Quote:
Originally Posted by Syd Thrift
Yeah, sorry to sound like a broken record but it's the last bit. Left-handers make up a third of all pitchers but like 5% of the general population. You're putting in 6 to 7 times as many lefties as you are righties and that in turn means that pretty much everyone who is a. left-handed and b. has an above-average arm gets turned into a pitcher. All of this "the motion is awkward" stuff is after the fact logic. After all, right-handed first basemen have many of the same issues as left-handed 3B, for example, but right-handed first basemen abound.
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I’d argue that the “motion is awkward” has quite a bit to do with it. My son is left handed and started noticing the extra time it took him to make throws from shortstop starting in 7th grade. It was the point at which they started playing on a 90’ diamond. His arm strength covered the footwork issues on smaller diamonds and he was fine on hard hit balls, but anything he had to charge was tricky for him.
Concerning 1B, the only significant advantage a left has over a righty at first is glove side is closer to a runner on pickoff throws. Regarding throws from first, the only throw back to the other side of the diamond is on a throw to 2nd which isn’t that awkward for a RH 1B.