Baseball Positions - Wikipedia

Jump to content

Contents

move to sidebar hide

• (Top)
• 1 Fielding
• 2 Other roles
• 3 Other team personnel
• 4 See also
• 5 References

• Article
• Talk

English

• Read
• Edit
• View history

Tools Tools move to sidebar hide Actions

• Read
• Edit
• View history

General

• What links here
• Related changes
• Upload file
• Permanent link
• Page information
• Cite this page
• Get shortened URL
• Download QR code

Print/export

• Download as PDF
• Printable version

In other projects

• Wikimedia Commons
• Wikidata item

Appearance move to sidebar hide From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Fielding positions in the sport of baseball For physical locations of players on the field, see Baseball positioning.

In the sport of baseball, each of the nine players on a team is assigned a particular fielding position when it is their turn to play defense. Each position conventionally has an associated number, for use in scorekeeping by the official scorer: 1 (pitcher), 2 (catcher), 3 (first baseman), 4 (second baseman), 5 (third baseman), 6 (shortstop), 7 (left fielder), 8 (center fielder), and 9 (right fielder).[1] Collectively, these positions are usually grouped into three groups: the outfield (left field, center field, and right field), the infield (first base, second base, third base, and shortstop), and the battery (pitcher and catcher). Traditionally, players within each group will often be more able to exchange positions easily (that is, a second baseman can usually play shortstop well, and a center fielder can also be expected to play right field); however, the pitcher and catcher are highly specialized positions and rarely will play at other positions.

Fielding

[edit]

Fielders must be able to catch the ball well, as catching batted balls before they bounce is one way they can put the batter out, as well as create opportunities to prevent the advance of, and put out other runners. Additionally, they must be able to throw the ball well, with many plays in the game depending on one fielder collecting the hit ball and then throwing it to another fielder who, while holding the ball in their hand/glove, touches either a runner or the base the runner is forced to run to in order to record an out. Fielders often have to run, dive, and slide a great deal in the act of reaching, stopping, and retrieving a hit ball, and then setting themselves up to transfer the ball, all with the end goal of getting the ball as quickly as possible to another fielder. They also run the risk of colliding with incoming runners during a tag attempt at a base.

Fielders may have different responsibilities depending on the game situation. For example, when an outfielder is attempting to throw the ball from near the fence to one of the bases, an infielder may need to "cut off" the throw and then act as a relay thrower to help the ball cover its remaining distance to the target destination.[2]

As a group, the outfielders are responsible for preventing home runs by reaching over the fence (and potentially doing a wall climb) for fly balls that are catchable. The infielders are the ones who generally handle plays that involve tagging a base or runner, and also need quick reflexes in order to catch a batted ball before it leaves the infield. The pitcher and catcher have special responsibilities to prevent base stealing, as they are the ones who handle the ball whenever it has not been hit. The catcher will also sometimes attempt to block the plate in order to prevent a run being scored.

Other roles

[edit]

• Designated hitter
• Pinch hitter
• Pinch runner
• Utility infielder
• Utility players
• Starting pitcher
• Relief pitcher
• Left-handed specialist
• Long reliever
• Middle reliever
• Setup pitcher (setup man)
• Closer

Other team personnel

[edit]

• Manager
• Coaches
• Athletic trainer
• Equipment manager
• General manager
• Batboy
• Ball boy/girl
• Team physician

See also

[edit]

• Infield shift
• Ace (baseball)
• Starting lineup
• Injury list
• Mascot
• Official scorer
• Umpire
• Baseball awards
• Baseball clothing and equipment
• Glossary of baseball terms
• Baseball scorekeeping
• Baseball statistics
• Fielding (cricket)

References

[edit] Wikimedia Commons has media related to Baseball positions.

