However, Dickey Pearce, primarily of the Brooklyn Atlantics, is credited as the first to have played the shortstop position as it is played now. With the advent of higher-quality baseballs, Adams moved to the infield, since the distance the balls could travel increased. The position, more of a fourth outfielder than an infielder, was also then called "short fielder" (a term still used in soft-pitch softball for the 10th player). Adams's shortstop position, which he started playing at some time from 1849 to 1850, was used to field throws from the outfielders and throw to the three infielders. The outfielders had difficulty throwing baseballs into the infield because of the balls' light weight. The only infielders were the players covering each of the bases if there were more than eight players, extra outfielders were sometimes used. In the first five years the Knickerbockers played, the team fielded anywhere from eight to eleven players. Also, like a third baseman, the shortstop fields balls hit to the left side of the infield, where a strong arm is needed to throw out a batter-runner before they reach the safety of first base.ĭoc Adams of the Knickerbockers created the concept of the shortstop position, according to baseball historian John Thorn and Baseball Hall of Fame researcher Freddy Berowski. Like a second baseman, a shortstop must be agile, for example when performing a 4-6-3 double play. More hit balls go to the shortstop than to any other position, as there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the ball slightly. In the numbering system used by scorers to record defensive plays, the shortstop is assigned the number 6. Today, shortstops are often able to hit well and many are placed at the top of the lineup. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who were typically poor at batting and were often placed at the bottom of the batting order. Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions.
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