Baseball Positions: Right Fielder Is The Best

By David J Weller

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. It is my hope that coaches can use this series to help inspire a love for the game of baseball.

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Baseball Positions: Center Fielder Is The Best

By David J Weller

Center field is the best position on the baseball field. They cover the most ground. To do that, the center fielder needs a lot of speed. This speed translates very well to offense. The center fielder is also the captain of the outfielders.

Center fielders cover a lot of ground. They must patrol center field and both the left-center field and right-center field gaps. They need to get a good jump on the ball off the bat in order to cover that much ground. Good ones will turn singles into outs and extra-base hits into singles.

A center fielder's speed is crucial. It can mean the difference between a great play and a ball in the gap. They don't just use their speed on defense either. On offense, speed can help beat out a ground ball, take an extra base, or steal a base. All of these things lead to more runs scoring.

On top of their speed and quickness, a center fielder needs a good throwing arm. They will often be making throws from the gaps to home plate. These are some of the longer throws on the field. Because of the combination of speed and strong arm, young center fielders tend to be among the best athletes on their team.

Center fielders also need to be smart. They are the captains of the outfield. They help position the other outfielders and communicate with them to avoid collisions. On a fly ball, if they call for it, it is their ball. Everybody else yields to the center fielder.

So there you have it. Center field is the best position to play. Center fielders get to cover the most ground, using their speed and strong arms to shut down opposing offenses. They also have speed on the base paths that can create rallies by taking extra bases or stealing a base. And they are the captains of the outfield.

If you are a center fielder, you are in company with baseball greats such as: Ty Cobb (the all-time batting average king and fourth on the all-time stolen base list), Joe DiMaggio (56 game hitting streak), Hack Wilson (single season record 191 RBIs), Mickey Mantle (20 time all-star and triple crown winner), Willie Mays (24 time all-star), and Robin Yount (most hits in the 1980s). More recently, center field has been Jim Edmonds, Torii Hunger, Andrew McCutchen, and Mike Trout.

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.

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.

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Basic Skills To Play Outfield

By Jim Bain

Sometimes we attempt to begin running before we totally know how to walk, then wonder why we're struggling so much, such is the case with playing the outfield in baseball. There's a whole lot more to properly playing the position than just catching fly balls.

Since catching fly balls is a main stay of playing the outfield, let's examine the proper method of achieving that goal.

1. You must begin each pitch in the ready position, which is the body slightly bent forward, keeping our center of gravity high, weight on the balls of your feet, both hands up, not down at your side and you begin to slowly walk forward as the pitch is made, putting your body into motion. It's quicker to change direction of motion, than to create motion if standing still.

2. Always run full speed to the ball. There are of course times you'll be forced to make a catch while in a full sprint, but it's easier, if possible, to get to the place the ball will land and wait for the ball. Never get into a habit of trying to look cool by timing your speed to catch the ball while moving. Number one, it ain't cool and it'll destroy proper throwing mechanics after making the catch.

3. Always try to position yourself a couple of feet farther than you judge where the ball will land. By doing this you are able to be moving forward when catching the fly ball, they refer to it as Running Through the ball, which gives you momentum towards the infield, allowing you to make a strong throw back into the infield, with increased accuracy and velocity.

4. When a ball is hit directly at you, which is the hardest ball to determine it's flight, your first reaction should be to turn sideways and step backwards. By making this your first move, you can accelerate should you determine the ball is going over your head, but if you see the ball is shallow, it's much quicker and easier to reverse direction and go forward than reverse to going backwards.

***Plus, if a ball drops in front of you, it's a base hit, but one over your head is most likely a home run.***

5. There will be times where you'll be in a position of either catch the fly ball or the game's over. For example, winning run on third base, two outs and a sinking line drive is hit to your field. If you don't catch the ball for the third out, the runner easily scores and the game's over.

There are two techniques to use in the Do or Die situations, which will increase your chances of catching and holding on to ball and decrease your chances of injury.

A. On a diving catch attempt, as you hit the ground to use a shoulder roll to absorb the majority of the shock of hitting the turf and finish with your glove facing up. The transfer of shock to the body reduces the chance of injury and doesn't produce enough of an impact to knock the ball out of your glove.

B. On a sliding catch attempt, you slide with your glove on the side of the baseball. You don't want to be trying to catch the ball across your body, then use a pop up slide technique to regain your footing. In this particular instance there is no need for further action after the catch, but in others you may have to throw after making the catch and you can't throw from your backside.

