Lefty infielder other than 1st

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Could some of you give me some feedback on a lefty playing anywhere in the infield other than 1st? I just would like to hear your views. Thank you in advance!

 

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Great lefty second baseman for the Buckeye Heat 95. Put her up against any right handed second baseman in the state. Yes it looks awkward but sure does not affect her abilities.

 

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I remember last year a PAC-10 team had a lefty SS. It might have been UCLA. Anyway, she looked flawless over there.

My dd is a lefty catcher.....also somewhat against the norm.

Len

 

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Could some of you give me some feedback on a lefty playing anywhere in the infield other than 1st? I just would like to hear your views. Thank you in advance!

Even if one girl did it in the PAC 10, that is it- one girl. At the higher level most of the girls are too fast to give away any time on the transfer; even a righty with a slow release can't get someone out.

My thoughts would be this- if you are at a younger age group this may be your best player so to win games you may need her at SS or 2nd, or 3rd. But even if that is the case you owe it to the girl to play her some at first or in the OF because if she has any future at a higher level she will have to play there

 

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Thank you for your input!! Any more?

 

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2nd is a definite possibility. A lefty with great range and the athleticism to make the throws can get the job done at 2nd. Her glove hand can get to more hits up the middle and the short throwing distance helps. Remember that this is not baseball and that we are not playing 90' bases.

If she has the arm and coordination give her a try. I think her success will surprise you.

 

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THANK YOU , THANK YOU , THANK YOU COOP and Fairman....my daughter is a lefty and can play 2nd great. Yet her travel ball coach won't even look or give her a try there. I know Rec. ball is diff. but a hard hit ball up the middle is a hard hit ball up the middle (AND a lefty has a better chance of fielding it). I challenge anyone with your fastest runner to outrun a throw from my lefty 2nd baseman that has fielded the ball cleanly. Bet me anything you want....I'll retire early on your $$$.
Think about this...bottom of the 7th , tie game 2 outs a runner on third..hard hit ball almost up the middle just on the 2nd base side...a righty misses the ball ...game over...a lefty can atleast stop the ball and stop the runner from scoring..if not throwing the runner out at 1st.

 

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I couldn't care one iota if an IFer is left handed or not. Play ball.

 

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THANK YOU , THANK YOU , THANK YOU COOP and Fairman....my daughter is a lefty and can play 2nd great. Yet her travel ball coach won't even look or give her a try there. I know Rec. ball is diff. but a hard hit ball up the middle is a hard hit ball up the middle (AND a lefty has a better chance of fielding it). I challenge anyone with your fastest runner to outrun a throw from my lefty 2nd baseman that has fielded the ball cleanly. Bet me anything you want....I'll retire early on your $$$.
Think about this...bottom of the 7th , tie game 2 outs a runner on third..hard hit ball almost up the middle just on the 2nd base side...a righty misses the ball ...game over...a lefty can atleast stop the ball and stop the runner from scoring..if not throwing the runner out at 1st.

Can a lefty play 2nd..........sure. But I do not think anyone would look for a lefty to play 2nd.

Now I would say that playing a lefty at C is actually an advantage with being able to make a snap throw to first.

There are a ton of great athletes that play college ball and are lefties. Funny but most college coaches must be stupid because you make it sound like in your opinion a left is better suited to play second than a righty. And yet very few college coaches play lefties at 2nd. Not sure why your right handed players can not backhand a ball.

There are 3 positions that a lefty is going to be unique or face difficult challenges.

3rd - I would never consider it.....

SS - She would have to be really good or I few options

2nd - I would agree that a lefty can play this position very well, I am just not sold on the idea that a left is the best player for the spot. Especially when trying to turn a DP. She is going to have to do an almost full 360 to make the throw. And I would be more concerned about slow rollers to her right. But on balls hit sharply she is going to be fine.


With all this said I am coaching our 9U and I have 3 lefties. And one girls will be playing 2nd when she is not pitching. So you play who you have. But I am not sure if I had the pick of players I would opt for a lefty at 2nd.

 

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Daughter is lefty and has played every infield spot but 3rd. Good athlete who worked hard at it. If the player is willing to work it is possible.

 

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spartansd , I agree about the double play comment. But ask yourself this question...Are there more double plays or hits up the middle ( just on the 2nd basemans side of the bag) in most games?
Most coaches do feel that a right is better and I don't think they're stupid. Perhaps they just haven't tried it...or they haven't had a lefty that was capable of it.
It's funny how some people won't try change from the so called "norm".
Where would this world be if we never would have tried or changed anything?

 

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teach her to be a kick tail OF'er --you won't be sorry . I'm not a genuis but that was the best move I ever made for own dd. MD

 

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She already is the starting C.F. on her travelball team.
She and I just like the fact of always knowing and playing more than one position.
The more versatile the athlete ..... the more marketable they are.

