Was baseball designed for right handers?

Question

I thought about this for long time. When you see baseball nowdays, you never see lefty infilder (including catcer, excluding first baseman). And why does base runners go from 1st to 3rd (opp. to clock), why not the other way around. I think it limit opportunities for lefties.

Answer 1

My friends and I have actually had hour long debates about this topic. It can be argued that baseball is a right-handed sport; it is easy to see that the game favors right handed players based upon the rotation of the infield from home plate all the way around. The situation you need to consider is that only about 2 maybe 3 out of 10 people on average are left handed and at the time the game was being developed, being left-handed was a cultural stigma that was often reversed in the very early years of childhood. This was a practice that was widely accepted through the 60's and into the 70's. I'm only 28 and my old battle-axe 2nd grade teacher made me swap from left to right hand because she believed that everyone should be right handed. As rediculous as that sounds, it was a common and acceptable practice. So many ball players that may have been left-handed players ended up right handed.

Because of the way that the diamond is configured and the counter-clockwise rotation, the only infield postition (not including pitcher) that will naturally favor southpaws is 1st base and even then being left-handed at 1st has its own unique set of draw-backs. With 2nd, SS, and 3rd, a lefty has to spin completely around to make a throw back across the infield either to 1st or start double plays at 2nd. A right handed thrower is already in a comfortable postion to make a good throw. Catcher is one position where I think if there was a good enough prospect, there could be a push for a left handed catcher to be utilized. But the throw to 3rd is tough for a left handed catcher, especially with a batter in the way as will be the case since most batters are right handed. The throw to 2nd could also be very difficult for the same reason.

I'm not saying that a southpaw can't play the infield. I played highschool ball with a very talented left-handed 2nd basemen. But once he got to college he never played on the infield again. The game is naturally designed for right handed infielders. The outfield is wide open though - it doesn't matter what hand you throw with out there. And left-handed pitchers are always the most sought after. So I think the opportunities are about equal especially considering the ratio of left to right handers.

Answer 2

Possibly, but the nature of the field means it has to go one way or the other. Given that lefties are around 10% of the population, designing the infield to favor right-handed throwers is simply a sensible, demographic-driven response -- the 2Bman, 3Bman, and SS have to throw to first often, and righties have the advantage of typically being in position to throw cross-body to first, whereas a lefty would have to turn. Similarly, there's been very few lefty-throwing catchers because the hitter more often is in the right-hander box, which simplifies the toss back to the mound or throw to second.

For hitting, however, lefty batters get an automatic one to two step advantage over righties; if fast enough, they'll beat out a few more infield grounders over the course of the season. This tends to show up in the batting champions -- of the past, oh, let's pick 40 years (1967-2006), so 80 batting titles -- 46 have been lefties, 24 righties, and 10 switch-hitters. (Yes, 20 of those 46 were gobbled up by Gwynn, Carew, and Boggs -- but they still did it.) That extra step does help.

Answer 3

Not specifically, though certain aspects of the game (notably, fielding in the infield) probably evolved as they did because there are more right-handers than lefties. There are a few spots in the game where lefties have an advantage: A good left-handed batter can make it to first base slightly faster than a righty because they take one or 2 fewer steps, lefty first basemen have an advantage in catching the ball without getting in the way of the runner, and in general lefty batters hit better against right-handed pitchers (of which there are more than left-handed pitchers).

Answer 4

Who cares which way you run the bases? It is actually a lot easier for left handed hitters because they're momentum from swinging has them going in that direction already. Not to mention, if you look at a lot of switch hitters in today's game, they almost always have better numbers hitting left handed.

As for defense, it is a lot easier playing 1st base if you are left handed and it is more difficult to play 3rd base. At no other position on the field does it really matter what your dominant hand is. You might be able to argue that it is easier to be a right handed second baseman, but if that is the case I can also argue it is easier to be a left handed shortstop.

Seriously, though, why does it even matter? The game is set up the way it is, and I have never heard anyone complain about it before.

Answer 5

I suppose its possible, becuase think about it, if the flow of the game was changed around, it would favor lefties wouldnt it? i mean if 3rd base was the first base that u ran to after getting a hit. But it doesnt really matter, if the lefty is good, he's gonna play, in little league until high school, it doesnt matter becuase the best player is gonna play. And in the majors, they are always looking for lefty hitters and pitchers.

Answer 6

Probably because most people are right-handed. The swing of a right handed persson makes the natural tendency to run towards the right, which would be in a counterclockwise direction. That's just a guess. Another possibility is to copy horse racing tracks, which run counterclockwise in America. This is because the Colonies wanted to do everything they could opposite of the way things were done in England, where race horses run in a clockwise direction (or at least they did in Colonial times). Again, just a guess.

Answer 7

well considering over 75% of the population is right handed and the guy who invented the sport was also right handed I would have to say you are right on the limited opportunities but remember there are only 4 pos. they can't play and most that can pitch have jobs in pro baseball because they are left handed.

Answer 8

lefties are good for third base and sometimes for a right fielder. Given the position of the glove and their throwing arm.