Greenmonsters
Wannabe Duck Boat Owner
Why do so many coaches refuse to let the pitcher be a fielder? In most cases they are good athletes quite capable of fielding bunts, pop ups and ground balls. It bothers me in both softball and baseball that pitchers are expected to stand back or get out of the way instead of being allowed to help. A pitcher's momentum is taking them towards the plate any way. I'm not saying that 3B shouldn't be the primary bunt fielder and the C shouldn't be fielding a ball right in front of the plate. But the P is a 5th IF and I find it silly that teams prefer to play with 4.
IME, although they may field well, overhand throwing by many college-level pitch and sit pitchers (i.e., no secondary position) can be a real adventure and dictates coverage options.