@Consultant posted:As a Coach, when I build a "line-up", my goal is 5 left handed hitters, when a RHP is pitching.
If the opposing team has no Lhp then I stack the left handed hitters. #1 to #5.
If I have a Lhp, who is a good hitter, he is the DH. With this method the entire team is involved. Yes, the 1b needs to "scoop" the low throws. Before the game, the Redwood Pioneers [Class A California League] first baseman practice his "scoop" when a coach threw low throws for 10 minutes. A solid defensive 1B can win games with bunt defense, cut offs, hold runners at 1b.
It is not a position for a "novice".
Bob
Thanks for the 1B love, Bob. As the father of a former college 1B, I do think the position gets short shrift because it doesn’t require the same level of athleticism as the others. My son took the position seriously, partly out of pride and partly because he knew he didn’t have much of a shot at any other position on the field. He made a lot of highlight reel plays in high school, helped by a SS who threw 90 across the infield with no idea where the ball was going. I thought he had mastered the position in high school, so I was stunned during his freshman season at college when his play hit a whole new level, thanks to excellent 1B coaching. In college he played with a 3B masher who had bouts of throwing issues. Countless times my kid turned an E5 into an out, helping that guy stay on the field and out of the DH. Even the split is a really important skill at 1B. Think about the number of times you see a replay where the ball hitting the back of the glove 2-3 feet further out would change a hit to an out.