Shortstops are an integral component of turning double plays. On balls hit to the left side of the infield, a shortstop must cleanly field the ball and accurately throw it to the second baseman covering the second-base bag. On a ball hit to the right side of the infield, the shortstop must cover the second-base bag and receive a throw from either the second baseman or, less frequently, the first baseman and make an accurate relay throw to first.
Offensive shortstops are the opposite of defensive shortstops. They tend to be a little worse at fielding. They might make a few more errors. However, offensive shortstops will be better hitters , sometimes the best hitters on their team. All-around shortstops are shortstops who are equally good at defense and offense.
All-around shortstops tend to be the best shortstops. Being an all-around shortstop is hard because you have to be good at both hitting and playing defense. Some of the best shortstops ever are all-around shortstops. Shortstops don't really need equipment different from any other position's equipment. The only difference is that you probably want an infield glove for playing shortstop instead of a bigger outfield glove. The position shortstop was created because old baseballs didn't go very far so often they would land behind the infield but in front of the outfielders.
So players quickly realized that if they had one infielder between second and third base they could catch those balls and make more outs. The first famous shortstop was Honus Wagner. Wagner started playing in and he played until , mostly with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Wagner was an all around shortstop and helped make the position important. The position was the same for a long time. In the past 20 years though, shortstops have gotten more hitting focused. Their fielding skills used to be more important but now hitting has become a crucial part of playing shortstop.
Shortstops don't have any specific statistics for them. Which statistics are important though do change. Errors, for example, might be more important for shortstops than other positions because they field more balls than other positions. When the shortstop is directly in line with the base they want to throw, an over-throw by the outfielder would just result in the ball going to the correct base.
In addition to lining up correctly, shortstops also need to know how to catch the ball so they can quickly turn and release the ball towards the correct base. Ideally, the relay-man would catch the ball on the glove-side of their body and at a height of their head. Catching the ball here allows the relay-man to quickly turn and make a throw to the base. A bloop hit is when a batter hits a weak fly ball that lands in the area between an outfielder and an infielder.
When a batter hits a bloop towards the left side of the field, the shortstop will need to turn their back towards the infield and run towards the spot where the ball will land. Sometimes shortstops can run and get into position to make the catch, but sometimes this play requires shortstops to make an over-the-shoulder catch while on the run. To see how difficult this type of play can be, check out the quick YouTube clip below where Corey Seager makes a wonderful over-the-shoulder catch.
Another aspect to being a good shortstop is the ability to communicate with their pitcher when making a pick-off attempt. Instead, shortstops, second baseman, and the pitcher need to come up with a plan on how they will attempt to pick off a runner at second base.
The second baseman and the shortstop both have the ability to cover second base on a pick off play, but prior to taking the field there needs to be communication with the pitcher on who is planning to cover second base in the event of a pick off attempt. If the shortstop is going to be covering second base on a pick-off attempt then the second baseman will need to back up the throw.
On the other hand, if the second baseman will be receiving the throw then the shortstop will need to back up the throw. On the same lines of coordinating with the pitcher on a pick-off move, the second baseman and shortstop both need to coordinate on who will be covering second base in the event of a runner stealing second base.
Lots of teams will shift to the pull-side of the hitter, meaning that the defense will shift more towards the third-base side of the field for a right-handed hitter and shift more towards the first-base side of the field for left-handed hitters. This means that when a runner is on first base, second baseman are closer to second base when a right-handed hitter is up and further away from second base when a left-handed hitter is up. When we think of a shortstop, we typically think of players making spectacular plays from deep in the hole, but another crucial aspect of being a good shortstop is the offensive ability to hit the ball.
I'm the owner of Baseball Training World. The shortstop is often the captain of the infield and gives signals to the other infielders about how to position themselves. Many second and third basemen are initially drafted as shortstops and moved to the other position, but it is rare for second or third basemen to be moved to shortstop.
It is believed that Dickey Pearce invented the position of shortstop. Often in Little League , the best player plays shortstop as the position demands athleticism and range. Pitcher Catcher. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Are you a Stathead, too? Subscribe to our Free Newsletter. This Week in Sports Reference Find out when we add a feature or make a change.
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