1. ^ Spatz, Lyle (2012). Historical Dictionary of Baseball. Scarecrow Press. p. 3. ISBN 9780810879546.
2. ^ "Baseball Positions & Responsibilities". SportsRec. Retrieved 2021-08-19.

v t e Baseball positions
Pitchers	by role Starter Ace Opener Reliever Middle reliever Long reliever Setup man Closer Left-handed specialist Swingman by style Power Control Ground ball Fly ball Switch
Defensiveplayers	by type Pitcher Catcher Infielder Outfielder Utility player Position player by number Pitcher (1/P) Catcher (2/C) First baseman (3/1B) Second baseman (4/2B) Third baseman (5/3B) Shortstop (6/SS) Left fielder (7/LF) Center fielder (8/CF) Right fielder (9/RF)
Offensiveplayers	by role Batter Runner Batting order (1–9) Designated hitter Pinch hitter Pinch runner Leadoff hitter Cleanup hitter by style Clutch hitter Contact hitter Power hitter Switch hitter
Non-players	team roles Manager Coaches Bullpen catcher executives President of baseball operations General manager other Umpire Official scorer Bat boy Ball boy/girl
Related	Captain Battery Injured list Phantom ballplayer Platoon system

v t e Baseball and softball concepts
Outline · Glossary
Baseball rules	Cheating Comparison of baseball and softball fastpitch softball 16-inch softball Ejections Ground rules Infield fly rule In flight Interference Pitch clock Protested game Strike zone Suspended game Unwritten rules
Ballpark/field	Backstop Baseball diamond Batter's box Batter's eye Bullpen Dugout Foul pole Foul territory Infield On-deck circle Outfield Warning track
Equipment	Ball Bat Batting cage Batting glove Batting helmet Cap Doughnut Glove (defense) Pitching machine Protective cup Shin guard Stirrups Uniform Uniform number
Game process	Batting order Innings extra innings Out Positions Run Pace of play
Batting	At bat Baltimore chop Bat flip Batted ball Batting count Batting out of order Bunt sacrifice bunt slap bunt squeeze play Charging the mound Checked swing Cleanup hitter Contact hitter Designated hitter Double Double switch Foul ball Foul tip Golden sombrero Ground rule double Hat trick Hit Hit and run Hit by pitch Hitting for the cycle Home run Grand slam Inside-the-park Walk-off Moonshot Chinese Infield hit Leadoff hitter Lefty-righty switch Line drive Mendoza Line On-deck Pinch hitter Plate appearance Platoon system Power hitter Pull hitter Sacrifice fly Single Strikeout Strike zone Sweet spot Switch hitter Triple Walk
Pitching(softball)	Balk Beanball Breaking ball Brushback pitch Changeup Vulcan changeup Curveball Eephus Emery ball Fastball two-seam four-seam cutter sinker split-finger Full count Immaculate inning Inside pitching Intentional balk Intentional walk Knuckleball Maddux No-hitter Perfect game Pickoff Pitch count Pitching by position players Pitching position Pitchout Quick pitch Screwball Shutout Slider Spitball Strikeout Strike zone Striking out the side Switch pitcher Time of pitch Wild pitch
Base running	Automatic runner Balk Bases loaded Caught stealing Hit and run Lead off Left on base Obstruction Pinch runner Rundown Safe Scoring position Slide Small ball Squeeze play Stolen base Tag up Tie goes to the runner
Fielding(positioning)	Appeal play Assist Blocking the plate Catch Caught stealing Covering a base Defensive indifference Double play Error Fielder's choice Fifth infielder Force play Fourth out Hidden ball trick In-between hop Infield fly rule Infield shift Interference Neighborhood play Passed ball Pickoff Putout Rundown Tag out Triple play unassisted Uncaught third strike Wall climb Wheel play
Related	Baseball card Baseball statistics Bench jockey Bench-clearing brawl Dead ball Doubleheader Jargon Injured list List of baseball films Pepper Scorekeeping Series Seventh-inning stretch Shagging Sign stealing Slump Streak losing winning Variations of baseball
Category Portal WikiProject

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Baseball_positions&oldid=1309838901" Category:

• Baseball positions

Hidden categories:

• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Commons category link from Wikidata

Search Search Toggle the table of contents Baseball positions 10 languages Add topic