# But WHY is playing first base "incredibly hard"?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-why-is-playing-first-base-incredibly-hard/1007034>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Tags:** baseball-mlb\
**Created:** [September 9, 2024, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-why-is-playing-first-base-incredibly-hard/1007034 "2024-09-09T23:32:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2024, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-why-is-playing-first-base-incredibly-hard/1007034/21 "2024-09-13T01:56:52Z")

</div>

> [@John\_DiFool](#):
>
> I’ve personally been rather skeptical of these figures since I first heard of them years ago; my spread would be quite a bit smaller than even BBRef’s,

I really have no idea if the figures they use are correct and I’m honestly not sure where they came up with them or why yours are lower than theirs. Maybe higher numbers are appropriate. It seems to be you’d need a HUGE amount of information in terms of the availability of MLB quality players at those positions.

This is one of the several reasons I honestly preferred Win Shares.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2024, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-why-is-playing-first-base-incredibly-hard/1007034/22 "2024-09-13T16:55:33Z")

</div>

> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#):
>
> On the other hand, at the sub-professional level, the corner outfield positions are where you stick the weakest players (e.g. Lucy Van Pelt).

That’s because the first baseman needs to be able to reliably catch a thrown ball, and not all sub-professional kids can do that.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2024, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-why-is-playing-first-base-incredibly-hard/1007034/23 "2024-09-16T15:53:32Z")

</div>

> [@Loach](#):
>
> Right field is where you put the little leaguers who chase butterflies. It’s where the fewest hits go. Left handed batters are rare at that level and batters can rarely hit to the opposite field with any power. Once you get to mid level playing those things are no longer true and your right fielder needs to be able to cover a large portion of the field and have a good arm.

Playing right field can be lonely and dull  
Little Leagues never have lefties that pull  
I dreamed of the day a hit went my way  
They never did, but still I would pray  
That I’d make a fantastic catch on the run  
And not lose the ball in the sun  
And then I’d awake from this long reverie  
And pray that the ball never came out to me

–“Right Field”, Peter, Paul and Mary

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Pavelb1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@Pavelb1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pavelb1)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2024, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-why-is-playing-first-base-incredibly-hard/1007034/24 "2024-09-22T20:40:41Z")

</div>

I want to point out to praise him, that when Johnny Bench couldnt play catcher anymore, he moved to THIRD base,

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-why-is-playing-first-base-incredibly-hard/1007034.md?page=1)