I think 2B is the easiest position to play

[Fishhead]

Do you agree?

[3PtShooter]

left field easiest,,,,pivot for double play might be the hardest play for infielder from the 2nd base position

[teaserpleaser]

1st base imo you can just about throw anybody there. 300lbs okay play first base. You need very lil ability to play first. catch the ball only have to make a couple of throws a game.

[teaserpleaser]

left field can be tough with lights, wind, ask pat burrell and alfonso soriano

[dodger33]

Long Relief. You usually come in when the game is out of hand and no one expects much from you anyways.

[Holtgetsback]

Back up catcher.

[Fishhead]

I played EVERY position one season in college........no errors.

Although I did have 2-3 past balls in 3-4 innings of catching duty.

[Doug]

Seems to me poor fielders like a Rusty Staub/ Reggie Jackson type get thrown in right field or first base.

Ortiz plays 1st when not a DH, can't see him at 2nd.

I guess it depends on your body type. A 6 footer isn't ideal for 1st base....might be OK at 2nd if he is kind of quick and fit. A 6'4" 280 lb slugger type ( Ortiz) would be awful at 2nd, MAYBE RF as the only other place to hide him.

[mathdotcom]

Ball boy

[1949]

yes it was my position. and i suck at ball buteven i could play 2 b

[yisman]

nonsense. 2B is one of the more difficult positions to play.

The easiest defensive positions would be corner outfield and first base.

[Fishhead]

nonsense. 2B is one of the more difficult positions to play.

The easiest defensive positions would be corner outfield and first base.

Well, we beg to differ........

1B is much harder to play then most realize........one needs excellent foot work, the ability to handle the bunt, make scoops and stops, avoid going into the hole(big mistake for 1st timers), and chasing down popups at tough angles.

[dodger33]

I think peoples misconception with 1st is that they see unathletic people playing it. Having a first baseman that can field and dig balls makes the rest of your infielders that much better. It is hard to say who has the easiest job because everyone is just as important as the next. That is like saying the kicker has the easiest job but when you have to hit a 55 yard fg up 2 with 10 seconds left do you really want some scrub out there?

[mathdotcom]

Easiest position should be defined as how easy the average play is. This has got to be outfield. Pop fly = routine. Ball well out of reach = routine. The only tough play is a diving catch at the wall or a throw home, but these are rare compared to the infield who have to make a lot of diving catches and accurate throws to first. And the first baseman on average gets a lot more balls in the dirt than outfielders get plays at the wall/throws home. [I'm only counting throws home when there's a true play at the plate - if the runner is definitely going to score then the play is easy because there's nothing to do].

[Doug]

first is hard to play with defensive excellence at the MLB level like Texeria with the NYY. Nobody expects that from Ortiz in a playoff game.

Main thing is be 6'4" or so and catch the throws from the other infielders while you earn your pay with the bat....unless you're a Tex type that can do it with defense being enough to carry you through a season long slump at the plate for average. He still gets the RBI's.

[Nicky Santoro]

depends on you.. if you have a great glove and can field grounders, then definitely 2b is the easist.. no long throws.. don't have to really have a great arm..

now if you have tremendous speed and good range, then OF is by far the easiest.

It's like saying math is the easiest course, and then some say history is.. or whatever. the people that say math is easiest say it cause they are great at it.. and those who would say history is, is because they suck at math.

just like baseball. depends really what you were born to be great at. i played Infield all my life and 2b is easiest by far.. and i have 1 friend who sucks at ground balls, and is a star outfielder and says RF is easiest.

[Doug]

Easiest position should be defined as how easy the average play is. This has got to be outfield. Pop fly = routine. Ball well out of reach = routine. The only tough play is a diving catch at the wall or a throw home, but these are rare compared to the infield who have to make a lot of diving catches and accurate throws to first. And the first baseman on average gets a lot more balls in the dirt than outfielders get plays at the wall/throws home. [I'm only counting throws home when there's a true play at the plate - if the runner is definitely going to score then the play is easy because there's nothing to do].

diving catch means little in the OF. A superior outfielder gets there from instincts and makes it routine. A crappy outfielder might dive and make that "highlight reel" catch, looking good....if it doesn;t get by him for a triple. I can't argue about a guy that leaps at the wall and pulls back a homerun ball, but divers are sometimes covering breaking the wrong way or just not being fast enough.

I need a way to judge if the dive was extraordinary or covering a deficiency in skills.

[Holtgetsback]

Great outfielders know exactly where the ball will be hit right when it leave the pitchers hands, before the batter has even begun to swing.

Like Nikki said, it depends on what you excel at.

[Doug]

depends on you.. if you have a great glove and can field grounders, then definitely 2b is the easist.. no long throws.. don't have to really have a great arm..

now if you have tremendous speed and good range, then OF is by far the easiest.

It's like saying math is the easiest course, and then some say history is.. or whatever. the people that say math is easiest say it cause they are great at it.. and those who would say history is, is because they suck at math.

just like baseball. depends really what you were born to be great at. i played Infield all my life and 2b is easiest by far.. and i have 1 friend who sucks at ground balls, and is a star outfielder and says RF is easiest.

Back to body type. At the major league level all these guys are 6' and better. Shortstops can be 6'4" ( Jeter, A-rod, Ripken) Many pitchers are 6' 6" up to 6' 10".

1st base should be 6-4 or taller, outfielders should be over 6'. Maybe a short (6') tough guy behind the plate.

baseball players are tall, not NBA tall, but tall.

tough to play MLB at under 6' these days. SS needs 20 HR's to be elite.

How many players under 6' now compared to 30 years ago ?

I'd say easily 90% are over 6' now.

Where do you put a guy under 6' ?

There is Pedroia with the Bosox, but that is the exception....now. No Ozzie Smith types left.