 

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I have a lefty who plays CF, SS, and 2nd and she is quick, smooth, and has a cannon for an arm. I don't believe it matters whether a player is a righty or a lefty. If they feel comfortable in that position and know their coverages, they can be good there regardless of what hand they throw with. I think alot of times coaches pigeon hole lefty's as only being able to play 1st or OF....while those are good options, they shouldn't be the only options. Let them ALL try everywhere and see where they shine. Sometimes I think a player would never be able to play a position but I try her there and I am proven wrong, you never know until you give them a shot.

 

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Like I said I would never put a lefty at 3rd. But at SS I would if she was my best athlete. And I know with this current crop of 9U girls that 2nd will be played by a lefty. To be honest it is her natural position. She just moves like a 2nd basemen.

And I really like a lefty at C.

I know on our 9U or 10U teams we look to put the toughest and best athlete at Catcher. I am actually starting to get away from asking the girls where they want to play. It seems all the bigger slow girls fancy themselves as catchers................not a good fit in fastpitch. Need a quick athletic type IMO.

 

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If all other spots are taken, 2nd works. We had one 8 years ago to get her bat in the line up. Probably never should displace a top-notch RH 2b, but...
Not many 6-4-3 DPs in softball.
How many great back hand plays made up the middle against speed ever made game in and game out by a RH 2b?
Becomes a natural 1st baseman on bunts.
A back hand play in 3-4 gap by a LH still allows time for a short flip to 1b.
We had no obvious negatives that season other than usual goofs made by all players.

 

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I think that a 2B'er has to have range. She has to attack the little dribbler, cover first, cover second, make plays in the dead zones behind the pitcher and first. plus participate in most double plays. She has to be able to charge in, run back covering the shallow outfield and she must cover the field from beyond second to the first base foul fence. Most of these tasks are 'un'-handed and offer no significant advantage to a righty or a lefty. The only difficult play that a lefty has is the turn at 2nd throwing to first. That is partially offset by an easier turn at first throwing to home (which might occur more often than the standard 6-4-3 dp).

With the improved pitching that you'll see from the older pitchers; faster, along with the outside curves and jamming with an inside screws more hits will be in the second baseman's area of responsibility. This player has to be as good as your short stop range-wise, maybe smarter.

We have a phenomenal lefty playing second on our local high school team. She can get to a ball behind second and then make the turn, throwing to 1st; allowing the ss to slid over plugging the 5/6 hole and yet she still make plays in foul territory behind 1st. The key, is range and intelligence; not lefty or righty.

 

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I think that a 2B'er has to have range. She has to attack the little dribbler, cover first, cover second, make plays in the dead zones behind the pitcher and first. plus participate in most double plays. She has to be able to charge in, run back covering the shallow outfield and she must cover the field from beyond second to the first base foul fence. Most of these tasks are 'un'-handed and offer no significant advantage to a righty or a lefty. The only difficult play that a lefty has is the turn at 2nd throwing to first. That is partially offset by an easier turn at first throwing to home (which might occur more often than the standard 6-4-3 dp).

With the improved pitching that you'll see from the older pitchers; faster, along with the outside curves and jamming with an inside screws more hits will be in the second baseman's area of responsibility. This player has to be as good as your short stop range-wise, maybe smarter.

We have a phenomenal lefty playing second on our local high school team. She can get to a ball behind second and then make the turn, throwing to 1st; allowing the ss to slid over plugging the 5/6 hole and yet she still make plays in foul territory behind 1st. The key, is range and intelligence; not lefty or righty.

I absolutely agree!!

 

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At the younger ages, I have seen lefty infielders who are quite effective in both baseball and softball. But at the older age levels, it would be very difficult to impossible for one to play very effectively on the left hand side of the infield. As for 2B, that is more likely but still not without challenges. The advantage gained on balls up the middle is negated somewhat by the ability to throw to first after the stop there, as well as by the lesser range on balls hit in the 1B hole. Of course, some of this can be compensated for by positioning. As the coach of a showcase team, I feel like I would be doing a disservice to a lefty in having her play any of those 3 positions.

 

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Coop is right about the Lefty 2B player on the Buckeye Heat 95 roster. Sorry, coachjwb, but if the player in mind is not pitching it would do her a disservice NOT to play her at 2B during a showcase.

I never really thought much about it before, but I now see that development of this player may have been helped more than a little bit by the fact that her travel ball head coach is a lefty who has addressed with her the proper techniques for a lefty playing at second. She's tossing from the glove hand and doing the rocknfire, among other things, where appropriate for a lefty.

Which raises interesting questions: how much of our coaching is the result of what we as coaches have been programmed, either consciously or subconsciously, to think is "normal"? Does that "normalcy" programming fairly treat the player who is asking for the opportunity to put our senses of normality to the test? Are we justified in throwing up barriers and ignoring the prospect that a particular kid might have the talent to blast those barriers away?