In baseball, co-ed, recreational, beer league softball, I’ve noticed there are two types of players: reactors and planners. You know them as infielders and outfielders. I started thinking about this while watching one of those local co-ed, recreational leagues here in Boulder and talking to an old guy who’d been involved with the city leagues for about the same amount of time I’ve been alive.
It started with a comment Ed made about the girl playing third:
You know, I typically get nervous with a girl on third, but this girl’s got an arm and a really quick glove!
The I’m-a-girl-and-I’ve-played-third-base-forever in me kept herself in check and tactfully responded:
Yeah, she’s really talented. You know, I’ve always played third, but I’ve found that I’m more of an asset on the infield than in the outfield because I don’t have time to think about reacting to the play. It’s more instinctive to simply react to a line drive or a ground ball. Pop ups? I have to think too much about that and will miss them nine out of ten times.
Obviously, a winning defense needs both, right? Those that can react quickly and throw hard, and those that can show patience by getting under a pop up or the coordination and timing it takes to run backwards, into a wall, jump in the air, and still make a catch.
Some people find themselves in the first group – the reactors. Give them too much time to think, and they’ll over-think. Hit them with a line drive, a deadline, or an unexpected situation and they’ll snag it and move on to the next play. I think I’m in this group. I’m adaptive, I can roll with things that don’t go the way I planned, and often react pretty quickly to the plays I’m thrown.
Thank god for the outfielders though, the thinkers, the ones with the patience to take the time to take in a whole situation or with the drive to run all the way to the fence. Kind of like when I talked about Big Picture People and Little Picture People, there are those of us that are Idea People and whose thoughts and dreams are going to change the world. And there are those without the vision but with the energy and focus to get sh!t done. The ENTPs and the ESFJs and all the personality types in between. God bless ‘em both, right? Or nothing would get done.
I don’t think I need to paint the picture any further for you, but these are the deep thoughts I have on the bleachers. And I’ll take just about any excuse to make a metaphor out of baseball or yoga.
So… on my co-ed, recreational, beer-drinking, sunshine-loving softball team: are you an infielder or an outfielder?
{ 27 comments… read them below or add one }
Can I be both? Granted I prefer being an infielder, but I am equally awesome at both. Though it has been over 10 years since I last played… maybe I'm not so awesome anymore lol.
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Second base is yours, lady!
Great Post Doni, I know that in the field I have worked my whole life–retail management–I should probably be an "outfielder", however, that has never suited me. The more planning I do, the more likely I am to OVERPLAN and screw myself up.
I think that being an "infielder" I am a more valuable asset, because typically, I have worked with lots of "outfielders", who just simply can not make split decisions that are effective–something that is needed in that industry.
Oooh! Good business-related point, I like that about split decisions. Sometimes you just have to trust your instincts, right?
I don't know where I sit! I feel like I'm a planner, I like to strategize and brain storm and work things out… but I'm *addicted* to delivering. The process alone isn't interesting to me, I want to make finished products and put them out there. I'm a funny mix =)
No, that's a great mix and I admire your ability to both ideate and then create! You're kind of unstoppable, miss!
I started out playing the outfield, right to be more exact. I was then transferred into the infield because I didn't have the arm needed to throw to home. I love the infield when I switched. I love reacting and making quick decisions, but I also miss the outfield. Though I may not always get all the action in the outfield, I love the fact that I had to wait, be patient and always prepared. The best part of right field is playing backup for the 1st base, 2nd base and center field. The infield, I don't have much of an opportunity to cover for anyone but myself. Playing 1st base, I'm on my own. 2nd base was fun but it's hard to cover the shortstop when you have a small window and playing field. SS was more easy to cover 2nd, but it's hard to think about covering when you're always reacting. 3rd base was a bore but I always worried about making the throw to 1st in time.
Looking back, I'm glad I had the opportunity to play for both the infield and outfield. I feel I'm more balanced. I know when to play each area and know what to do, how to react, how to back up and most importantly, how to be part of a team.
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I think that says a lot about you that you enjoy playing positions that back up other positions. Safe to say you're your friends biggest fan and supporter a lot of the time, huh? Excellent quality – are you a Taurus, too?
