Center Field/Key Attributes
Image by Boston Public Library via Flickr
Specialty Position
Center Field is a specialty position . We all know that in Little League the strongest players play in the infield. This doesn’t mean that outfielders are not important! Quite the contrary, picking up outs in the outfield is a huge bonus. The center fielder needs to be your best outfielders as they will likely get a majority action.
The center fielder should be fast and able to react with cat like instincts. They will need to be able to track fly balls and get to them quickly if needed. They also have to back up the left fielder and right fielder . They don’t have to have the strongest arm because they generally only throw the ball to second, cutoff, and third base . None of these throws are very long.
Key Characteristics
Here are some characteristics of a good left fielder:
- Dedicated
- Very Fast
- Able to track fly balls
A center fielder that makes every routine play as well as some spectacular ones can get a good pitcher some very key outs.
Can you think of any other valuable characteristics a left fielder should have? Please share them.
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Love the idea for the blob. As a baseball player my whole life im getting into my 20’s now and might think about coaching.
Thank you very much! I recommend you do it right away! It is very fun. Contact your local Little League, they would love to have you!
One great way to get started is to umpire. The leagues always need more umpires and doing this can familiarize you with the league and its culture. Once you see how things work, you can move right into coaching.
I started coaching in my mid 20’s and made hundreds of mistakes. That is the only real way to learn. So dive in! But remember, they are only kids!
Late in the game, a center fielder becomes critical defensively. We were in a very tight game and a ball ran by the left fielder to the fence. Had I put in a more agile center fielder, he could have cut to the ball. We lost 2 runs on the play and ended up with a tie game when we were up by 2 with 2 out. Consider making a switch late in the game to defend the outfield–even though this is only AAA, these kids can whack a ball. Big mistake on my part–that’s the tough thing, second guessing yourself as a manager. You want so much for the kids to play well and win, but when they don’t because you erred in judgment, it just really eats you up! Yes, they are just kids–and you are just a parent coach trying your best! But it’s all good, and it’s a great game, and isn’t that what it’s all about?
Yes, the center fielder is a critical position, I agree. More so in older divisions, but he still needs to be able to move around and cover 50% of the outfield, as well as back up.
One great drill to avoid the ball running past an outfielder is to have them loop around ground balls. They stand in line and you throw a reasonably hard grounder to one side of them or the other. If they run straight at it, it goes by them. If they loop around behind the ball as they are supposed to and field it with their momentum heading towards the field, they will conquer two typical faults they usually have.
I really hate when I make a mistake and it costs the kids. I have written about this as well, and it is gut wrenching. But the sun does always come up tomorrow and the kids take it much better than we do.