Left fielder

In baseball, a left fielder (LF) is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the left fielder is assigned the number 7.

Position description

Outfielders must cover large distances - speed, instincts, and quickness in reacting to the ball are key. They must be able to catch fly balls above their head and on the run. They must be able to throw the ball accurately over a long distance to be effective; they must also learn to judge whether to attempt a difficult catch and risk letting the ball get past them, or to instead allow the ball to fall in order to guarantee a swift play and prevent the advance of runners. Left fielders must also familiarize themselves with the varying configurations of different ballparks' foul territory, and prevent balls hit down the foul lines from getting past them into the left field corner. Amateur players may find it difficult to concentrate on the game, since they are so far from the action. Emphasizing the correct position will give outfield players something to concentrate on at each pitch. Hits to left field tend to curve toward the left field foul line, and left fielders must learn to adjust to that.

Buck 65

Richard Terfry (born March 4, 1972), better known by his stage name Buck 65, is a Canadian alternative hip hop artist. Underpinned by an extensive background in abstract hip hop, his more recent music has extensively incorporated blues, country, rock, folk and avant-garde influences.

Terfry is also a radio host, hosting the weekday Radio 2 Drive show on CBC Radio 2 since September 2, 2008. In addition, he once hosted a weekday program on CBC Radio 3's web radio station.

History

Early career and influences

Terfry was born in 1972 and raised in Mount Uniacke, Nova Scotia, a rural community 40 km north of Halifax. Terfry was initially interested in pursuing a career in professional baseball, and at age 16, was scouted by the New York Yankees; however, his dream was ended following a shoulder injury. He was first exposed to rap music in the mid-1980s while listening to CBC Stereo's late night show Brave New Waves, and then by listening to Halifax campus community radio station CKDU. CKDU then broadcast at only 33 watts, and he had to climb a tree in his yard to hear the station's hip hop show on his radio. Fascinated by hip hop, the young Terfry taught himself how to rap, DJ, and, later, to produce records. In 1990, Terfry self-produced his first song, "The Rhyme Has To Be Good," which later received airplay on the Halifax college radio station. His musical influences include MC Shan, David Lynch, Gitche Manitou and Kool Keith.

Matt Holliday

Matthew Thomas "Matt" Holliday (born January 15, 1980) is an American professional baseball left fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). A World Series champion in 2011, Holliday is regarded as a key figure of the Cardinals' success of the 2010s and of the Colorado Rockies' in 2007 for hitting, baserunning and leadership abilities. As of 2015, he has totaled nearly 2,000 hits, more than 250 home runs, 400 doubles, 1,000 runs scored, 1,000 runs batted in, 100 stolen bases, a .300 batting average, .500 slugging percentage and .900 on-base plus slugging percentage. His distinctions include six All-Star selections, four Silver Slugger Awards, a National League Championship Series Most Valuable Player Award (NLCS MVP), and a Darryl Kile Good Guy Award. Throughout his career, he has generated a significantly higher on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) in the second-half of the season.

The Colorado Rockies selected Holliday in the seventh round of the 1998 Major League Baseball Draft from high school in Oklahoma, where he was also a highly touted NFL quarterback prospect. He debuted in the major leagues in 2004, becoming the Rockies' starting left fielder and a middle of the lineup presence. In 2006, he became the 19th player ever to reach 195 hits, 30 home runs, 45 doubles, 115 runs and 110 RBI in one season. The next season, he won his first batting title, September National League Player of the Month honors and NLCS MVP as the Rockies won 21 of 22 games at the end of the regular season and in the playoffs en route to their first-ever World Series appearance. Four years later, he batted .435 with a .652 slugging percentage in the NLCS on his way to winning his first World Series ring with the Cardinals. In 2014, he became just the fifth player in MLB history to amass nine consecutive seasons of at least 20 home runs, 30 doubles, 75 RBI and 80 runs scored each season.