How did you choose your position?

I just got put in the outfield for my speed, and just learned to like it.

I, originally grew up playing third base and left field, but that was back in like 3rd grade. I then wanted to try playing first base, and catcher because there was no one who wanted to play catcher, and partially because I thought the gear was cool, so I went for it, and I immediately started to like it. I was also the only person on my team who would actually get behind the batter, instead of trying to wait y the fence and see where it rolls too off the pitching machine. I am also built like a catcher, so its the position for me.

I'm still trying to figure it out =(

In Little League I was very versatile, I played all over the place. In my last year I pitched a lot because I had the strongest arm on the team. After that i moved to 3rd where having a strong arm helps and continued to pitch. I'm now playing JV baseball and playing mostly outfield, but I also pitch and play 3rd. My best position is 3rd, but there's another kid in my grade who is better than me. We're about even in fielding, I have a better arm, but he's better at the plate and he's a better baserunner, giving him the majority of the playing time. This is why I find most of my time in the outfield.

I started out at second base when i was 6. Then played catcher from 8-13. Then i got tendonitis in my knees. I moved to short stop for 13-14. Then played second base on varsity as a freshman. Now as a sophomore, i am at short stop to stay hopefully!

Well I started in the outfield when I was about 12.In one game I had 2 outfield assists so they moved me to third because of my arm.Then the following year nobody wanted to catch so I thought Id give it a try and it turns out it was my best position,havent moved since.Im also kind of a bulky person so It my coaches said I had the catchers build

I used to play pretty much everything and i was pretty good at pitching and then a bad hamstring injury took my speed so i couldnt play the field as well...plus weak knees.....so that just kinda helped me along being a pitcher...

in littleage...
id start pitching, then catch the rest of the game..having the strongest arm..

then in trave 13-15..i played ourfeild, mostly center, becauses of my speed and arm, but i really liked infeild. So my coach moved me to middle infeild and i am going to start at 2nd next year as a Sophmore for Varsity.

i was a little "chubby" as a youngster, so naturally i played catch and 3rd (there was a rule about where you could play in a game for a certain amt of innings). then i developed a good sense of blocking and framing ect. so i stuck at catch. its been three years since ive played "the field." id like to play third again though some day.

in little league i was catcher and second a little. now i'm the starting varsity second baseman as a sophomore. but thhis year we had alot of people who did n't know what they were doing or were off because of grades so i ended up playing 1st, 2nd, SS, 3rd, and CF. but second is my best position. well.... how i chose my position i was pretty much the only player on my team who would catch so i did and then i pl ayed second because we didnt have anyone else lol

i would always pitch, and play second base, and then my dad taught me how to play short stop and i just fell in love with it. It was so cool to me when i was 7 and i would watch derek jeter make all the great plays he did, so i wanted to be just like him. I love being the leader on the field and wanting the ball to get hit to me, and 7 years later im still between the bags at short

I played a lot of first and pitched a lot when I was younger because I'm a lefty so I can't play any infield except 1st, but now I play a lot of outfield too because I'm one of the faster kids on my team and have a decent arm

I have played 3rd since I was seven. I was put there at the time because I was the only one that could throw it all the way across the infield. I have just stuck there since then and also pitched alot.

for me it was easy my brother taught me how to play baseball and he pitched, so he taught me how to pitch, he was a big influnce on me.

When I was younger my favorite player was Jason Kendall and he is a catcher so, naturally I wanted to catch. Then I just fell in love with it and I never played anywhere else since. I wish I had learned more positions when I was in little league, but I glad I'm a catcher. I wouldn't have it any other way.

