Baseball/Second Baseman
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The second baseman is an infielder who typically plays halfway to two-thirds of the way between first base and second base. The position is abbreviated as "2B" and is referenced as "4" for the purposes of official scoring. The second baseman, along with the shortstop, is expected to have the best hands and cover the most range of any of the infielders, although the second baseman is not expected to have as strong an arm as the shortstop, as his throw to first is shorter. Responsibilities for the second baseman typically include:
- Fielding ground balls between the first and second base bags
- Acting as the pivot man for double plays started by the shortstop or third baseman
- Providing a cutoff for balls hit to the outfield on his side of the field
- Covering first base on balls that the first baseman fields, especially bunted balls
- Covering second base on a steal attempt