Second baseman

In baseball and softball, second baseman, abbreviated 2B, is a fielding position in the infield, between second and first base. The second baseman often possesses quick hands and feet, needs the ability to get rid of the ball quickly, and must be able to make the pivot on a double play. In addition, second basemen are usually right-handed; only four left-handed throwing players have ever played second base in Major League Baseball since 1950. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the second baseman is assigned the number 4. Good second basemen need to have very good range since they have to field balls closer to the first baseman who is often holding runners on, or moving towards the base to cover. On a batted ball to right field, the second baseman goes out towards the ball for the relay, provided that there are no runners on base. Due to these requirements, second base is sometimes a primarily defensive position in the modern game, but there are hitting stars as well. Second base is often referred to as the "Keystone". This is due to its position on the infield at the top of the diamond, similar to the keystone block in architecture.