OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post - What's the best position to convert a 1B to?

dbacks · 08-15-2003, 10:12 PM

Yeah, I'll go into a little bit of detail for each position. Not a lot, but just to give you an idea of what it takes to play different positions.

THE CORNERS

The First Baseman.

Keith Hernandez is a good example. He wasn't the first great first baseman, but he opened a lot of eyes about the position. He showed that if a first baseman has both baseball intelligence and fielding skills (taking away hits, saving throwing errors), he could turn first base into the anchor of the infield.

He also confirmed that first is a left-handers position. More balls are hit to a first baseman's right side than his left (about 5 to 1), and with their glove on their right hand, first baseman's will generally have an easier time fielding ground balls.

But whatever hand the glove is on, they must have soft hands to absorb wild throws and to take away hits on hard hit balls.

Footwork is also very important at first. Watch how first baseman will sometimes have to switch their feet from the inside of the bag to the foul side to catch some throws. It requires quick feet, and converted outfielders often have a difficult time with his footwork and timing.

The Third Baseman

In general, third base is where you put strong-armed players. The hot corner is where you need great reflexes and reactions, the nerve to charge the plate when a batter may be swinging away, a strong arm, and in some cases, a strong chest (some guys that don't have a very good glove, but have a good arm, like to knock the ball down and throw them out.

08-15-2003, 10:12 PM	#8
dbacks Hall Of Famer Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 2,735	Yeah, I'll go into a little bit of detail for each position. Not a lot, but just to give you an idea of what it takes to play different positions. THE CORNERS The First Baseman. Keith Hernandez is a good example. He wasn't the first great first baseman, but he opened a lot of eyes about the position. He showed that if a first baseman has both baseball intelligence and fielding skills (taking away hits, saving throwing errors), he could turn first base into the anchor of the infield. He also confirmed that first is a left-handers position. More balls are hit to a first baseman's right side than his left (about 5 to 1), and with their glove on their right hand, first baseman's will generally have an easier time fielding ground balls. But whatever hand the glove is on, they must have soft hands to absorb wild throws and to take away hits on hard hit balls. Footwork is also very important at first. Watch how first baseman will sometimes have to switch their feet from the inside of the bag to the foul side to catch some throws. It requires quick feet, and converted outfielders often have a difficult time with his footwork and timing. The Third Baseman In general, third base is where you put strong-armed players. The hot corner is where you need great reflexes and reactions, the nerve to charge the plate when a batter may be swinging away, a strong arm, and in some cases, a strong chest (some guys that don't have a very good glove, but have a good arm, like to knock the ball down and throw them out.