center vs left or right field

Sweet Lou said:

Unless you are guarding against RH pull hitter or you have an extream slapper who is very late that LF is awfully close to the line and with shading the CF slightly to LF to cover that you are leaving a big RC gap. Could be a good alignment depending on who the B/P combos are; but it shouldn't be a standard OF alignment.

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That was funny TJ, but I didn't have time to look for a softball field. You are right Sweet Lou. But I posted it as a standard alignment. This is exactly how Italy was defensing The Netherlands in the Euro Championships. And two catchable fly balls dropped in left-center and cost them the game. The girl in LF was a 3rd string catcher who had never played outfield before the tournament. But she could hit! And even in the international tie-breaker they made no defensive changes. The assistant coach fell asleep on two straight plays. The LF'er was approximately 30 feet off the line.

Steve, you ever seen/used the shift on dead pullers? LF stays put, RF comes over to left-center, center steps about 15-20 ft towards RF? ( not sure why CF doesn't go to left-center, RF just move over the 20-30 feet )

My DD use to pull everything but the kitchen sink, her freshman year some of the schools that knew her from TB ran the "shift". Now our HS coach uses it on pull hitters, I don't like it. It hasn't bit us in the rear yet, but it's only a matter of time before someone taps one into that open RF and an in park homerun.

I'm always amazed at how little coaches reposition the OF. Even in little league I would reposition myself based on the hitter and then move more as the count changed in favor of or against the hitter. 3-1 couple steps to the pull side, 0-2 couple steps to the opposite field side. Just seemed like normal fundamentals to m growing up but I haven't really seen it coached too much at the levels I've been assocaited with.

GOINGDEEP said:

Steve, you ever seen/used the shift on dead pullers? LF stays put, RF comes over to left-center, center steps about 15-20 ft towards RF? ( not sure why CF doesn't go to left-center, RF just move over the 20-30 feet )

My DD use to pull everything but the kitchen sink, her freshman year some of the schools that knew her from TB ran the "shift". Now our HS coach uses it on pull hitters, I don't like it. It hasn't bit us in the rear yet, but it's only a matter of time before someone taps one into that open RF and an in park homerun.

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Probably because the CF is usually the fastest OF and if a ball does get hit to RF by a dead pull hitter, she has the best chance to track it down and keep it under a HR.

Oh and slapping to the oppo field for a dead pull hitter is easier said then done. Just ask MLBers like David Ortiz or Mark Tiexiera who can't hit a ground ball to left field with the 3B playing 70' from the line.

Sweet Lou said:

Probably because the CF is usually the fastest OF and if a ball does get hit to RF by a dead pull hitter, she has the best chance to track it down and keep it under a HR.

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Not if you knew our center field.

GOINGDEEP said:

Steve, you ever seen/used the shift on dead pullers? LF stays put, RF comes over to left-center, center steps about 15-20 ft towards RF? ( not sure why CF doesn't go to left-center, RF just move over the 20-30 feet )

My DD use to pull everything but the kitchen sink, her freshman year some of the schools that knew her from TB ran the "shift". Now our HS coach uses it on pull hitters, I don't like it. It hasn't bit us in the rear yet, but it's only a matter of time before someone taps one into that open RF and an in park homerun.

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Well, it sounds weird to me. Do I use shifts? Yes, but not too extreme. If I have a power-hitter, or dead pull hitter up to bat, I am going to try to set her up with drop-balls and change-ups away, and heat out of the zone. If it works, I could pull my LF up 30 feet behind the SS just in case that ground ball goes between her legs

But seriously, I do shift. But I usually leave an alley, not a foul line too exposed. So if the CF comes over 60 feet toward LF, the RF will only shift 20 feet toward center. I can say that on one occasion we faced a LH power hitter extraordinaire. I shifted my infield over to the right side. However, unlike major league teams, I left my SS normal and pulled the 3rd baseman over behind 2nd. The SS has more range to cover the left side. But that was the only time I ever did it. By the way. We walked her twice, and she hit a HR out to RF and a ground ball double to LF. I wish I could remember that girls name because I really didn't like her!

RF comes over to left-center, center steps about 15-20 ft towards RF?

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Did you write that as intended, or did you pull a "Steve" here?

Steve this is how it runs for us.........

Normal player positions/
Sally is LF
Susan is CF
Beth is RF

Shift
Sally stays at LF ( moves closer to the line )
Beth comes over to left center
Susan slides over towards RF just past 2nd base ( if youre looking from catchers view )

It's as confusing to type as it is to watch.

GOINGDEEP said:

Steve this is how it runs for us.........

Normal player positions/
Sally is LF
Susan is CF
Beth is RF

Shift
Sally stays at LF ( moves closer to the line )
Beth comes over to left center
Susan slides over towards RF just past 2nd base ( if youre looking from catchers view )

It's as confusing to type as it is to watch.

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So for a dead pull hitter, RH I assume, you open up the door in left center just in case she has a strong tendency to hit the ball there. In moving the CF toward RF, in fact ......... the team is setting a trap?

Steve Huff said:

So for a dead pull hitter, RH I assume, you open up the door in left center just in case she has a strong tendency to hit the ball there. In moving the CF toward RF, in fact ......... the team is setting a trap?

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Steve, either I can't explain it correctly or your in pain from the wreck. Hahahaha Yes, a RH batter.

All 3 outfielders are in LF, LF center, and CF. There is no one in RF at all, it's wide open.

I think the confusing part is when RF runs all the way over, past the center-fielder, and into left-center.

I would just shift the CF over to left-center............and RF to center-field.

Don't worry, thank goodness the HS coach doesn't use it often. When he screams "shift", I'm screaming "oh sh!t".

GOINGDEEP said:

Steve, either I can't explain it correctly or your in pain from the wreck. Hahahaha Yes, a RH batter.

All 3 outfielders are in LF, LF center, and CF. There is no one in RF at all, it's wide open.

I think the confusing part is when RF runs all the way over, past the center-fielder, and into left-center.

I would just shift the CF over to left-center............and RF to center-field.

Don't worry, thank goodness the HS coach doesn't use it often. When he screams "shift", I'm screaming "oh sh!t".

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Well now it is as plain as the face on my nose. By the way, I can smell around corners! I understood perfectly. Well it is extreme, but at least they moved toward left. I would prefer to leave RF "home", moved only a little like I mentioned, and pitch her away, mostly off-speed. Either ground ball to the left-side, or pop-up hopefully to the right side.

Got it! I am on half dose during the day. I hurt more, can think better!