Jim Bain, former Minor league baseball player, who since retiring has dedicated his life to teaching baseball to youth, shares his advice on running baseball drills on his exciting info packed website: http://www.learn-youth-baseball-coaching.com.


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Pitching and Playing Other Positions on the Field

By Dan Gazaway
It is important through little league that pitchers play other positions aside from just merely pitching. This allows them to obtain other skills other than throwing. They will get the opportunity to work on fielding and developing good hand eye coordination. It is important however to consider the obstacles that can effect a pitchers arm if coaches, parents are not carefully monitoring their pitchers when they play other positions.

After Little League, a pitcher should stay more focused on just pitching because it requires a great deal of dedication and focus to become an above average pitcher. Most coaches in the collegiate level and above will not use pitchers for other positions for a variety of reasons. One of those reasons being too many opportunities for arm injuries out on the field due to overthrowing.
One of the growing concerns many people have when youth pitchers play other positions is the increased throwing pitchers participate in during the week. I know it is not healthy for a pitcher to throw 6 innings in one game and play shortstop the next game of a double header. This is too much throwing. If a pitcher has pitched a lot they should have a low number of swings and a low number of throws on the field that same day.

It is also dangerous for coaches to have their pitchers play long toss with the team the day after they have pitched in a game; particularly when that same pitcher started the game. This happens too frequently in youth Baseball and is a contributor to increased arm injuries with our youth.

Another concern that I have is youth pitchers pitching for several teams at one time. One team will start them on Tuesday and another team may use that same pitcher on Thursday on that very same week. This is too much throwing for anyone, let alone a youth pitcher who is still developing his arm. Although Baseball is highly competitive and coaches want to win, it is important that health comes before winning; or at least it should.

Learn more effective baseball drills at The Pitching Academy. It is imperative that a pitcher learns pitching mechanics and the correct drills to support those movements.

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How to Communicate Effectively in the Outfield

By Steven Michael

Good communication in the outfield is mandatory. Communication is virtually all verbal in nature. And for good reason. When defensive players are running to catch the baseball, they don't have time to look at each other and give visual cues. Communication should also include returning or confirming a call made by a player. And communication is also meant to direct the next action by an outfielder.

Communication To Catch

"I got it -- I got it -- I GOT IT!" That's how an outfielder should state his intention to catch the ball. If there is any question in outfielder's minds who should make the play, communicate it three times and make it loud.

Crowd noise, wind whistling through the ears as they run, and same-time calling are all reasons to yell loudly and multiple times. In big stadiums, crown noise can be deafening. Even in smaller venues, a hundred people screaming can diffuse outfield communication.

Players who call for the ball at the same time is the most common problem. They each call for it once, at the same time, and neither player hears the other. Bam! -- a player collision. In addition to being loud, communication should be done in an authoritative voice. The ball is up for grabs and must be caught. Call for it with authority -- and remember the priority rules.

There is a wonderfully funny story about language as a barrier to good communication. In the 1950's the Phillies had a center fielder named Richie Ashburn. Richie was a great outfielder and was named Rookie of the Year in the National League. The Phillies shortstop was a Spanish player from the Caribbean, and he didn't know any English. On more than one occasion, Richie and the shortstop would be running to catch a pop-fly behind the infield. Richie would scream "I got it", but the shortstop didn't understand, and they had a couple near misses at colliding. A savvy old coach told Richie that the Spanish words for "I got it" are "Yo la tengo". Well, the next time a pop-fly happened, Richie was sprinting in to catch it screaming "Yo la tengo -- Yo la tengo". The shortstop immediately understood and stopped. Richie was then run over by his American-born left fielder.

Marco -- Polo!

Just like the youth game played in a swimming pool, where one child, with eyes closed, is calling "Marco", the other kids say "Polo" to audibly reveal their positions, outfielders need to respond. Outfielders must respond and clearly communicate with each other. This prevents any misunderstandings about who will make the play.

In situations where two players are calling for the ball, the player who backs off should communicate that fact. He should confirm that the other player has priority. How does he do this? By saying, "Take it -- Take it -- Take it".

When calling for the ball, it is assumed the outfielder is confident he can catch it. Don't call for the ball when you have zero chance of making the play. On the other hand, if an outfielder thinks he has a better chance than any other fielder, call for the ball. On some outfield plays, nobody calls for the ball. Where two outfielders are running for the ball, and neither thinks they have a chance to catch it, it's okay not to call for it. This usually means the outfielders are not close enough to risk a collision.

