Outfielder

Outfielder
Austin Kearns, an outfielder, catches a fly ball.

Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. An outfielder's duty is to try to catch long fly balls before they hit the ground or to quickly catch or retrieve and return to the infield any other balls entering the outfield. Outfielders normally play behind the six other members of the defense who play in or near the infield.

By convention, each of the nine defensive positions in baseball is numbered. The outfield positions are 7 (left field), 8 (center field) and 9 (right field). These numbers are shorthand designations useful in baseball scorekeeping and are not necessarily the same as the squad numbers worn on player uniforms.

Outfielders named to the MLB All-Century Team are Hank Aaron, Ty Cobb, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Stan Musial, Pete Rose, Babe Ruth and Ted Williams. The outfielders selected to the 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star Game were Ryan Braun, Carl Crawford, Andre Ethier, Josh Hamilton, Jason Heyward and Ichiro Suzuki.

Strategy

Players can be characterized as either corner outfielders or a center fielder. Corner outfielders are often slower and have less defensive value than the center fielder. However, there are some important differences between right fielders and left fielders. Right fielders tend to have the best throwing arms of the outfield so they can make the long throw to third base, but often are not as fast as left fielders. Center fielders are generally the fastest and most athletic of the three, because they have to run the farthest in order to field balls in the gaps and back up the other outfielders when balls are hit to them.

Many of the best power hitters in baseball play in the outfield, where they do not have as constant involvement in fielding plays as other positions, especially before the institution of the designated hitter. For example, Babe Ruth was moved from pitcher to the outfield. Left fielders and right fielders are more often slow power hitters, and center fielders are usually fast base-runners and good defensive players. Center field is often considered the most difficult outfield position, requiring both a good throwing arm and speed. Center fielders on many teams often bat lead off.

Players who do not routinely start games, but often substitute as a pinch hitter or defensive replacement in the outfield are referred to as fourth outfielders or even fifth outfielders. These players can usually play any of the three outfield positions.

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • outfielder — n. 1. (baseball or softball) A person who plays in the outfield. [WordNet 1.5] 2. (Cricket) A fielder in cricket who is stationed in the outfield. [WordNet 1.5] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • outfielder — ☆ outfielder [out′fēl΄dər ] n. Baseball a player whose defensive position is in the outfield; right fielder, center fielder, or left fielder …   English World dictionary

  • Outfielder — Austin Kearns beim Fangen eines Fly Balls Unter einem Outfielder (von engl.: outfield, etwa Außenfeld) versteht man im Baseball die drei Defensivpositionen, die am Weitesten vom Schlagmann entfernt sind. Man unterscheidet (aus Sicht des… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • outfielder — UK [ˈaʊtˌfiːldə(r)] / US [ˈaʊtˌfɪldər] noun [countable] Word forms outfielder : singular outfielder plural outfielders a player in the outfield …   English dictionary

  • outfielder — noun A player that plays in the outfield, which is the outer portion of the field The outfielder tracked down the long fly. Ant: infielder See Also: outfield …   Wiktionary

  • outfielder — noun Outfielder is used after these nouns: ↑reserve …   Collocations dictionary

  • outfielder — noun see outfield …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • outfielder — /owt feel deuhr/, n. Sports. one of the players, esp. in baseball, stationed in the outfield. [1855 60, Amer.; OUTFIELD + ER1] * * * …   Universalium

  • outfielder — dep (béisbol) Se puede decir jugador de campo exterior. En Hispanoamérica es el jardinero, jardinerito, patrullero, guardabosques …   Diccionario español de neologismos

  • outfielder — (Roget s IV) n. Syn. fielder, pasture police*, gardener*, fly hawk*, flypaper*, fly chaser*; see also fielder , player 1 . In baseball, outfielders include: left fielder, center fielder, right fielder …   English dictionary for students

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”