-Kevin

i always was a pitcher and then when i was 11 i got tendonitis in my elbow and joined another team who knew i used to play catcher when i wasnt pitching and they had a ton of other really strong pitchers and they knew i wasnt going to be the same at the time pitching wise so i really was fortunate to become a full time catcher and since then i have caught the majority of the time, pitching only in big situations late in a big game if i am up to it and then this year i decided that i never wanted to pitch again and havent yet because i dont want to risk hurting my arm, so catching has been perfect for me. what really helped and i think it would be wise for a lot of pitchers to think about this, try thinking about catching because pitching game me the best arm strength i could have asked for and it was made me an exceptional catcher, so it isnt a bad idea if you feel up to it. it totally worked for me

I decided to play 1st base because I was good at it and I enjoyed being involved in most plays. Also I'm a lefty and I'm built more for 1st base.

ha, being a lefty pretty much knocks out a majority of the positions, especially in the infield. I basically leaves pitcher, 1b and outfield

quote:

Originally posted by Catcher41:
When I was younger my favorite player was Jason Kendall and he is a catcher so, naturally I wanted to catch. Then I just fell in love with it and I never played anywhere else since. I wish I had learned more positions when I was in little league, but I glad I'm a catcher. I wouldn't have it any other way.

-Kevin

I'm a lot like you, I grew up as the only player who would catch on my machine pitch team, and Pudge was my favorite player, so I just stuck with it, and I played 1b since it is similar. I now wish I had learned to play 3b to get more playing time on summer teams, but since I am the only catcher on our JV team, i catch all game every single game in HS, so it's all good. Until next year, I hope a bigshot freshman doesn't take my spot. We had a freshman last year take the spot of 2 seniors and a junior for the starting varsity catcher. He also pitches, plays short, and can play outfield extremely well. He very well could go pro, he just needs to get a little better at batting, but that will get better with time.

Adam Carlton- as you move up lefties are confined to those positions, but not necessarily in little league.

I'm lefty and have been pitching since I was 8/9 (I'm now a pitcher), but it got to the point where they basically put me wherever they needed me. I generally had a good arm and good glove, so one game I would play short and the next I'd catch or something. That lasted until I was 11. When I was 12 I was the pitcher and 3 hitter, and played 1st when our #2, our first baseman, pitched. When the #3 pitched, our catcher, I caught. When the #4 pitched, our shortstop, I'd play there, etc. When I was 12 I caught for a 14 year old Select All-Star team and hit 5th in the fall. Even though I was lefty, at a younger age I didn't let that stop me from playing where I wanted.

Now a days I'm a pitcher and centerfielder, just like a lefty does. But I'm 16, out of little league. Although next year it looks like coach could maybe ask me to dig up that old lefty catcher's mitt and give a few innings back there

Leftys can play half the positions. It's not so terrible, but as a pitcher leftys are usually treasured more. Heres my question. If facing opposite handed pitchers are easier (I'm a righty and lefty's are easier to face then rightys), then how come leftys are so good if majority of batters are righty???

yeah i'm a left handed pitcher too when i was younger i played short because it wasnt that big of a disadvantage then. now i just switch between of and 1b wherever they need me but i mostly am a pitcher

because most players are used to hitting off righties I guess?

Yea, I guess so. Also this way tems have a way of pitching to left handers.

I've never really had a concrete everyday position as long as I've played. I've always been listed or considered as a utility guy, though I played shortstop for the majority of the spring. I've played at least nine innings at every position on the field except for pitcher and catcher, but I have pitched before.

Hey Adam,
I asked my coach why leftys are so important, and he said theres a different spin off of there fingertips, and if rightys get used to rightys, leftys can fool them some.

oh, and in addition to being fat-- i was the only kid that wore a cup to the first practice

Coaches love that!

Many times a player picks a position, and many times the position picks the player.....

In my case, my team had an overpowering pitcher...who for youth level threw very hard......he was my next door neighbor.....we threw together every day.....when I came up, I was the only kid who would catch him.......instant catcher........from that day on.....

The coach tells me to go there. I go there. Listing yourself as a UTILTY player on a try-out form is a good way to get yourself on the team, also gives you endless amount of things to during the off-season. I've started atleast 3 games at EVERY postion throughtout my LL and Babe Ruth Career.

Well being that im a big lefty and kind of slow its really easy for me. 1st base and pitcher is about all.

If your a very athletic person you should look at 2nd and SS.

If your a little less athletic and you have a good arm 3rd base is a really good choice.

Outfield if your quick.

Catcher if your a pretty big guy and got a good arm

hope that helps..

1st day of practice my soph. year, the coaches put me at 2nd base and the rest is history. been there ever since, but i also am a back-up pitcher