center vs left or right field

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Oct 10, 2011
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When considering where to play players, what skills do centerfielders have that a left or right fielder may not. Speed? The best tracker? Knowing the game better? Just curious (btw, my daughter has always played catcher, 3rd, left) She recently decided not to catch and focus on the other 2 areas.
 
Oct 10, 2011
3,117
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Thanks

Leader, has priority to call balls over outfield and infield so must be vocal and aggressive. Fast. Can track a ball hit straight at her (hardest to do).
Thanks Screwball. My DD has said she'd like to move to center at some point. Her new coaches say they are thrilled with her tracking abilities. She is pretty fast but not as fast as the girl that starts at center. She is 5 inches taller though. The girl that starts is amazing but catches also which may give my daughter a chance to play the position.
 

sluggers

Super Moderator
Staff member
May 26, 2008
7,132
113
Dallas, Texas
Tracking ability and ability to see the ball come off the bat...if she can read the ball off the bat, she'll be two steps quicker. The fastest girl often will play left field (LF has to cover 3B in some bunt coverages. Also, it is nice to catch those fly balls in foul territory.)

However: The main thing is hitting. I wouldn't worry about where she plays as long as she does play.
 
Oct 10, 2011
3,117
0
left field

Tracking ability and ability to see the ball come off the bat...if she can read the ball off the bat, she'll be two steps quicker. The fastest girl often will play left field (LF has to cover 3B in some bunt coverages. Also, it is nice to catch those fly balls in foul territory.)

However: The main thing is hitting. I wouldn't worry about where she plays as long as she does play.

Interesting...I thought center would be the fastest player. She loves 3rd and left but the current 3rd base may edge her out. Her hitting is what got her to this team as she was asked to practice with them by the owner who is a college coach and knows she excels in that area. They are a very competitive A level team but the others have been together a long time- we sure hope she gets playing time.
 
Aug 29, 2011
2,581
83
NorCal
You want your best defensive outfielder in CF. A girl who is good reading the ball off the bat, tracks a ball well and is generally speedy. And you want her to take everything she can get to.

You want a strong arm and girl who is not afraid to charge the ball hard for those 9-3 putouts in RF.

LF is probably your #3 OF.
 
Nov 5, 2009
549
18
St. Louis MO
DD coach sometimes switches LF and RF dependant upon the pitcher. Some pitchers draw more RF hits from RH batters, so she'll put the better outfielder in RF.
 
Aug 4, 2008
2,364
0
Lexington,Ohio
I agree with Screwball. Must be the fastest player on the field and the most vocal. If you want to see how many Short Stops in high school play CF in College it is an interesting fact. I have talked to many college coaches that complain about not having good OF to pick from and they will take many short stops and convert them to play CF in College. At the Queen of Diamonds this year, they couldn't get enough outfielders. RF, we like to have someone with a good arm. In softball I can't count the number of plays our RF has fielded and then thrown the runner out going to first base .
 
Aug 29, 2011
1,114
0
Dallas, TX
When considering where to play players, what skills do centerfielders have that a left or right fielder may not. Speed? The best tracker? Knowing the game better? Just curious (btw, my daughter has always played catcher, 3rd, left) She recently decided not to catch and focus on the other 2 areas.

I agree with a lot of posts here. But I will post a list of priorities in a CF and go from there.

CF:
Runs good routes to the ball
Reads ball off bat quickly
Fast
Good arm - the CF does not need to cover on sac fly situations to the RF side, but can take fly balls to the LF side when she has a superior arm. Since the LF side is her natural throwing side, she can call off the LF'er. She is the "General" out there, and should do so.
Good at coming in on balls. She can cover a V shaped zone in front of her and toward the other fields on softly hit line-drives and pop-ups.
Going back well on fly balls, line-drives.

RF:
Arm -should have best arm or equal to the CF. But if there is a talent level difference, then the CF position takes priority. Her longest throw is in to 3B on first to third base-running situations and triples.
Slicing balls - She is able to track slicing balls off RH batters toward the foul line.
Generally your 2nd best outfielder at higher levels.

LF:
Can have the weakest arm, but good glove. She may see the 2nd most balls hit to the outfield depending on the Pitcher's strengths.

Both LF and RF should be catching foul fly balls. But when positioning, please keep in mind two factors.
1) No one is backing up the RF and LF on balls hit down the line.
2) A foul ball that drops does not hurt you as much as a double to the gap! And no I am not arguing to not play foul balls. But a fall ball is either a strike, or just a foul ball. So the gaps should be covered. I am not of the theory that the entire territory between the stands in the outfield has the same priority.

What is wrong with this picture?

Outfield alignment.jpg
 
Aug 29, 2011
2,581
83
NorCal
What is wrong with this picture?

View attachment 1706

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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