Editing Shortstop (section)

==Positioning==
Unlike the [[pitcher]] and [[catcher]], who must start every play in a designated area (the pitcher must be on the [[pitcher's mound]], with one foot in contact with the [[pitcher's rubber]], and the catcher must be behind [[home plate]] in the [[catcher's box]]) the shortstop and the other fielders can vary their positioning in response to what they anticipate will be the actions of the batter and runner(s) once the play begins.<ref>Baseball Explained, by Phillip Mahony. McFarland Books, 2014. See [http://www.baseballexplained.com www.baseballexplained.com] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140813034018/http://www.baseballexplained.com/ |date=2014-08-13 }}</ref>

The shortstop ordinarily is positioned near second base on the third-base side. Because right-handed hitters tend to hit the ball more toward third base, a shortstop will generally move closer to third base if the batter is batting right-handed, and more toward first base if the batter is batting left-handed. A shortstop typically has a strong throwing arm, because he has a relatively long throw to first base, and often has less time in which to make a throw, given that the [[ground ball]]s he fields have often traveled relatively far. A shortstop must also be extremely agile, because balls hit to or near the shortstop position are usually hit harder than to other infield positions.

Shortstops are required to [[covering a base|cover second base]] in [[double play]] situations when the ball is hit to the second baseman or first baseman. They also cover second when a runner is attempting a [[stolen base]], but only when a left-handed hitter is batting because the infield will respond to a left-handed batter by shifting toward first base, resulting in the shortstop being the infielder who is closest to second base. Shortstops also must cover third at various times, including the rotation play; the latter occurs when there are runners on first and second and a [[sacrifice bunt]] is attempted toward third base, requiring the third baseman to move in away from third base in order to field it.  Shortstops generally are given precedence on catching pop-ups in the [[infielder|infield]] as well, so they end up calling off other players many times, although on deep pop-ups they generally fall back when called off by an [[outfielder]]. They often become the cutoff man on balls to any part of the outfield that are being directed towards third base and all balls to left and center field that are destined for second base. Depending on the system the shortstop may cut balls from left field heading home; however, this is usually the job of the third baseman.

The emphasis on defense makes the position unusually difficult to fill. Historically, a strong shortstop did not have to be a good hitter. Some of the weakest hitters in Major League Baseball have played the position, including [[Mario Mendoza]], for whom [[George Brett]] popularized the eponymous [[Mendoza Line]] to describe a batting average below .200. Since the 1960s, however, such mediocre hitting has become rarer as teams increasingly demand players with ability to both field and hit.<ref name="seminara20100706">{{cite news | url=http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/article_cff05af5-032e-5a29-b5a8-ecc9216b0c02.html | title=Branded for life with 'The Mendoza Line' | work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch | date=2010-07-06 | access-date=January 9, 2013 | author=Seminara, Dave}}</ref>

In practice, a marginal fielder as a shortstop who hits well can be moved to almost any other position, especially second base or third base, whether early in their careers (examples: George Brett and [[Mike Schmidt]] were both tried early in their careers as shortstops)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/brettge01.shtml |title=George Brett Statistics and History |publisher=Baseball-Reference.com |access-date=February 13, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/schmimi01.shtml |title=Mike Schmidt Statistics and History |publisher=Baseball-Reference.com |access-date=February 13, 2011}}</ref> or later due to diminished [[fielding range]], slower reflexes, weaker throwing arms, increased risk of injury, or co-existence with another dominant shortstop, as with [[Ernie Banks]], [[Cal Ripken Jr.]], [[Alex Rodríguez]], [[Michael Young (baseball)|Michael Young]], or [[Miguel Tejada]].