How to Play Third Base
Playing third base well requires quick reflexes and a strong arm. A good third baseman does not need quite as much range as a middle infielder, but because a hit can get to him very quickly the third baseman needs to have the ability to react very quickly.
Because a third baseman has limited reaction times he should start with his body and glove a little lower than the rest of the infielders. He should not be afraid of the ball and be ready to sacrifice his body in order to at least knock the ball down and keep it in the infield.
Third baseman normally won't have time to travel very far to get to the ball, but they should work on being able to get to balls that are within a few steps in either direction. On ground balls in the infield the third baseman always has the "right of way" over the shortstop. On groundballs between the third baseman and shortstop the third baseman should move in front of short, and the shortstop should back up the third baseman. If the third baseman fields the ball he will have a shorter throw to make than the shortstop and his momentum will be carrying him towards first base.
Where to Play
There are many variables that help a third baseman decide where he should position himself before the pitch is thrown. By understanding the variables involved a third baseman can assume the best position.
The distance from the foul line is going to be determined by the game situation. The third baseman wants to be close enough to the foul line to knock down potential doubles, but far enough away to field balls hit between third base and the shortstop. As the potential "damage" an extra base hit would create increases the third baseman should shift a little more towards third.
For instance, in the last inning of a tie game with no outs a double down the line is much more damaging than a single through the shortstop gap. The third baseman should be very close to the line in this instance. However, with a runner on third and two outs and single through the gap will allow the runner to score just as easily as a double down the foul line would. In this case the third baseman should move farther from the line.
With runners on first and second the third baseman wants to play close enough to third base that he can field the ball and beat the runner to the bag for the force out, potentially starting a double play.
With a runner on second base the third baseman wants to play close enough to the base to beat the runner to the bag on a stolen base attempt.
Just as there are many variable as to the distance a third baseman should play from the foul line, there are variables that help a third baseman decide how far he needs to be from home plate.
The biggest variable is the power of the batter and the likelihood of a bunt. The more likely the ball is to be hit hard the further back he should play. The greater the likelihood of a slow roller or bunt, the closer he should play.
Fielding Bunts and Slow Rollers
One of the hardest plays for a third baseman is fielding a good bunt of slow roller down the line. When the ball is hit slowly in front of him a third baseman has the option of fielding it two handed, or one handed with either his glove or bare hand. In any event, the third baseman should be charging the ball aggressively in order to field it as quickly as possible and get an out.
Third baseman should frequently work on practicing slow rollers and bunts in front of them.
Force Outs at Second Base
With a runner at first and less than two outs the third baseman should be looking for the force out at second. After fielding the ball cleanly he should make a strong, accurate throw to the second baseman covering the bag. The throw should be delivered chest high, slightly on the first base side to enable the second baseman to catch it and make an accurate throw to first.