Center vs Left and Right
Moderators: SammyKhalifa, Doc, Bobster
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johnfluharty
Center vs Left and Right
I forget which game it was, but I remember John Wehner saying recently on radio that he felt center was an easier position to play compared to left or right field because the ball came straight at you instead of tailing off left or right. He made no mention of range but the context of his comment was specifically about tracking the ball and getting to it efficiently about not really how much ground you had to cover. Even so I was surprised by his comment because I have heard others say that a ball hit straight at you was harder to track. Of course John only played 29 games and 107 innings in center. Anyone else care to share their thoughts on this?
Center vs Left and Right
484D4A4C444E574A4350565B220 wrote: I forget which game it was, but I remember John Wehner saying recently on radio that he felt center was an easier position to play compared to left or right field because the ball came straight at you instead of tailing off left or right. He made no mention of range but the context of his comment was specifically about tracking the ball and getting to it efficiently about not really how much ground you had to cover. Even so I was surprised by his comment because I have heard others say that a ball hit straight at you was harder to track. Of course John only played 29 games and 107 innings in center. Anyone else care to share their thoughts on this?
I played all three positions in college and will say that CF was the worst because of the depth perception and having it hit right at you. unless it was a moon shot, it was most definitely harder to track. LF was the easiest and RF the next only because you had more righties hitting the slice down the line than lefties hooking the ball. Just my $.02
I played all three positions in college and will say that CF was the worst because of the depth perception and having it hit right at you. unless it was a moon shot, it was most definitely harder to track. LF was the easiest and RF the next only because you had more righties hitting the slice down the line than lefties hooking the ball. Just my $.02
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dogknot17@yahoo.co
Center vs Left and Right
I had a different experience with the three positions. I did not play college ball.
CF was easiest to me as you ran down the ball and it was rarely hit right at you. You usually ran right or left and caught the ball on the move. It is harder when hit right at you with the depth perception.
RF had a big tail on the ball as most hitters are right handed and the ball is kind of slices away from you. LF had more of a hook as the ball were pulled.
I found it easier in CF because you got to go to your right or left a little bit. That was always an easier play for me. Even in the infield, I prefer the ball bouncing to my left (glove hand) than right at me (I'm still an athlete, I play beer league softball).
CF was easiest to me as you ran down the ball and it was rarely hit right at you. You usually ran right or left and caught the ball on the move. It is harder when hit right at you with the depth perception.
RF had a big tail on the ball as most hitters are right handed and the ball is kind of slices away from you. LF had more of a hook as the ball were pulled.
I found it easier in CF because you got to go to your right or left a little bit. That was always an easier play for me. Even in the infield, I prefer the ball bouncing to my left (glove hand) than right at me (I'm still an athlete, I play beer league softball).
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Bobster21
Center vs Left and Right
I've played all 3 and always preferred CF as it was easier. A ball can be hit straight at you in any field and those are very difficult to judge. So that's not just an issue with CF. In CF you see the ball off the bat better. You have a much better view of whether the batter is hitting an inside or an outside pitch. So you get a better jump on the ball. Maybe that's what Wehner was trying to say. The view from LF or RF usually doesn't enable you to get a jump before the ball leaves the bat. There are also occasional slices in LF or RF but rarely in CF.
Center vs Left and Right
I also have played all three but at a much lower level than college.
While I think the center is probably the toughest, I would say that that at pnc left would be the toughest position to play.
While I think the center is probably the toughest, I would say that that at pnc left would be the toughest position to play.
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johnfluharty
Center vs Left and Right
Wow, thanks for the replies. I never played so I had no idea. I was always small (and skinny back then at least) but mostly I was just too much of a computer geek, LOL.
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SammyKhalifa
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- Joined: Fri Jul 01, 2016 4:19 am
Center vs Left and Right
585D5A5C545E475A5340464B320 wrote: Wow, thanks for the replies. I never played so I had no idea. I was always small (and skinny back then at least) but mostly I was just too much of a computer geek, LOL.
For me they were ALL the hardest position.
For me they were ALL the hardest position.
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Bobster21
Center vs Left and Right
04393E24393E500 wrote: I also have played all three but at a much lower level than college.
While I think the center is probably the toughest, I would say that that at pnc left would be the toughest position to play.
By "hardest" are you referring to the ground that must be covered? I agree that most of the time CF has the most to cover but maybe it's LF at PNC. But a capable outfielder with speed will cover that ground. Those long running catches look hard but they're really not if you have the speed to get to the ball. I always preferred CF because of the view of the batter and where he was hitting the ball, which gave me a jump I couldn't get on the corners (unless you could plainly see the pitch being hit was very inside or very outside). When I played RF I had to adjust for RH batters slicing balls toward the line so you have to drift a little more to your left than the initial trajectory of the ball suggested. Not many slices in CF. Last year Cutch seemed to lose a step and couldn't run down those shots to CF. Marte will cover that ground. And he may get a better jump on balls from CF that will allow him to cover even more ground from CF than he did in that large PNC LF.
While I think the center is probably the toughest, I would say that that at pnc left would be the toughest position to play.
By "hardest" are you referring to the ground that must be covered? I agree that most of the time CF has the most to cover but maybe it's LF at PNC. But a capable outfielder with speed will cover that ground. Those long running catches look hard but they're really not if you have the speed to get to the ball. I always preferred CF because of the view of the batter and where he was hitting the ball, which gave me a jump I couldn't get on the corners (unless you could plainly see the pitch being hit was very inside or very outside). When I played RF I had to adjust for RH batters slicing balls toward the line so you have to drift a little more to your left than the initial trajectory of the ball suggested. Not many slices in CF. Last year Cutch seemed to lose a step and couldn't run down those shots to CF. Marte will cover that ground. And he may get a better jump on balls from CF that will allow him to cover even more ground from CF than he did in that large PNC LF.
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dogknot17@yahoo.co
Center vs Left and Right
The shifts outfielders play demonstrate this too.
If a right handed batter is shifted to pull the ball, the LF is closer to the line, the CF is more in the alley, but the RF doesn't move much. The RF isn't moving due to the slice, why they aren't in the alley and moved over like the other two.
If a right handed batter is shifted to pull the ball, the LF is closer to the line, the CF is more in the alley, but the RF doesn't move much. The RF isn't moving due to the slice, why they aren't in the alley and moved over like the other two.