So…clearly you had me hooked with the title alone and everything else was icing on the cake, but this is fabulous! I never really thought about it with this analogy, but it totally works. Up until 8th grade I was an infielder and loved it…but the level of play got more intense and I started to get scared of the ball. I wore glasses and the ball came so fast sometimes I was scared of my glasses breaking. You cannot be a good infielder if you are scared to react…so I moved to the outfield. Now, my life is a lot like that too. Not so much with the incredible patience part, but with the planning, thinking, contemplating the next best move… thanks for the good for thought on a Friday! Happy weekend travels
.-= Kristin´s last blog ..Write It All Down =-.
The way you put this makes me think I should play outfield next or soon so that I can learn those lessons!
I love the connection between baseball and life. Your posts are always so thought-provoking and I just love it!
I would say that, although I wish I was an outfielder and try to work that way, I'm better at being an infielder. The idea of planning things out and thinking them through appeals to me because I feel like I need to examine something from all sides before making a decision. But, I'm very rarely productive in this position – like you said, when I think too much, I usually miss the target.
When I'm thrown something last-minute and I need to make decisions quickly, I'm able to follow through and get the job done successfully. So I guess I just need to suck it up and realize that I'm destined to be an infielder.
.-= Cait´s last blog ..not quite there yet. =-.
Oh you NAILED IT. I'm a list-maker and like to think I "plan" things sometimes, but when it comes down to it, I'm most effective when in a position where I have to react instead of over-analyzing.
I am second base. I always assume that I'm going to get a line drive, but I usually end up supporting everyone else. Every once in a while, I get a dinger my way, but usually it's pretty quiet. And once every blue moon, I do something really miraculous and pull a double play.
At those times, I try to remain cool, but inside I'm giggling like a second grader spelling "cup".
.-= Maggie´s last blog ..McKenzie Thought GM's Problems Might Not Be Their Fault =-.
Ha, it feels GOOD to nail a solid play doesn't it? I mean that in softball and in life and in anything
I'm totally a reactor when it comes to sports. Always have and probably always will be. Which is exactly why I played first base for my entire life.
Loving this, lady! Happy weekend!
.-= E.P.´s last blog ..Grandmothers know best =-.
I LOVE playing first, but the pressure!
I'm on the mound and behind the dish. What does that make me? The center of attention? I played the outfield for a long time but decided after awhile that it was time to get more involved. I like the analogy though because it helps us to understand how important it is to know what parts of the field (ahem, life) we are strongest and weakest on.
Center of attention, perhaps? But also instrumental, someone who gives their all when they play but rests in between? I think that's good balance if we're going to continue the metaphor.
I'm the cheerleader.
And the beer girl.
I keep you smiling – with my spirit fingers and my cold brews. So, there.
But in all seriousness – I hate planning. I mean, I love to-do lists and planning out MY day and MY tasks and all that – but event planning? No thanks. Planning for something on Friday on a Monday? UM HELLOOOOOOO, do you know how much can happen in 4.5 days?
So that's why I say this: "yes, I'd love to play on your awesome, co-ed, beer league. But all plans are subject to change."
And, PS, I MISS YOUR FACE.
BEST RESPONSE EVER, and it's damn true. You would be my cheerleader, and a hot one at that. Miss you back.
I'm an ENTJ, so I guess that makes me an outfielder? Probably? But I can react quickly to shorthand situations so I'm probably not an outfielder 100% of the time. I don't know much about sports.
.-= nicopolitan´s last blog ..Over Capacity =-.
But you know a lot about awesome.
Ummm…
I think I'm more of a planner. I don't like having to always react to things. I mean, I realize that stuff will take place that I haven't planned for and will need to react, in which cases I can quickly adapt. On the whole, I'd rather plan for things and have plans for those plans, all the while realizing that it doesn't work that way at least 50% of the time
.-= Nora´s last blog ..Lessons Learned on a Rainy Weekend =-.
I am an outfielder for sure. I like planning, BUT I was also the one easily distracted so the actual playing of outfield sometimes meant that I would be to distracted making daisy chains to see the ball when it came my way.
.-= Habbala´s last blog ..Freedom Run! =-.
I'm an outfielder. I can't react quickly to save my life. I AM good at looking at the theoretical and making plans.
In a real-life sense, I'd be best left on the bench, though. =)
.-= Ronnica´s last blog ..Book Review: How to Say Goodbye in Robot =-.
I’ve found that, in co-ed softball, if you have girls that can play the infield well, it makes the team that much better overall
I'm a ball player Doniree! I rule the outfield, a dominate the infield, and I pitch like no one's business.
Fire up Jerks! H-E-Rrrrr K-I-M-E-R!
.-= Sean´s last blog ..As I Tend To Do =-.