When MLB Players Play WAY Out of Position

[@darkness74185]

Dodgers being funny with their player positions is probably a long standing tradition by now, but seeing Mookie Betts going basically full utility player was probably on no one's bingo cards moving into 2024

[@zacharyanderson3791]

The dodgers have a great coaching staff. We are known for scraping used players off the floor and reconstituting then into stars, Turner, Edman, and keeping existing stars hot late into their careers, such as Mookie and Freeman. It does not surprise me that the dodgers are also good at hammering square pegs into round holes like this ahaha.

[@rainbowhouse3427]

Dodgers love their utility players lmao.

[@Sapioso]

He was an infielder and asked for it. He’s playing SS this upcoming season, and is an outstanding 2B defender.

[@laartwork]

Russell Martin was not lobbing it in there like most position players. 4 innings pitched, 2 strike outs and a 0.00 ERA. Not bad.

[@troylee4196]

It annoys me when players just lob, at that point the game was over but now all the entertainment value is gone too since opponents can't even hit them (unwritten role)

[@patrickdare5356]

In the famous Tippy Martinez three pickoff game, after a bunch of pinch hitters in the 9th forced the game to extras the O's ended up with Lenn Sakata (2B) at catcher, John Lowenstein (OF) at second base, and Gary Roenicke (OF) at third base for the tenth inning. The Jays were so eager to run on Sakata that Martinez picked off three straight runners in that tenth inning, and Sakata went on to hit a walkoff 3 run homer in the bottom of the inning.

[@lktime]

Hi Made The Cut, I love your videos everything about this video was great and I love seeing players playing out of position (Kinda like MLB The Show Lol 🤣). But a good suggestion was Craig Biggio when he started as a catcher then went to 2nd base and then went to Left Field!

[@maxortof8553]

Saving this video for future immaculate grids

[@brianmenkes424]

“Jorge Alfaro, a decently fast runner.” Career catcher with 18 steals in 496 games.

[@3G2J]

Lefty ace Sam McDowell also recorded a putout at second base in 1970. There’s a whole article about it

[@emeraldaly7646]

Russell Martin playing shortstop was actually the reason he wasn't selected for Team Canada for the WBC one year. He told them he only wanted to play shortstop, and not catch. They told him thanks but no thanks.

[@rslitman]

Some years back, the White Sox used a lefthanded thrower, Mike Squires, as a fill-in at 3rd base. In the past, sometimes a road team would put a good offensive player in one of the first three spots in the order, but after he hit in the top of the 1st, a better fielder or weaker hitter would take over starting in the bottom of the 1st. This sometimes produced a box score showing a lefty thrower starting at SS, 2B, 3B, or C. The 1970s Oakland A's used Gonzalo Marquez, a lefthanded thrower, in place of 2B Dick Green in the batting order to start at least one game. Lou Gehrig also was penciled in as starting shortstop to give him one plate appearance on the day he was getting married to keep his streak going. I think this practice was eventually outlawed.

[@mrpotato7396]

Its funny cuz when i started playing baseball in a league i started at third as a lefty and made pretty good plays aswell as catches that the opposing third base coach would say that only a lefty could’ve caught that since then ive switched to first base because of arm problems but i still sometimes play the hot corner and regularly make good plays

[@TheBrimic]

Freddie could have been a damn solid 3B.

[@darkness74185]

If he's not 35 already I can definitely see the Dodgers doing the Mookie thing with him and let him round 1B/3B. Imagine the most disgusting first-to-third batting line up in baseball, except they can also all play utility (yeah I know Ohtani's kinda stuck on DH but come on, he pitches), insane stuff

[@elmascabron]

vince velazquez playing left field??

[@rslitman]

Yes, with an outfielder, Roman Quinn, pitching. This begs the question, why not swap the two? Apparently, it was because the Phillies pitchers were on some type of throwing routine on days they were available to pitch, and Velasquez had not done this that day. Roy Oswalt also made an outfield appearance about a month after he was traded to the Phillies from Houston. The Astros came into Philadelphia for a 4-game series, but Oswalt was the one starter who wasn't scheduled for that series, which the Astros swept. In one game, though, Ryan Howard got ejected arguing a called 3rd strike in extra innings. The Phillies were out of position players, so Oswalt went out to play left field. I guess whoever was in left that game moved to 1B to replace Howard.

[@somerandomguy5977]

No one will understand with MLB killing National League baseball. Simply put, once a player exits a game in baseball he is out forvthe whole game. Therefore if you want to "take out" your pitcher but have him pitch again you move him to the outfield corner less likely to be hit to. Chances are he won't get a fielding opportunity and will be able to get back on the mound and face more batters.

