Photoessay #123 - Second base

From May 2007 at the South Carolina Regional; photo courtesy of Juan Blas

Susanna loves to play second base. She first learned the position from her high school coach (that was her position in college) and played it her freshman year in high school and on her travel ball team. She moved to shortstop on the high school team for the last three years. You put your strongest infielder at shortstop. Her travel ball coach suggested that she learn the outfield but she really want to stay in the middle infield. Where the action is.

The coaches who recruited her at the University of Oregon did not promise a positi nor playing time. "You can earn your spot". But the outfield basically graduated, those spots needed to be filled. After the first few games her freshman year, she became the starting centerfielder on her Pac 10 team. The centerfielder coordinates the outfield, you need your fastest player out there. As she described her relationship with the left and right fielders. "If they don't call it, it's my job to go get that ball"

But she pined for that infield. "I miss the DIRT", she told me. "I'm challenging for second base" she informed her coach at the beginning of her junior year. The coach sighed "You make things so difficult for me"

So, as the fall practice season went along I asked her "Who's playing second base?"

First
"Oh, lots of people are playing second base"
then
"In the squad games, I play second for one side and Lovena plays for the other side"
then
"Lovena's playing left field"

She started and played second base every inning during her junior and senior years; sharing the middle infield with Breane Sabol and Jenn Salling at shortstop. Great duos, they led the Pac 10 in double plays. Of course, to lead in double plays you need to have a lot of base runners but that's a different story.

One fond memory: Susanna was playing second base in Eugene and made one of those trademark "Suzie plays" snagging some impossible ball. Peg, the sweet voiced announcer declared "That's #1 on your program, folks, Suzie Barnes!"

I think this particular runner is going to be safe.