Editing Baseball rules (section)

====The infielders====
The four infielders are the ''[[first baseman]]'', ''[[second baseman]]'', ''[[shortstop]]'', and ''[[third baseman]]''. Originally the first, second and third basemen played very near their respective bases, and the shortstop generally played "in" (hence the term), covering the area between second, third, and the pitchers box, or wherever the game situation required. As the game evolved, the fielding positions changed to the now-familiar "umbrella", with the first and third baseman generally positioned a short distance toward second base from their bases, the second baseman to the right side of second base standing further away from the base than any other infielder, and the shortstop playing to the left of second base, as seen from the batter's perspective.

The [[first baseman]]'s job consists largely of making plays at first base on [[ground ball]]s hit to the other [[infielder]]s. When an infielder picks up a ball from the ground hit by the [[Batter (baseball)|batter]], he must throw it to the first baseman who has to catch the ball and maintain contact with the base before the batter gets to it for the batter to be out. The need to do this quickly often requires the first baseman to stretch one of his legs to touch first base while catching the ball simultaneously. The first baseman must be able to catch the ball very well and usually wears a specially designed [[Baseball glove|mitt]]. The first baseman fields balls hit near first base. The first baseman also has to receive throws from the pitcher in order to tag runners out who have reached base safely. The position is less physically challenging than the other positions, but there is still a lot of skill involved. Infielders do not always make good throws to first base, so it is the first baseman's job to field any ball thrown toward him cleanly. Older players who can no longer fulfill the demands of their original positions also often become first basemen.

The second baseman covers the area to the first-base side of second base and provides backup for the first baseman in [[bunt (baseball)|bunt]] situations. He also is a cut-off for the [[outfield]]. The cut-off provides an intermediary between an outfielder and the infield so that the outfielder does not have to throw the entire distance if they have been forced to field the ball near the outer edge of the outfield. The shortstop fills the critical gap between second and third bases—where right-handed batters generally hit ground balls—and also covers second or third base and the near part of [[left field]]. This player is also a cut-off for the outfield. This position is the most demanding defensively, so a good shortstop doesn't need to necessarily be a skilled batter, though this has changed in modern times. The third baseman's primary requirement is a strong throwing arm, in order to make the long throw across the infield to the first baseman. Quick [[reaction time]] is also important for third basemen, as they tend to see more sharply-hit balls than do the other infielders, thus the nickname for third base as the "hot corner". Also, because there are far more right-handed hitters than lefties, there are more ground balls hit to the left side of the infield due to the natural motion of the batter's swing.