Investigative Report: Here Are the Best Places to Put a 10th Guy if 10 Guys Were Allowed on a Baseball Field
Ever thought about where you would put a 10th guy if 10 guys were allowed on a baseball field? I have. In fact, I have given it serious thought. Here are my findings.
Picture of a normal baseball field with only 9 guys on it.
Baseball is a sport where only 9 guys are allowed on the field at one time. People have been talking for years though about adding a 10th Guy, and I think this movement is gaining some steam.
I have gone through all of the situations that can come up in a baseball game and here is where I would put the 10th Guy in each situation. The red “X” on each picture represents the 10th Guy.
Situation 1: A right handed batter
For a right handed batter, I would put the 10th Guy right here since most right handed batters pull the ball into the gap when they hit it. As you can see, the gap has been filled with the 10th Guy, so when a right handed guy hits the ball into the gap, the 10th Guy will just catch it for an out.
Situation 2: A left handed batter
The same logic applies here, but in reverse. For a left handed batter, I’d put the 10th Guy right here in the other gap and when the batter hits the ball there it will be an out.
Situation 3: A bunt
When a guy is definitely going to bunt (whether he is right or left handed), I’d put the 10th Guy right on top of the guy at the plate. If he lays down a bunt, the 10th Guy can just go pick it up and throw it to first for an easy out.
Situation 4: There’s a runner on 3rd and your pitcher keeps throwing the ball in the dirt and it’s making your catcher very nervous
In this situation, I find that it actually is better to take the 10th Guy from the gap and put him behind home plate to give your catcher some peace of mind. This way, if the pitcher throws the ball in the dirt, the catcher can just relax for a few seconds as the 10th Guy picks it up and tags the runner out who is trying to steal home.
Situation 5: A big homerun hitting guy is at bat and you really don’t want him to hit a homerun
In this situation, I am putting the 10th Guy in dead center field and I am telling him to start climbing the center field wall (before the pitcher even throws a pitch) just in case the big homerun hitting guy hits a bomb to dead center field. Then the 10th Guy can just put his glove up there and rob him of a homerun.
Situation 6: A little guy with tiny muscles who typically bloops the ball is at bat
When a little guy with tiny little muscles is at bat, I like putting the 10th Guy right on the edge of the outfield to take away the little bloop hit. If the tiny guy hits a little blooper up the middle, the 10th Guy can just catch it for an easy out. Piece of cake.
