Right-Handed Batters Face Left
Roughly 60-70% of NPB batters are right-handed. A right-handed batter stands with their left side toward the pitcher, facing the third-base side, leftward. With four plate appearances per game lasting several minutes each, the cumulative leftward-facing time is substantial. The batter's face that television viewers know best is a face turned to the left.
Baserunning Is Counterclockwise - Always Turning Left
Runners circle the bases counterclockwise: first, second, third, home. This direction follows from right-handed batters' natural post-swing rotation toward first base. Clockwise running would require an unnatural reversal. Counterclockwise baserunning means runners always keep their left shoulder toward the diamond's center, perpetuating the leftward orientation.
Fielders Also Face Left More Often
Right-handed batters' pulled balls travel toward the third-base side, drawing infielders leftward. Outfielders tracking pulled fly balls run leftward. Pitchers in the set position check first-base runners by looking over their left shoulder. Only the catcher, facing the pitcher directly, is a consistent exception to the leftward bias.
Ballpark Design Assumes Leftward Facing
Official rules recommend orienting home plate so the pitcher faces east-northeast, keeping afternoon sun behind right-handed batters who face left. Television cameras positioned at center field capture right-handed batters' faces head-on. The entire ballpark is designed around the assumption that the majority of batters will be facing left.
Left-Handed Players Are the Exception
Left-handed batters face right, breaking the pattern, but they constitute only 30-40% of NPB hitters. Left-handed pitchers gain a unique advantage: they face first base directly in the set position, making pickoff throws natural rather than requiring the over-the-shoulder check that right-handers must perform. Lefties navigate a field designed for right-handed dominance with their own distinct advantages and disadvantages.
Baseball Is a Sport Where Right-Handers Face Left
Baseball's structure reduces to one conclusion: it is a sport where right-handed players face left. Batters face left to hit, runners turn left to advance, pitchers look left to check runners. This leftward bias was not deliberately designed but reflects a right-handed-majority human population. If most humans were left-handed, baseball might feature clockwise baserunning and rightward-facing batters. The baseball diamond is a mirror of human physical asymmetry. Once you notice the leftward orientation, you cannot unsee it.