Fielding In Baseball

What is an 'outfielder' in baseball?

An outfielder is a player who is designed to be positioned as far away from the hitter as possible to protect more of the longer hit balls. And there's three of them that are spread also from left field, centre field to right field. And again, they're just the last line of defence.

What factors should I consider when choosing which fielding position to play in baseball?

Factors you should consider as to what fielding position you want to play in baseball depend on a few things. One would be how good you feel about your hand eye coordination. If you feel like you have good hand eye coordination, usually you can be an in-fielder for sure. If you run really well, you can easily be an out-fielder because one of the important attributes of an out-fielder is to run well. But a lot of times it just comes down to a knack of what you do well. You either tend to field ground balls well and you're very athletic that way, or you tend to have great running speed and you're the kind of player that likes to chase balls and run after balls. Another thing to consider if you don't want to be an in-fielder or an out-fielder, is a lot of people grow up wanting to be a pitcher. They want to be the person on the mount that the game kind of starts with, and there's a lot of control there and a lot of responsibility there. And then some people just want to be a catcher, because they want to be part of the game. They may be good enough to be an in-fielder or an out-fielder, but they just may choose that they want to be behind the scenes and be really involved. Again, what position you choose will be dictated by your speed or your hand eye coordination, but a lot of times it's dictated by your coaches or really what you feel like you have a knack to play.

What is the proper way to grip the baseball when I am preparing to throw it as a fielder?

The proper way to grip a baseball is what we call “four seams”. The reason you want four seams is because you're looking for accuracy first. You don't want the ball to move left or right, or for it to drift. Number two, the idea is to learn how to grab a ball and to keep your hand loose and relaxed. Number three is that you don't want the ball in close to your hand or your palm. You want it out toward your fingertips. These are all ways to learn to throw a ball. It takes practice, but eventually you need to be able to put your hand in a glove with short notice or release the ball in a way where you can get the ball into the right part of your hand without wasting time.

What is the proper way to 'throw' the baseball as a fielder?

The proper way to "throw" the baseball as a fielder is, one, to have four seams, to keep the ball very accurate; and, two is to be what is called on top of the baseball. What that means is that the fingertips that are behind the baseball, the importance is to keep them straight up and down like flagpoles. Once the fingers start to change at an angle, that creates an angle on the ball, and that creates movement. As a position player, the one thing you don't want is movement. You want the ball to be consistent, straight, and accurate.

What is the proper way for an infielder to 'field' a ground ball in baseball'?

The proper way for an infielder to field a ground ball in baseball is number one, to be relaxed. Number two is to have what's called "soft hands." Three is mechanics - to be in a position, they call it a "triangle" position - to speak, where your knees are one part of the triangle, the base of the triangle, and your hands are the top part of the triangle. Again, it really comes down to technique, being relaxed, having soft hands, but also being mechanically sound.

What is the proper way for an outfielder to field a ground ball in baseball?

The proper way for an outfielder to field the ball is to be under control. A lot of times outfielders will be rushing in to get the ball because the sooner they get the ball, the sooner they can get the ball to a bag and prevent a runner from moving up. In the case of a runner that is trying to get to a bag in front of them, so to speak, the sooner they can get to the ball, the sooner they can get the ball to that bag and try to beat the runner. It comes down to being aggressive into the ball but also learning how to be under control when you get to the ball so that you can a) field the ball cleanly and b) have a good exchange to your hand.

What is the proper position or stance for an infielder to take in baseball?

The proper position or stance for an infielder in baseball is most traditionally known as the triangle position. The idea there is that you're in a very sturdy position, because your feet are underneath you. You're on your toes a little bit and your knees are bent, and the reason why you need your knees bent is because you need to be low to the ground, because in baseball you want to start from the ground and then always come up with the ball. Otherwise you're more vulnerable to a ball going beneath your glove or beneath your legs and then you're in trouble. So get into a very good, what's called a triangle position, again where your feet are broad like your shoulders. Your knees are bent, you're low to the ground. The idea is to keep your head down, not your head up and have soft hands and relax.

What is the proper position or stance for an outfielder to take in baseball?

A proper stance for an outfielder in baseball is pretty basic. For the most part, their goal is to anticipate and be ready. So number one is really focus and attention, to be aware of each pitch, which is very basic. But number two, again, is to be in somewhat of an athletic position--not really upright and rigid, but maybe have a little bend in the knees, so they're prepared to move in any one of four directions: sideways, forward, or backward.

What is the proper way to field a 'line drive' in baseball?

The proper way to field a line drive in baseball is with two hands if possible. But in most cases, the ball is not going to be near your body and you're going to have to use one hand. Really it just comes down to your ability to try and catch the ball in the pocket. If a ball's on the line drive it means it's hit very hard for the most part. If you don't catch it in the pocket it will have a chance of popping out. So the key really is to catch the ball in the pocket.

What is the proper way for an infielder to field a 'fly ball' in baseball?

The proper way for an infielder to field a pop-up, number one is to call for it. If he feels he's in a position to get it, he's got to let his other teammates know not to get near him because then you might have a collision, the ball could drop. Number two is to try to catch the ball in the webbing of the glove. And number three is to really see the ball well into the glove. A lot of players take that for granted but you need to really see the ball well into the glove. And then lastly, use your bare hand there to secure the ball just in case you need to use two hands.

What is the proper way for an outfielder to field a fly ball in baseball?

The proper way for an outfielder to field a fly ball is number one, he's got to let his left fielder know or his center fielder know, he needs let the other outfielders know it's hit ball so he needs to call it so there's not going to be a collision of any type. Number two, depending on where the ball is hit he has to anticipate. A lot of times a positions player, an outfielder if you will go to a certain spot. Number three is to get to a spot and position himself so he's ready to throw. So you don't want to just catch the ball as much as you want to be able to catch the ball and position yourself to throw. Other important things are really just seeing the ball into the glove well. If you have time and you're not in a dead run is to be able to use your other hand to secure the ball into the glove. But the key is to get to the spot, position yourself to where you can see the ball into the glove well and you're in a good position to throw.