[@emeraldaly7646]

Adrian Gonzalez in right field Joe Mauer in right field Ken Griffey Jr at first base (I've tried for ages to find video of this to no avail, but it happened) Cubs pitcher Travis Wood and Phillies pitcher Vince Velazquez both played left field once. Wood made a great play leaping into the ivy to rob extra bases, and Velazquez made TWO great plays -- a diving catch and a 7-2 outfield assist. If we open this up to "positions guys played before becoming stars" the list gets even bigger: Kenley Jansen and Carlos Delgado as catchers Jorge Posada and Trevor Hoffman as shortstops Albert Pujols played almost every position JT Realmuto primarily played shortstop in college, only catching when the team's regular catcher was called on to pitch Jim Thome, Mark McGwire, and Jeff Bagwell all as third basemen (though only Thome played there in the bigs)

[@dkroll92]

McGwire has 24 games played at 3rd in the bigs

[@BaseballRoscoe25]

in one game in 2006, Maddon had Spencer Patton and Travis Wood switch from Left Field to the mound when different hitters came up, then in that same game Pedro Strop played left to finish the game (albeit he didnt make any plays)

[@emeraldaly7646]

@@dkroll92 Would never have guessed. I only heard about him playing there in the minors, when he was mysteriously about 50 pounds slimmer.

[@emeraldaly7646]

@@BaseballRoscoe25 Yup, Maddon definitely got creative, and it was super fun to see. In looking at his gamelogs, Wood played left three times in 2016. The first, against the Rockies, he was just straight-up a defensive sub. He even batted as the left fielder (and got a base hit!). The Rockies won this game 11-4. The second, against the Mariners (which is the game I remembered), involved him playing left for five outs while Strop took the mound. His robbery was against Franklin Gutierrez and probably saved the game -- the Mariners were up 6-2 at the time and with a runner on first, Gutierrez's sure double likely would have extended the lead. (The Cubs tied the game at 6 in the bottom of the ninth and later won in 12) The third was against the Reds, and it's the game you remembered -- Patton pitched to one batter in the 14th, then Wood pitched to one, then Patton went back to the mound to finish off a 1-2-3 inning. Wood then worked a scoreless 15th to finish off the Cubs win. In theory, with the pitcher assuming a defensive position and returning to the mound like this, he could accrue a blown save and a converted save or two blown saves in the same game. No doubt the presence on the roster of Ben Zobrist -- a player who could play both infield and outfield with skill and bat well enough to be a starter -- helped in the chicanery.

[@BaseballRoscoe25]

@@emeraldaly7646 I meant 2016, not 2006, sorry, and that was strange to see him lose that weight

[@anakincorleone1]

One more thing to add: the 1/3 inning that Don Mattingly played 2B in his career was in the continuation of the George Brett pine tar game.

[@tommyfu9271]

with ron guidry in center.

[@Metfan722]

Gary Carter playing third base is another one.

[@kimi_miksa5240]

I always had the question are lefties better for first base because I am a 6 foot lefty and my coach didnt put me on first base because he said it takes more time for the ball to reach my right hand then my left hand, I am currently a third baseman and should I play first base?

[@patron40silver]

You need a new coach. A LH 3B, with your glove hand being on the line, covers less ground/get to fewer balls ( *more balls are hit in the hole than down the line ). LH 1B covers more ground because your glove hand is off the line and can get to more balls *. I'm assuming your "coach" means it takes longer for the ball to reach a right hand during a pick off. It does but the ball travels faster to a LH 1B glove, that is on the base, than a RH 1B can catch, with his left hand, and make a tag.

[@kimi_miksa5240]

@@patron40silver Thank you i will tell him this i am from a small country where baseball isnt popular at all and its really rare to find someone to teach it, i had to find a coach myself and started a team just because i wanted to play

[@patron40silver]

@@kimi_miksa5240 Disregard the "you need a new coach" thing. He's trying and means well. His logic is correct but logic doesn't always mean it's correct. There are many nuances to baseball that people that didn't grow up playing the sport may not be aware of. The best advice I can give to you, besides having fun, is to learn the fundamentals both offensively and defensively. Best of luck to you👍⚾

[@patron40silver]

@@kimi_miksa5240 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_baseman Give this a read. I skimmed over it and it gives good information ( talks specifically about LH 1B and the reasoning behind why it's advantageous ). Also: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eouToYCjltt_n9E Hope those help and explain things a little better.

[@SP-ve1im]

So if Dodgers sign Vlad Jr next year, Freeman will play 3B lol

[@107hyperbolic]

why is the volume so low?

[@lunarumbreon7699]

I’d still count the technicalities for Rizzo but he did actually play 3rd during a game

[@somerandomguy5977]

Once again being lazy. Russell Martin played shortstop... and second... and shortstop... wnd second. He was being moved to where the ball was least likely to be hit.

[@WineSippingCowboy]

Don Matting at 3B! L 🤣 L

[@braylenmiller3440]

First