Lefty Specialist?

My son's MLB career is off to a hot start. For the past few months, I had given up hope my 4-year-old would make it to the pros. He tends to throw the ball behind him. We've talked about his release point, but he just sticks out his tongue and makes fart noises.

It turns out he had been throwing with his off-hand. The kid's a lefty. This is a mystery. Other than the occasional left-handed layup, I can't do squat as a southpaw.

This poses a serious problem. He was supposed to be the next great third baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals. Buck? Anyone? Has there been a lefty third baseman in the modern era?

 

Mattingly played a few games there in an emergency situation in 1986, but no, no one in the 20th century and onward has played a significant number of games there as a lefty.

The reason is a simple one: people would bunt them to death.

 

Hey, it didn't work on Jim Abbott.

 

The Bill James reason: lefties who can throw hard are too valuable as pitchers, so they are put on the mound. If you can throw and are left-handed, you won't be playing third, SS, or catcher for long.

 

And if they can throw AND run, they play the outfield.

Of the three infield positions, I would think shortstop would be the "easiest" to play as a lefty, though I can still see problems with throwing from the hole.

Second base would be nigh impossible, especially turning a 5-4-3 double play.

Here's a fun stat for you ... a guy named Hick Carpenter played 1,059 games as a lefty-throwing third baseman in the 19th century ... and made 591 errors. Even with Victorian-era glove technology, that's a lot.

 

Mike Squires played a game in 1983.

 

Get him a good first-baseman's glove and teach him how to stretch for the high throw coming in from the short stop.

 

Exactly. You've got to turn him into a pitcher, Stallion. Come on now--don't screw this up. You don't know how many fathers hoped, wished, and prayed that their youngster would show a leaning to the left in their sporting abilities that could be nurtured and parlayed into a professional paycheck. Only to have them turn out righty, no matter how many times they tied that arm behind their back.

You know the kind of coin a good major lefty pitcher brings in? That's gold, Jerry, pure gold.

You can probably go ahead and retire now and just coast off his future earnings.

 

Left-handed pitchers last forever throwing junk.
Or make him a bowler...less money but cake conditions

 

But then he'd have to encourage his kid to grow a mullet.

 

I thought this thread was about Fenian.

 

Wouldn't that be a lefty flamethrower?