I just noticed this as I was watching the Aggie softball team. A&M's second baseman is left-handed. That makes for a pretty tough pivot on the double play ...

noticed that last week, thought it was pretty strange

it is strange, but she's one heck of a player!
freshman at that, works well with morrow.
helps that she can hit well too

[This message has been edited by redassAG07 (edited 2/20/2008 8:59p).]

It doesn't matter how well she works with the SS, she's left handed.. she shouldn't be playing second base. Nearly eliminates all double play possibilities and makes everything in the middle infield awkward. Coming from a lefty myself, that's just how I grew up playing the game knowing that lefties either pitch, play first, or play outfield.

twright10- go watch her play. she's amazing, very quick, with a lot of range.
who cares if she's left handed, if she gets the job done?
she plays great

I saw her play too and she is a solid second baseman. But I played second my whole life and it still looks awkward to me. As long as she gets the job done!

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Nearly eliminates all double play possibilities and makes everything in the middle infield awkward.

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it's softball it has to be absolutely perfect ball to roll a double play... we were having trouble tonight getting the one out at first in time.

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It doesn't matter how well she works with the SS, she's left handed.. she shouldn't be playing second base.

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If you actually saw her play you wouldn't be saying that. Period.

just about the only double plays I've seen in softball (unless there are really, really slow runners) are either:

grounder to SS, step on the bag, and throw to 1st. The 6 unassisted, 6-3 double play

or a line drive to the pitcher or other infielder and double off the runner at first base.

5-4-3 or 6-4-3 dp's are very rare.

twright 10

I agree with the later posters. Natalie Villareal, a fish, anchors our infield. She is "lightning in a bottle" getting her throw off to any base, has a good arm and range, turned a double play in Tempe, and makes very few errors. She made one tonight, but they are rare. Offensively, she has a good eye at the plate, makes contact, hits for power and is very composed under pressure. Draws a lot of walks as leadoff, resulting in a lot of runs.

This is a special team and people who sit around me just marvel over every faucet of her play.

however if there is ever a grounder to the second baseman and a play at second or third or even the plate, she's the one that could make the play. Or how about a shot over 2nd base at least she doesn't have to backhand the ball from the second base side.

It is tough, I wasn't even that good as a right handed second baseman

Softball may be the only exception to the lefty rule.

P.S. Lefties kick A$$!!

Damn you right handed people!!! Why do y'all always discriminate against us lefties?

You will NEVER see a left handed second baseman in baseball. This is softball, however. In our eleven games so far, there have been a total of THREE double plays turned; one by the Ags and two by our opponents, and none have been a 6-4-3 or 4-6-3.

Another thing to note about softball is that the second baseman covers first when the first baseman is covering the bunt. This happens quite often and in this instance, it is actually advantageous to have a left handed second baseman. That's one reason Natalie has 18 put outs in eleven games. She also has 26 assists without an error.

Of course there are going to be plays that a right-handed second baseman can make that she can't, but there will also be plays that she'll make because she's left-handed. In listening to the Kajikawa games, I remember at least one occasion in which the announcers commented that she made a play a righ-handed second baseman would not have made. I think it was a running catch behind second.

Didnt someone in the Softball College World Series have a left handed catcher?

In the last 2 years (06, 07), A&M's turned more 1-6-3 DPs than any other kind (5, turned 3 6-3s). Only 4 involving 2B, and none at second (one tagged in the baseline, others at first).

I stopped after 2 years because A&M only turned 2 GDPs in 2005, compared to 15 total, so I figured it wasn't worth the time.

i agree with twright.... Put her in the outfield!!!

maybe ya'll should go watch her play and then judge her
she's amazing for just a freshman.

admiral the anav- we have the outfield covered. more than enough able players out there

She's incredibly quick... very good.

I have seen her I was at both games in the rain yesterday. I'm not trying to say she's not a good player I'm just saying that lefties aren't made to play second base. And you can't play the discrimination card either, because I'm left handed also. The middle infield and third base is reserved for righties, and I think it should stay that way. And mtp those numbers help prove my point, maybe if we had a righty at second we could bump those numbers up. The flip and fire from the SS to second baseman or vice versa is just natural with two right arms making the play.

She's a fish - the 06-07 numbers are with a righty at second.

twright10- again, who cares if she is a lefty? she has the skill and quickness to make the plays.
as I remember from last night, there were quite a few errors on both teams

If she plays the position relatively error free and makes the plays that a 2nd basemen should make (outside of the double play turns, and there has been plenty of info about that already), what is wrong with the fact she is left handed?

Wait to ***** until she makes mistakes, if that happens very often at all this year

Aggiedad, yes, there was a Lefthanded catcher - don't remember the team.

If they can do the job, more power. Usually, an athlete who can make this work is outstanding anyhow.

Softball has alot of defenses that make a lefty at second base a moot point. Alot of shifting due to the nature of the game.

Second baseman will also cover first in some of those defenses.

Double plays up the middle don't happen with right handed second baseman either.

If she gets the job done in the field and she can hit, put her left handed butt out there!

[This message has been edited by TXAggie2011 (edited 2/21/2008 5:03p).]

The left handed catcher was from Northwestern. I don't remember the name.

Northwestern had one who batted lefty and threw righty (and had no defense stats) - no one on their roster threw lefty. Except for ASU (who doesn't list that information), all the other catchers were right handed.

[This message has been edited by mtp2007 (edited 2/21/2008 5:15p).]

MTP, go back a year further and you'll find your All- Big Ten left handed catcher. Sorry I didn't catch it wasn't last year for you...

This left handed catcher holds the CAREER RECORD FOR STARTS at Northwestern. She has some stats going for her.

Google "Jamie Dotson."

One thing to keep in mind is that when it came time for Coach Evans to recruit a second baseman, she chose Natalie. It's not like she's been put there because she can hit. This is a position in which she has excelled for some time. You don't last as a left-handed second basemen if you can't get the job done and you surely don't get recruited as one.

I think some people are still basing their arguments on baseball. The turning two up the middle argument is about like saying that you need a 6'8 first baseman in baseball to catch the balls that would be overthrows with a shorter player. Overthrows of first in baseball are probably actually more common than a 6-4-3 double play in softball. So with your reasoning, it's stupid for Childress not to get a 6'8 guy on first.

That's my cousin right there! Thread bookmarked. I have to send this to my family.



[This message has been edited by AggieVictor10 (edited 2/21/2008 9:16p).]

[This message has been edited by AggieVictor10 (edited 2/21/2008 9:16p).]

Anyone who says she shouldn't be out there after today is a certified moron. What a day she had! She has stepped up huge as a freshman and is one of my new favorites to watch! A big WHOOP for Nat!

gigem06

I second that BIG WHO0P!!! Natalie is one of the most complete all-around offensive and defensive players I've seen, especially for a fish. I can't wait to see this team play 2 against UH on Wednesday.

The March 1 weekend will be against some of the best teams in the East when they play in GA. Bet Nat does well there too!!

I caught her in action today. Certainly a great player! We're lucky to have her at 2nd.