The value of great outfielders

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Mar 20, 2014
918
28
Northwest
It always amazes me how even at the HS level there are still some players that look at the outfield as punishment or that it means that they are "less than". If an infielder misses a ball it is a single, if an outfielder misses a ball it is at least double or a triple. Great outfielders are essential to a team's success. This is a great piece to share...

Outties Anthem: Why The Outfield Matters Most | FloSoftball
 
Aug 10, 2016
686
63
Georgia
I actually wish they would put DD out in the outfield more but she's still only played IF. I think in her 4-5 years of playing, she's played the OF a total of like 4 innings :/
I realize that in lower levels, you aren't going to see a lot go to the OF but one they can hit, you really do need good players out there.

Last season we had some girls make amazing catches :)
 
Mar 7, 2012
144
0
PA
I was always taught growing up a bad infield will hurt you a bad outfield will kill you. I try to instill it in all the teams I have ever coached. The older girls understand it more than the younger ones.

This year in particular I'm coaching 12u most of the girls came from rec ball (only 2 have every played tournament before). I have one girl with great speed and range she became out CF in the beginning she was bummed, she was constantly asking am I going to get a chance at SS this weekend (she wasn't a bad SS but I had 2 other girls who were even quality at SS but she was way ahead in the OF). I kept telling her it wasn't a punishment like rec ball and explaining I put her there because I trust her. All fall she played CF, last friendly of the season I put her at SS for a game our CF missed 2 balls that she would have caught. Winter comes and she has busted her butt working, she has probbaly risen to be above the other 2 short stops at this point so we go to an indoor tournament and I say hey I'm going to let you play SS this weekend because of all the work you've been putting in, her response is "NO Thanks, I'd rather be in the OF" I just laughed and she said "the last game we played it killed me watching balls that should have been outs turn into triples, I don't want that to happen anymore".
 
Sep 4, 2015
70
0
Georgia
That's a great article. My DD gets the best of both worlds as a catcher and outfielder, but sometimes I'm more impressed with her plays as an outfielder! Her athleticism really shows when she's jumping high in the air to catch a ball or throwing a ball back in to stop a run. I've seen her make some real "ESPN highlight" plays in the outfield!
 
Mar 8, 2016
313
63
DD's current coach values outfield more than infield. Good outfield play can make a huge diference in games especially at older ages. DD complains that she doesn't get as many plays in the infield as she used to because more balls are being hit to the outfield. DD's team has a CF that doesn't get the best jump on balls but once she gets going there are very few balls she doesn't track down. If you measured her at a camp she would just be average but if you watch her play she passes the eye test as a very good center fielder. She was hurt most of fall season and we had to play a corner outfielder at center and move another girl into the outfield. It made a huge difference on balls in the gap. Last year DD got the chance to play on a bad JV team as an 8th grader. She said the biggest thing she learned was that if an infielder missed a ball it was a single. If an outfielder missed a ball it was at least a double or more.
 
Jun 12, 2015
3,848
83
I actually wish they would put DD out in the outfield more but she's still only played IF. I think in her 4-5 years of playing, she's played the OF a total of like 4 innings :/
I realize that in lower levels, you aren't going to see a lot go to the OF but one they can hit, you really do need good players out there.

Last season we had some girls make amazing catches :)

Me too! I think DD would be great in CF. It's so fun to watch a really good outfielder. They make the most amazing plays!
 
May 17, 2012
2,804
113
There is a reason why coaches hide kids at the corner outfield positions. They just aren't as important as the other positions defensively.

Be strong up the middle and you will win a lot of games.
 
Apr 26, 2015
704
43
DD has been a catcher for most of her little softball life (she is 13). Recently she started playing some CF and she LOVES it.
She still loves to make great plays behind the plate and have her hands on the ball nearly every pitch, but she loves to run and dive and cannon the ball back in just as much.
 
Mar 11, 2015
9
0
My daughter plays CF and I could watch her track and catch fly-balls all day long. She loves making diving catches. She absolutely embraces of.
 
Jan 22, 2011
1,610
113
One year the HS my DD goes to had 'Irish Twins' playing RF and CF. It was a lot of fun watching them play, because neither of the sisters wanted the other one to beat her to a ball hit in the gap. Also, the best pitcher in the last 15 years to come out of my town's HS plays on the Canadian National team.... in the outfield.
 

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