Being the pitcher
You throw every pitch — and the second it's hit, you're the closest fielder to everything.
The rule: Finish the pitch, then become a fielder: comebackers, bunts, covering first, backing up.
The job
Every play starts in your hand.
The pitcher stands on the mound, sixty feet from home, and throws every pitch. But the moment the ball is hit, the pitching is over — now you're the fifth infielder, closer to the batter than anyone.
Comebackers
The ball comes back FAST.
A comebacker reaches you in under a second. Knock it down, pick it up, take a breath — you have more time than you think. Then make the same decision any infielder makes: find the force, get the lead runner if you can.
Bunts
Bunts in front of the plate are yours.
When a bunt dies on the grass, you're usually the one who charges it. A bunt rolls slow — by the time you grab it, the force ahead is often gone. Turn and take the sure out at first.
Cover first
Ball to the right side? Sprint to first.
When the first baseman leaves the bag to field a grounder, somebody has to be standing on first for the out — and that somebody is you. Break toward the line the instant the ball goes right. Scorekeepers write it 3-1.
Back up
No play? Back up the throw.
On a hit to the outfield with a runner heading home, don't stand and watch. Get behind the catcher, in line with the throw. If it skips past, you're the reason it doesn't roll to the fence.
Bases loaded. Your glove.
Bases loaded, nobody out, and the comebacker finds you. Every base has a force — one of them saves a run. Tap where the throw goes.