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HSBBWeb Old Timer

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At D-3's the academics are critical as is english Can we start with firstbasemans?
TRhit
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| Posts: 19131 | Location: Manchester, CT USA | Registered: December 26, 2002 |    |
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HSBBWeb Old Timer

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Purple and Black, You will soon learn that First Base is the "Maytag Repairman" position of baseball. If a guy can hit, and can't do anything else, he'll find a first basemen's mitt on his hand. Many schools, at all levels, do not recruit first basemen, but convert someone who hits well but might not field some other position as well (3B/OF for example). Schools like to see size and power at first base, but the first three requirements are hitting, hitting, and hitting. Hitting with power helps a great deal. A guy can be as slick a fielding first baseman as ever walked the planet, but if he can't hit, he'll sit. Good defense is expected and normally first basemen are only noticed defensively when they don't come up with a scoop. (And TR is right, academics are very important at all levels. Good grammar is very important not just in college, where you'll write many many papers, but in the real world, bad grammar jumps out in a conversation like a rattlesnake...it even got you a shot from TR. A lot of high school students treat grammar like a disease, only to later learn its importance. If you're in high school, do everything you can to improve your communication skills. Good luck!)
Go Hokies! Go Rams! Go Captains!
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| Posts: 1772 | Location: Virginia | Registered: December 28, 2002 |    |
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HSBBWeb Old Timer

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quote: Number one qualification for playing 1B at that level is, "Can he hit?". Number two is, "Can he hit?". Number three is, "Can he hit?".
Those are, in fact, the requirments for firstbasepersons.
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| Posts: 3101 | Location: Texas | Registered: December 27, 2002 |    |
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Member

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My son fits your profile question. He is a 1st baseman at a good D3 school. He his 6'3", 220lb, LH 1st baseman.
He is there because he is a good student first and can hit, both for average and power. Like the comments before, he doesn't have great speed and has an average arm; but fields his position well and can snag almost any ball thrown his direction.
From experience, if you can not play solid defense, you will likely not play. However, with solid defense, the focus turns quickly to hitting.
In the end, he ended up at the school he is at because he had the grades and test scores.
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| Posts: 268 | Location: Northern Calif | Registered: February 27, 2006 |    |
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Member
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As others have mentioned, a first baseman MUST hit. Coaches may like to see height but it's not that important if the player can hit. I played at a D1 baseball school that regularly used a 5'6" guy at first base. He led the team in home runs and was among the leaders in average.
Joe Janish OnBaseball.com
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| Posts: 32 | Location: Weehawken, NJ | Registered: July 14, 2006 |    |
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