Communication To Assist

Outfield communication is not all about calling for the ball. There are times when an outfielder should help by being their teammate's eyes. Let's look at these situations.

Warn About the Fence

Outfielders should have a signal worked out between them about the wall. When one outfielder is running full stride toward the wall to make a catch, the adjoining outfielder should warn him when he is five strides away from it. The most prevalent method used is shouting the words, "Fence -- Fence -- Fence!". This lets the pursuing outfielder know in plenty of time that he has four to five strides before the fence.

The reason five running strides is the threshold is because it takes at least two strides for the receiving outfielder to recognize the communication. Things happen fast, so you want to alert your teammate in plenty of time.

Direct the Throw

When one outfielder is making a play on a batted ball, the adjoining outfielder should watch the play and tell the fielding outfielder where to throw the ball. This applies to all situations. The adjoining, or non-fielding, outfielder can see what base runners are doing, the depth of the ball, and the game situation. The fielding outfielder is watching the ball to catch it. If a ball is hit to the gap in right-center, and the right fielder will get to it first, the center fielder should be yelling at the right fielder to hit the cut-off man.

Runners on first and third bases, less than two outs, and a fly ball is hit to the left fielder. The center fielder should let the left fielder know where to throw the ball. If the ball is deep, he yells, "Two -- Two -- Two" to prevent the runner on first from advancing to second -- and scoring position. If the ball is not deep, the center fielder should yell, "Home -- Home -- Home", or "Four -- Four -- Four" to cut down the runner tagging from third base.

With less than two outs, a fly ball is hit to left-center field, and there is a runner on second base, the left fielder should be telling the center fielder that the base runner is tagging. He can yell "tagging" or "he's tagging", just make sure your are heard. This lets the center fielder know that he should position himself to make an urgent throw to third base -- through the cut-off man.

In a huge number of situations that can't be fully described here, a non-fielding outfielder should be communicating the things that the fielder can't see. Runners tagging, hit the cut-off, which base to throw to, are just the normal situations. It's always better to over-communicate than to say nothing at all. Help each other out.

Direct Traffic for Outfield-Infield Plays

When an outfielder and infielder are both pursuing a pop-up, in addition to the outfielder calling for the ball, the adjoining outfielder should also call the outfielder's name. This gives both pursuers of the ball a confirmation of who should catch it. Now you might say that three players yelling is too much static to hear anything definite. But you're wrong. The more communication that is used is always better.

How many times have you seen an infielder backpedaling to catch a pop-up, he hears the outfielder's steps, and stops. The outfielder slows down because the infielder looks like he's going to catch the ball -- and neither one catches it.

I just watched a game last night and that happened. What if the adjoining outfielder had screamed the outfielder's name? Do you think that would have helped or hindered the situation? Yeah, it would have helped considerably, in fact the ball would have been caught. By the way, three runs scored -- there were two outs and the base runners were off with the pitch. Ouch!

Steven E. Michael played seven years of professional baseball in the Montreal Expos, Detroit Tigers and Milwaukee Brewers organizations. He played collegiately at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona earning All-Western Athletic Conference, All-College World Series, and Sporting News All-America honors.

His new book, "How To Play Baseball Outfield: Techniques, Tips, and Drills to Learn the Outfield Position" is available at http://www.stevenemichael.com

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Defensive Outfield Rules and Priorities

By Steven Michael
Defense in baseball is both an individual and team function. Being a good defensive outfielder requires correct fundamentals and focused practice. Playing good defense also requires that the players on the field work together. Each player must know the responsibilities of his position. They must back each other up and communicate clearly. And they must know the priorities to which each team member is subject.

When the ball is hit out to the field of play, each defensive position has responsibilities. The players must know where to position themselves. They must also anticipate the play and re-position themselves correctly.

As defensive teammates, each outfielder needs to "pick each other up" as the saying goes. Backing-up fellow outfielders and infielders is key. Covering for each other, and covering the field well, requires following assigned priorities. To do all of these things mandates clear and unambiguous communication.

The center fielder is the "field general" of the outfield. He is considered the best fielder in the outfield. He is most likely the fastest runner of the three outfielders too. Lastly, he is in the middle of the field and well-positioned to see all parts of the outfield better than the corner outfielders.

