatoes, July 4th, and inevitably the everlasting love of this country, baseball. The credit is given to a man named Alexander J. Cartwright, who drew up a set of rules for a game played with a bat, a round ball, and a glove. Along with the rules came a sketching of a diamond-shaped field on which the game was to be played. The rules that Cartwright wrote up in 1845 may have very well changed somewhat, but the game of baseball has remained remarkably constant throughout history into today.
A person that would like to play professional ball will choose baseball because there is a professional big league, such as the St. Louis Cardinals, but in softball that opportunity is not available. Baseball is played on more levels than softball. It is played on the professional, international, Olympic, college, high school, and little league levels. If a player is fortunate enough to make it to the professional level, he can make millions of dollars.
The official rule is that each team manager has the ability to challenge one play a game, and if the call is overturned then the manager may challenge a second play. If the manager is unsuccessful in his challenge then he may not challenge for the rest of the game. All controversial plays after the seventh inning must go under review to ensure that the correct call was made. The only plays that can be reversed are ground rule doubles, fan interference, boundary calls, force plays except double plays, tag plays on base paths, fair/foul calls in the outfield, catch/trap calls in the outfield, whether a runner passed a preceding runner, timing plays, batter hit by pitch, and scorekeeping issues. Plays that are not allowed to be reviewed include pitches called a ball or strike, ...
The researcher has chosen to write this paper on hitting because she has played softball for twelve years and the perfect softball swing has always eluded her. The softball swing is one of the most difficult softball skills to achieve greatness in. There are a number of great hitters all with different batting stances and styles, each one comfortable to them. There are many different tactics and coaching ideas out there to help improve hitting. In fact, there are several videos now on the market to help the softball player perform better. Coaches often teach hitting drills to improve batting techniques and ability. Confidence is an important factor in hitting. If the player lacks confidence then she will not be a good hitter. Softball is not only a physical game but a mental game.
“Batter up!” the umpire yelled from behind home plate on the diamond-shaped field for the inning to begin. Adrenaline rushed through the players’ veins as the crowd cheering echoed from the bleachers to the outfield. Softball and baseball are team sports which both require an umpire and a diamond shaped field. All players are important. Most aspects of the games are the same. Each team has only nine players on the field at nine different positions. Each inning ends when there are three outs. Baseball generally consists of nine innings, whereas softball usually is played in seven innings. People think that softball is not as tough as baseball because they think that softball is a soft sport. I have been playing softball for about ten years, but prior to that I played baseball. However, the game of softball is on a whole different level. Softball plays require much more speed, and there is a greater possibility of getting injured. The game of softball is more hazardous and fast-paced than baseball.
Baseball is not a difficult game to comprehend, but it can a very long time to achieve a high level of performance. Usually one starts playing this game at a very young age and the first thing they start out with is throwing. Throwing a baseball involves exploiting all major muscle groups in the body to generate a large torque on the arm that will in turn create a high potential for speed when it is released.
Now if you're anything like me, you know that when you start a sport for the first time. You have questions like my first question, “what in the world is softball”. Well now that I am a”softball”player I can tell you all there is to know about softball. Softball is a game between two teams with two sections to the field in field and outfield. There is the pitcher, the catcher, 1st,2nd,and3rd baseman, shortstop, and left,right,and center field.
A dedicated baseball player shows up ready to play and succeed in whatever situation may arise. Baseball is a mental game, and concentration is key to keeping a player mentally prepared. Baseball is both a fast and slow sport, as it is slow between pitches, but very intense during them. During pitches, it is a players time to regroup and think of all the situations that could arise during the next pitch. During the play, everything happens fast, and there is no time to think about what to do, it is all instinct, so the ability to avoid mental errors is crucial.
The third pitch is the slider. It is similar to a curve ball but it is thrown harder. It does not move as much but it does not allow the hitter to recognize the movement.
Baseball is a unique sport in many different ways. It is the only major competitive sport that has no time limit. The success of a player is determined on how well he can play as an individual and how well the team plays along with him. There are many rules that determine the success of a player’s performance. A baseball game is played with two teams and each team is permitted 25 players per team; however this is only true for professional teams. There are three parts to baseball: offense, pitching, and defense.
As the clock struck 3:15 we began warming and limbering our muscles. I stretched my legs as far as they would go to the side and reached for the grass. I ran my fingers through the grass and counted along with the team. I felt my legs slowly begin to loosen with each stretch and sprint that we did. Following our series of warm-ups we began playing catch Pop! The sound of a ball hitting leather filled the outfield. As our coaches approached the throwing stopped and the field returned to silence, the buzz of anticipation in the air. Coach McGownd and our assistant Lori gave us a run-down of the practice plan, which included infield-outfield (IO), hitting drills, fielding drills and various base running drills. As he spoke, a few of the upperclassmen whispered back and forth amongst themselves. I caught bits and pieces of phrases like “come on it’s just the first day” and “how about no”. I stood drinking in every word and ignoring their muttered curses. I had never played softball and was determined to learn as much as I possibly could about the game. Coach McGownd asked us to go to a position we thought we might want to play. I ventured across the field and stood by first base. My parents and a few of my friends had told me that I would make a good first baseman so that seemed like the best choice to me. I had no clue how to actually play the position. My emotions ran amuck, ultimately stopping at optimistic.
The first player I am going to tell you about is considered the best hitting catcher of all time. He has three batting titles and has been to six All-Star games. His name is Joe Mauer. Mauer made his MLB debut for the Twins in 2003, but only played in three games because of a leg injury. His first really good season was in 2006, when he hit .347 with a .429 OBP and hit 13 home runs with 84 RBIs. This was his first ever batting title. In 2007, he was injured for a couple months of the season, while his average dipped to .293. He 2008, he rebounded with a .328 batting average with a .413 OBP with nine home runs and 85 RBIs. In 2009, Mauer had an incredible year. He started the year on the disabled list where he was all of April. His first game back was on May 1, and on his first swing, he hit a home run. He ended up 28 home runs and 96 RBIs that year along with an incredible .365 batting average and an amazing .444 OBP. He put up similar numbers in 2010 except that his homers decreased a little bit. In 2011 he was hurt for most of the year, which meant that his numbers went way down, but in 2012 he was back on track. In 2013, he was also hurt quite a bit, but put up quality numbers....
Every team requires one, and some say it is the hardest position on the field to play. The hind-catcher is without a doubt a necessity to every ball team’s success. This is the position who can take command of the playing field. If played well, one can have a major impact on how smoothly a team plays together and affect the outcome of the game. There are many requirements for the person who plays the role of the catcher: something as simple as being prepared to play the positon, to having the responsibility of making sure the team has a good relationship with each other. However, the most obvious requirement is the athletic ability required and being physically able to play the position. The position of catcher is not an easy position to play, but is essential to the game of baseball.