A third baseman , abbreviated 3B , is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system used to record defensive plays, the third baseman is assigned the number 5.
6-696: Freddy Carol Sandoval Herrera (born August 16, 1982) is a Mexican former professional baseball third baseman . Sandoval played his collegiate baseball for the San Diego Toreros from 2002 to 2004, and was part of two conference championship teams during his career there. Sandoval made his major league debut for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim against the New York Yankees on September 8, 2008 , at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California . He Played in
12-415: A third baseman should be able to hit have risen over time; in the early years of the sport, these expectations were similar to those for shortstops , the third baseman being merely the less skilled defensive player. Players who could hit with more ability often were not suited for third base, either because they were left-handed or because they were not mobile enough for the position. However, the beginning of
18-489: The Mexican Baseball League . This biographical article relating to a Mexican baseball third baseman is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Third baseman Third base is known as the " hot corner ", because the third baseman is often the infielder who stands closest to the batter—roughly 90–120 feet away, but even closer if a bunt is expected. Most right-handed hitters tend to hit
24-642: The 2009 World Baseball Classic as Mexico's leadoff hitter. On April 11, 2012, Sandoval signed with the Somerset Patriots of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball . In 53 games he hit .250/.321/.359 with 2 home runs, 25 RBIs and 3 stolen bases. Sandoval was named the Mental Skills Coach by Kansas City Royals after retiring. In 2017, he served as a coach/team psychologist for the Toros de Tijuana of
30-443: The ball hard in this direction. A third baseman must possess good hand-eye coordination and quick reactions to catch batted balls whose speed can exceed 120 miles per hour (190 km/h). The third base position requires a strong and accurate arm, as the third baseman often makes long throws to first base or quick ones to second base to start a double play . As with middle infielders , right-handed throwing players are standard at
36-488: The position because they do not need to turn their body before throwing across the infield to first base. Mike Squires , who played fourteen games at third base in 1982 and 1983, is a very rare example of a third baseman who threw lefty. Some third basemen have been converted from middle infielders or outfielders because the position does not require them to run as fast. The third baseman must also field fly balls in fair and foul territories . Expectations of how well
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