If the center fielder and a corner outfielder both go after a hit ball, the center fielder has priority to it. This rule assumes that both outfielders have an equal chance to field the ball! This qualification is important to note.

Unfortunately, I have seen two problems with stating this rule to players, or of not informing outfielders of the rule. The first problem usually happens in youth baseball. One of the corner outfielders takes this rule a little too seriously. This results in the corner outfielder not aggressively pursuing a hit ball because "you told me the center fielder should take everything". And the ball ends up very close to him without any attempt at catching it.

The second problem of not understanding, or even knowing, this rule is player collisions. Both the center fielder and a corner outfielder run after a hit ball and neither gives way to the other. Nothing good can come from this situation. The center fielder has priority to catch the ball when both he and a corner outfielder have a good chance at it. In these situations, both outfielders should communicate that they will catch it - they both "call" for the ball.

The center fielder should recognize that they have both called for the ball, and he should continue to call for it. When the corner outfielder hears the center fielder call for the ball, he should immediately veer off and back-up the center fielder. It is important that outfielders understand the nuances of this rule. It does not mean he center fielder should take every ball hit to the outfield. Further, it does not mean that if a corner outfielder calls for the ball first that he has a "right" to the ball. It means only this: if the center fielder calls for the ball, the corner outfielders should give way and back-up the play.

On fly balls, or pop-ups, behind an infielder, the outfielder has priority on the catch. This assumes that both the infielder and outfielder can reach the ball. How do they know if they can reach it? Both the infielder and outfielder should run to the fly ball, and not quit, until they hear the other player call for the ball. Infielders are taught, or they should be, to go after pop-flies until they hear an outfielder call them off. If they don't hear the outfielder, they continue to run and attempt to catch the ball.

Now outfielders have to be smart on these plays. Just because an outfielder has priority does not mean he must take the ball. There are many instances where the outfielder has to run full stride to make the catch. Meanwhile, the infielder is standing under the ball in perfect position. Why is this a defensive rule? It's because the outfielder is running forward and the infielder is running backward, or backpedaling. And remember, it's easier and faster to run forward for a catch than to run backward.

Another reason is back-spin, and/or side-back-spin of the ball. Pop-ups near the middle of the diamond have back-spin. This makes the ball move farther away from the infield as it descends. That means it is moving toward the outfielder and away from the infielder. Much easier play for the outfielder. Maybe you've seen a catcher try to catch a pop-up in foul ground behind the plate. Once in a while a youthful catcher will start to backpedal as the ball is descending. Did he misjudge it? Did he overrun the ball? Yes and yes. But this happened because back-spin is moving the ball toward fair territory. Experienced catchers know this and approach the catch from the infield side of the ball, not the backstop side.

When a pop-up is hit down either foul line, the ball has side-back-spin. This makes the ball move toward center field as it descends. This is a really tough play for first and third basemen. It's a little easier for shortstops and second basemen. And it's very easy for left and right fielders - if they can get to the catch target.

Steven E. Michael played seven years of professional baseball in the Montreal Expos, Detroit Tigers and Milwaukee Brewers organizations. He played collegiately at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona earning All-Western Athletic Conference, All-College World Series, and Sporting News All-America honors.

His new book, "How To Play Baseball Outfield: Techniques, Tips, and Drills to Learn the Outfield Position" is available at http://www.stevenemichael.com
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Outfielders Get Good Jumps Through Footwork

By Steven Michael
Amazing catches from outfielders are really fun to watch. Highlights on evening sports shows are filled with outfielders and their spectacular plays. Most times the grabs made by outfielders defy logic. People say, "How did he make that catch?" "That looked like a sure triple didn't it?" "That guy wasn't anywhere near that ball -- he seemed to come out of nowhere."

So how is it done? Almost all great outfield catches are done by getting a great jump, reading the ball, and taking perfect angles to get to the catch. And while the great outfielders are also really good athletes, athletic prowess alone doesn't make them great outfielders. Effectively working on their jumps, reads and angles makes the catches possible -- nothing more, nothing less.

360 Degree Footwork

An outfielder has 360 degrees of area to cover. When the outfielder starts from an athletic ready position, he is facing home plate. So, he is facing one direction -- forward. Assuming he can run forward to easily cover 30 degrees of field, that leaves 330 degrees of possible field to cover he is not facing. That's a lot of ground to cover, and a lot of different directions. To get a good jump, he must move as efficiently as possible to the ball. The outfielder must quickly change direction at the start. To do this, he must use footwork.