[mathdotcom]

Think about it this way. Suppose you are an MLB manager and you're told you have to put a random guy off the street in the field. You don't know if he has a good glove, speed, or what. Where do you put him?

I would put him in outfield for sure, probably CF. Would you seriously put this guy anywhere in the midfield?

[Doug]

Great outfielders know exactly where the ball will be hit right when it leave the pitchers hands, before the batter has even begun to swing.

Like Nikki said, it depends on what you excel at.

well I'd say the sound of the ball off of the bat, hard to buy that an outfielder knows where it goes before pitched unless it was some BP pitcher and he knows the seats is the answer.

OF can't really tell what the pitch is ( He should catch then)...react to sound first, IMO !

[Nicky Santoro]

Think about it this way. Suppose you are an MLB manager and you're told you have to put a random guy off the street in the field. You don't know if he has a good glove, speed, or what. Where do you put him?

I would put him in outfield for sure, probably CF. Would you seriously put this guy anywhere in the midfield?

i'd look at opposing teams lineup and see how many rightie hitters. if there are 6 of 9 righties, he plays RF. if 6 of 9 left hitters, he plays LF..

also depends who's pitching for us. if a ground ball pitcher, i put him in the OF.. if it's a fly ball pitcher, i put him at 3b... oh shit, but then they might bunt down the 3b line each time.. maybe 2b... tough call.

[Doug]

Think about it this way. Suppose you are an MLB manager and you're told you have to put a random guy off the street in the field. You don't know if he has a good glove, speed, or what. Where do you put him?

I would put him in outfield for sure, probably CF. Would you seriously put this guy anywhere in the midfield?

You're supposed to put your best outfielder in center, so I'd go traditional and put him in RF, not CF.

Off the street guy, no way he gets CF, I want my real CF to cover the outfield instead of Kevin James or somebody.

[yisman]

2B is much more difficult than 1B. No contest.

A good 1B has to dig balls out of the dirt. Yay. A good 2B needs to cover a lot of ground, turn DPs, etc.

[yisman]

Put it this way:

Most second basemen could play first and be passable. No, they wouldn't be great at it without learning the nuances of the position, but they wouldn't kill you in the field.

On the other hand, you stick Prince Fielder or Ryan Howard at second and watch what happens. It wouldn't be pretty.

[Brock Landers]

They put the butchers at 1st base always...

[OmgUrMom]

1st base is easier position to play than 2nd base no doubt. I'm really surprised that you played baseball and think differently fish. I've played both and would say first is an easier position.

[Doug]

2B is much more difficult than 1B. No contest.

A good 1B has to dig balls out of the dirt. Yay. A good 2B needs to cover a lot of ground, turn DPs, etc.

Case closed ( IMO) easiest position ( if you're not too athletic) is Catcher in the bar softball league !

I'd judge the MLB players by what is expected of them on offense nowadays

little room for a defense guy that can't hit now....Berlanger or something close to that was all glove, no bat...defensive replacement ( SS , I think and behind Ripken ?)

You gotta hit to make MLB, not too many DH jobs for an Ortiz type, no way you rise through the minors without even playing a poor 1B or RF whilst you hit like Babe Ruth.

[str]

Center field is easiest IMO. You must have speed.That said it is pretty straight forward. Every ball hit is yours until you can not get there. One wall to deal with behind you.Yes,you must be a good outfielder but so do the other two guys.Do not want to hear about the ball hit directly at you. You play deeper then the other outfielders, you are faster or you would not be there, and no weird corners or hops.
That said, I do not think any of the positions are EASY.Certainly not 2nd.
Now, fish, if you played every position it had to have been a novelty of some sort or a record you wanted.If you have the arm to pitch,catch, play SS, 3rd or right, their can not be a sound reason for an arm like that at 2nd.And if it was because it is easy , well, have to think if the other team knew of your value to the team the cleats might have come in a tad high.If I was managing the other guys they sure would have.No offense.Just playing the game the way it was meant to be played.

[Doug]

1st base is easier position to play than 2nd base no doubt. I'm really surprised that you played baseball and think differently fish. I've played both and would say first is an easier position.

Depends if we be talking pizza league softball, or MLB

You don't hide Reggie Jackson. David Ortiz sorts at 2B to get their bat at the MLB level.

RJ could play some RF, but he was there to bat.

Hide an Ortiz at 1st, hope it doesn't get hit at him, and escape it ?

[plays]

First base and left or right oufield are the easiest positions to play.

[Robber]

First base and left or right oufield are the easiest positions to play.

thats what i think also

[ngates815]

We always threw the worst fielders in right field. So I'd say corner outfield is the easiest position.

First base is tough. Scooping balls in the dirt is hard as hell. First basemens in the majors get big props from me, because they handle the short hops almost flawlessly.

[OmgUrMom]

Depends if we be talking pizza league softball, or MLB

You don't hide Reggie Jackson. David Ortiz sorts at 2B to get their bat at the MLB level.

RJ could play some RF, but he was there to bat.

Hide an Ortiz at 1st, hope it doesn't get hit at him, and escape it ?

well i only played high school baseball. I just don't think there is much difference betweeen a top defensive 1st baseman like Pujols and a crappier one. They have a lot less tough plays to make, most of what they get is routine and thus is a good spot to put a weak defensive player.

[Goat Milk]

Baseball probably easiest sport to play. There are very few baseball players that are actually athletic. Not very many skills needed just vision, hand eye coordination and strength. Not like basketball where you have to have a 40 inch vertical or 2% body fat like Jordan did at one point, or soccer where endurance is huge, or Hockey where you need a lot of skill to skate and handle a puck at the pro level.

I bet you guys like Manny Ramirez and other lazy asses in the MLB suck dick at basketball and other sports involving athleticism.