Southpaw Throwing

Check the roster of your favorite major league team and tell me how many southpaw pitchers are on the team. The professional roster will normally reflect only two or maybe three lefties on an eight man pitching rotation roster. Well ! you might say the team owners and managers had rather have a top heavy roster with right handed pitchers. I contend the shortage is simply a shortfall in jam up good southpaw pitchers.

How can it be? A kid who picks up his pencil with his left hand and attempts to demonstrate his writing gets the attention of his elders. Invariably, at least, to often the youngsters pencil is placed into his right hand as if it was a mistake for him to use that left hand. Now if this act is repeated enough times there will always be a shortfall in great left handed dexterity simply by the numbers. That is of course assuming the use of the right hand becomes the use by fiat and not by choice.

Enough of what might be here is the reality of it.

How many left handed third baseman have you seen playing baseball? The natural throw of the ball around the infield from the third base position almost dictates a left handed third baseman to be a no no. The timely natural throw from third base to second base to initiate the double-play is extremely awkward. It can be done smoothly by the blind spin throw but the player would be an exception instead of the rule.

How many left handed first baseman have you seen playing baseball? Without the use of actual numbers to back me up on this it is probably 90 percent of the first basemen throw left handed. The use of a left handed playing first baseman is the natural play motion involved in throwing to the other bases. The requirement for a left handed first baseman is based on the defensive fielding and play making. Now when there is a rock solid hard hitting right handed first baseman needed for his hitting abilities then bingo he is tagged to get the job done.

Could you right off the top of your head tell me the name of a southpaw thrower who just might be considered the most popular name to ever play the game? He was called the Sultan of Swat, The Great Bambino, and we all know him as The Babe. Yes indeed Babe Ruth.