How to Play Second Base in Baseball
In youth baseball, the smallest infielder is often assigned to second base because the throw to first base is the shortest on the field. At higher levels of play, this is hardly the case, and second base is a position often occupied by players who may well be "long ball hitters." Still, second base has a reputation as the home of the classic "scrappy" infielder.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Start by developing your throwing and catching skills. These are crucial skills for all infielders.
-
2
Spend time taking ground balls. Begin with grounders that are easy, working on the rudimentary mechanics of catching a ground ball, transferring it to your throwing hand and delivering it to first base accurately.
-
-
3
Expand your "range." Learn to move from side to side to field ground balls.
-
4
Develop your hitting skills with whiffle balls, soft pitch and batting cages. Repetition improves the hand eye coordination necessary to be a good hitter.
-
5
Learn the skills of "hitting to the opposite field," "advancing a runner" and bunting since second basemen often hit early in the batting order, where this is an important skill.
-
6
Learn the more complicated skills needed at second base. The most common are covering first base on a bunt, taking a throw from the catcher and applying a tag on a runner trying to steal second base, and "turning a double play."
-
7
Find a mentor who knows about or has played the position, and model your play after this person.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
At higher levels of play, it is rare to see a left-handed second baseman because of the inherent difficulties of turning a double play started by the shortstop. However, in youth leagues, and even at the high school level, where fractions of a second making a double play are much less important, there is no reason for a left-handed player not to play second base. In fact, a left-handed second baseman has a greater fielding range "up the middle" than a right handed player.
