u/MaestroDon

No questions. I'm just a lefty who enjoys baseball. Feel free to discuss.

Baseball is somewhat unique. In the top levels of the sport (MLB, MiLB) being left-handed limits a player to positions he can play.

I'm not referring to batting. Batters can learn to bat from either side of the plate. It has some hand dominance involved, but it seems to be easier to overcome that natural tendency. We see switch hitters quite regularly. I'm referring to the throwing arm. Very few, if any, players can learn to throw well with their non-dominant arm.

In the top level of the sport lefties can only play outfield, pitcher, or 1st base. To be a lefty in baseball you cannot expect to succeed at 2nd base, 3rd base, shortstop, or catcher. That limits you to 5 out of 9 positions, but really only 3 out of 7 positions, because all three outfield "positions" are all just "outfield" and fielders move around often.

Even with that limitation we see lots of lefties in baseball, particularly pitchers. There are advantages to being a lefty pitcher, including an easier view of a runner on 1st base. I certainly acknowledge that lefty arms do have advantages, but that does not discount their restrictions.

I'm at a loss to think of any other major sport where being a lefty limits a player's chance to play particular positions. Basketball? Football? Soccer? Hockey? I don't think so.

Is there a trick to reading guitar tabs as a lefty guitar player? To me it seems backwards, like I need to invert it in my head all the time.

I'm a musician who plays other instruments, piano and winds mostly. I read music notation, treble and bass clefs. I also play guitar, but almost always from chord sheets or even by ear, and sometimes I will read from sheet music. I've never really learned guitar tabs. The few times I've tried it just seems backwards. I don't know if it's because I play left handed or maybe it's just me.

I think it would be a great skill to have, probably better than figuring out which strings to use when reading standard music notation. I just have never gotten the hang of it. Any suggestions are appreciated.

This is a bit niche, but very accessible to all who have enjoyed the Late Show music. If you want some behind-the-scenes content about the music production at The Late Show and The Tonight Show, you will not regret listening to this very well produced podcast episode. Both shows are featured, but The Late Show much more, including some tidbits about the history and the final episode.

In case there was any doubt.

I'm so impressed. If you struggle with removing and mounting bicycle tires this tool really works. BEST of ALL, they have a left-handed version. Gotta love it when they think of us.

https://tyreglider.co.uk/product/purchase-tyre-glider-evolution-of-the-tyre-lever/

For the record, I have no affiliation. I just discovered it myself and appreciate them thinking of us lefties.

EDIT: I found this video of a lefty mechanic giving it a review and showing how it works (and giving props for the lefty version).

https://youtu.be/lYD-g5KAqp8?is=sjNat972YeRcX_AI

Is it ever useful, or even proper, to use a flash when photographing birds in the wild?

1. From a photographer's viewpoint, if a bird is in the shadows and not too far away, and I have a flash that should reach, would it help the photo? Would it still look natural?

2. From a wildlife viewpoint, is a flash disturbing to birds?

(For the record I've never tried it.)

I've been away from running for 6 months due to an injury. I've been walking, using the "walk" activity. I'm now ready to return to running.

​

When I walk most of my route, but run a few times, usually a block at a time, is it best to stick to the "walk" activity? My main concern is how my fitness gets measured. As I add more running into my walks, when should I switch to the "run" activity? When I'm running 50% of the route? Does it matter at all?

Watching the fingering, with the index finger on the 2nd valve and the 1st valve being triggered by the thumb, it's unfamiliar to me. What kind of horn is it and what is the reason for this setup?