What position should the weakest defender play?

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Re: What position should the weakest defender play

With my boys team, my weakest defender plays 2nd with a strong right field backup. The boys hitting matches up with the pitching so the ball can go anywhere. With the strong backup in right I give up a base hit rather than a homerun or triple. We have to work the outs out elsewhere on the field. With my girls team, my weakest plays short. With strong pitching,most plays are to 2nd and right unless lefty batting.If you have weak pitching also,there is no place to hide but right field. Left field needs to be strong backup to third for the catcher throwing to third or disaster.Right field still needs to back up first for the catcher throwing to first after a dropped third strike.With the girls, most hitters are not ahead of strong pitching and right hand batters foul right or keep it to the right. You will have that stud that beats strong pitching or someone who gobbles a changeup. Travel ball should not have weak defenders, but this situation is common on rec. leagues.

 

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Re: What position should the weakest defender play

[quote author=LADY_KNIGHTS link=1205521021/25#47 date=1205610178][quote author=JoeA1010 link=1205521021/25#46 date=1205609656]I agree with Sammy and coachjwb. ?But like a few other people have said, I also agree that it's sometimes hard to determine your weakest defender. ?You have ground ball ability, fly ball ability, line drive ability, arm strength, throwing accuracy, instincts, speed, game sense and probably a few other categories. ?Not often will it be the case that the same girl is the weakest in all of those categories.

Since it's almost never the case that one girl is clearly the weakest defensive player in all or even most of those categories, the question of where to place the weakest defender is moot probably 95% of the time. ?Given that, when making out the defensive lineup, the goal is to put what will be the overall strongest defense on the field. ?That might mean having the second best first baseman playing first, or your best outfielder playing short, or whatever. ?

?

Stated like a true Lawyer!!! ?Tapped danced all the way around the question for 2 paragraph's, then never really answered the question. ?Cmon Joe...Tell us what you really mean!!

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lol. ?I'll avoid some questions, but I didn't avoid this one! ?I agreed with Sammy and coachjwb where they had said it's probably left or right field, depending on your pitcher. ?I just didn't want to repeat the same things that they and others had already said. ?
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Yes your honor, I'm done with the witness.

 

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Re: What position should the weakest defender play

With my boys team, my weakest defender plays 2nd with a strong right field backup. The boys hitting matches up with the pitching so the ball can go anywhere. With the strong backup in right I give up a base hit rather than a homerun or triple. We have to work the outs out elsewhere on the field. With my girls team, my weakest plays short. With strong pitching,most plays are to 2nd and right unless lefty batting.If you have weak pitching also,there is no place to hide but right field. Left field needs to be strong backup to third for the catcher throwing to third or disaster.Right field still needs to back up first for the catcher throwing to first after a dropped third strike.With the girls, most hitters are not ahead of strong pitching and right hand batters foul right or keep it to the right. You will have that stud that beats strong pitching or someone who gobbles a changeup. Travel ball should not have weak defenders, but this situation is common on rec. leagues.

I have never heard of somebody saying they play their weakest defender at SS, I am not saying your wrong , but who covers steals for your team, or dont you have stealing yet?

 

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Re: What position should the weakest defender play

What position should the weakest defender play?

Like many, including Bobby Knight, you get out of playing and start coaching.

 

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Re: What position should the weakest defender play

Depends on the what age and what makes her a weak fielder. I have seen extremely slow girls that have quick enough reflexes to play thirs. An outfield mistake in th eupper age groups is much more likely to cost the team a game than an infield error that results in a runner on first.

 

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Re: What position should the weakest defender play

Every position is important. It depends on how weak your weakest is and what the weakness is. Speed, recieving the ball, processing what to do,throwing strength and accuracy, are all important for position placement.I would rather have all strong players and two stonger yet and place them at 2nd and ss. Then further, I would like to have 7 ss's or 2nd's with a pitcher and catcher. By having a weak ss means damage but not as much as if in some other positions by holding the damage to a base hit and eating it verse homeruns and multiple bases.

 

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Re: What position should the weakest defender play

"Right Field "

Shayne - I'm telling Amanda!!!

 

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Re: What position should the weakest defender play

A little bird told me a few weeks back that 2b is the most recruited college position - besides pitcher - and they are reputed to be the smartest players. ?Shortstop the most athletic, 2b the smartest. ?Take it for what it's worth.

Touche!

 

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Re: What position should the weakest defender play

I totally agree with Johnnies.

You should be on the bench.

If you're a weak defender you shouldn't be on the field.

You should be a pinch runner or hitter.

 

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Re: What position should the weakest defender play

With 9 girls on the field one of them is the best and one of them is the worst! We are talking about that 9th player in the field that is the weakest.

 

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Offside outfield.

 

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move her around every inning... keep'em guessing, LOL. For me it has been based upon the pitcher's ability. My best outfielder has been in RT field and have shuffled the weekest player between CF and LF. All are good, this is based upon a 1-10 rating of what you have or whatever ratings you have created on your own. Goal is make the weakest not weak and grow her. Coach her on specific needs and the season will work out just fine. Make them all "go-to" players. If you are the coach selecting them at tryouts make sure you can (crystal ball needed at times and at times it's a cloudy crystal ball) work them into solid position players. Then who cares who the weakest is. At 10u this is very tough to see and you do make bad judgements on occasion during tryouts, who doesn't.

 

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if she is that weak why would you take her on your team you do have tryouts dont you.i know are team has 6 or so elite girls and then it is kind of blury but i am not scared to have them in the field

 

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Jas, some schools don't get enough to fill a team and play and grow the ladies given to them.

 

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You can find faults with any kid so you just keep coaching and teaching. You coach to their abilities because as they get older everyone will change. 6 elite now might be 6 average later.

 

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Left field for weaker players, strength up the middle

 

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move her around every inning... keep'em guessing, LOL.

Funny, I needed that..LOL

 

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I'm not saying that 2nd basemen are weak but...

Who gets the softest hit balls on the diamond? 2B, Who gets the shortest throws to them? 2b. Who has to make the shortest throws? 2B. With that said, I think I would teach a girl to play infield at 2b before any other position. And then move them based on their ability and athletisism to the other infield positions. 2nd base also gets a lot of opportunites so that means they have lots of opportunities to grow and get better....

 

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Sparky, glad I can help.

I'm not saying that 2nd basemen are weak but...

Who gets the softest hit balls on the diamond? 2B, Who gets the shortest throws to them? 2b. Who has to make the shortest throws? 2B. With that said, I think I would teach a girl to play infield at 2b before any other position. And then move them based on their ability and athleticism to the other infield positions. 2nd base also gets a lot of opportunities so that means they have lots of opportunities to grow and get better....

David Beckham, I did this exact setup once before and it worked out great. Cool thing is confidence grew every play!!

 

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This question depends on how weak we are talking about. If all the players involved are solid and the team is strong the answer is LF for arm strength reasons. Pro baseball always has there Kevin Mitchel or Adam Dunn in LF, because of shorter throws required.

But for most HS or travel fast pitch teams I would say RF.