Cross-Over vs. Jab Step

The steps described in this section are for balls hit in front of, or directly to the side of, the outfielder. We will discuss the correct footwork for balls hit behind, or over the head, of the outfielder later. For a long time in my college career, and all through high school, I used the jab step. And it was wrong.

The jab step is just like it sounds. If the ball is hit to the outfielder's right, he moves his right foot first -- a jab step that only covers about half a stride. And when he wants to go left, he jab steps with his left foot first, again only about half-stride. The player's upper body is not yet completely turned toward his target. This will not allow him to get to the ball as quickly. In contrast, the cross-over step is more efficient. Why? Because more ground can be covered with practically the same time and effort.

Let's use the same example: ball hit to the player's right. In the cross-over step, the outfielder crosses his left foot in front of his right foot and strides normally. At least an additional half-step is gained in covering ground. To quickly use the cross-over step, the upper body must turn as well. The only way, and the best way, to accomplish this quickly is to use the arms, specifically the elbows. When used properly, the arms and elbows will turn the torso toward the catch target and help clear the hip. Just as in golf, getting the hip out of the way so the body can turn completely is critically important.

When the hip clears and the shoulders are facing the intended direction, it is much easier to move the left foot past the right foot in our example. The outfielder pulls his right elbow back behind him, and thrusts his bent left arm across his body, to turn his shoulders and clear his right hip. His left foot is easily moved in front of, and past, his right foot. This is the classic Cross-Over Step.

An important point to remember is the outfielder's elbows are used to turn the torso. His arms are not straight. Why? Well, we're back to physics again -- with arms bent, it takes less time to swing the arms to the proper turning position. Think about it like this: when ice skaters want to turn slowly in a spin, they keep their arms straight and away from their bodies. Then, when they want to spin faster, they bring their arms closer to their bodies. The same principle applies to outfielders.

In these examples, the player is always moving to his right. The same principles will be executed if he has to go to his left. The left elbow is thrust backward behind him at the same time his bent right arm punches across his body. This turns his shoulders left and clears his left hip. His right foot crosses over his left foot and he is off to the races.

It is vital that the player get his upper body and hip turned in the direction he wishes to go. Without the violent use of his elbows, in either direction, the upper body would stay fixed and he would not be able to properly use the cross-over step.Cross-over steps are the best use of an outfielder's limited time when he moves toward the baseball. And they should always be used when the direction he needs to go is directly right or left, or any degrees of that in front of him.

Drop Steps

But that leaves another 180 degrees of outfield to cover. The other half of outfield coverage is behind the outfielder. And correct footwork will play a huge role here as well. Drop steps are used to quickly get the outfielder headed in the right direction -- somewhere behind him. In the drop step, footwork and upper body movements are crucial. As much as pitchers don't like to admit it, some batted balls are actually hit over an outfielder's head.

We will use an example of a center fielder. The ball is hit very well and to his left. He has no chance of catching this ball, but he is determined to cut it off before it gets to the wall. If the outfielder uses the cross-over step, he will not be able to cut the ball off. This is because his right foot can't cross-over and get behind his left foot far enough to start on the correct angle to the ball. Therefore, he must use the drop step. His left foot turns back behind his body. Essentially, he is opening up his stride by expanding the distance between his feet -- and his left foot moves behind him. When his left foot hits the ground, it is aimed in the direction he will run.
It is vitally important the player not close his dropped foot to the direction intended. Closing the foot stops the hip turning process and prevents the player's body from completely opening. Almost simultaneously as he drop steps his left foot backward, he must thrust his left elbow behind him while punching his bent right arm in front of him. Again, clearing his left hip is very important here.

This two segment process (drop step left while arms turn the torso) gets the outfielder's upper body set in the direction he wishes to run. By dropping his left foot back behind his body, the outfielder is creating an angle of attack to go get the ball. The further back the outfielder needs to run, the deeper his drop step should be, and the more violently he should use his elbows to turn his torso. Thanks for reading!

Steven E. Michael played seven years of professional baseball in the Montreal Expos, Detroit Tigers and Milwaukee Brewers organizations. He played collegiate at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona earning All-Western Athletic Conference, All-College World Series, and Sporting News All-America honors.

Figures cited in this article and Mr. Michael's new book, "How To Play Baseball Outfield: Techniques, Tips, and Drills to Learn the Outfield Position" is available at http://www.stevenemichael.com

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