Fangraphs: Data-Free Outfield Defense

[weams]

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/torii-hunter-on-data-free-outfield-defense/

"It starts with a great centerfielder. If you have somebody out there who can run it down, that takes some of the pressure off your left fielder and your right fielder. They know there?s someone between them who is going to get to a lot of balls....

?You can never stop learning defensively. For me - and everybody knows this - it's knowing the pitchers, knowing the hitters, knowing the league. The more you play against certain hitters, the more you know what their tendencies are. The more you see your own pitchers pitch, the more you know what their tendencies are.

[srock]

Torri Hunter contradicts himself repeatedly. He says he doesn't believe in data then immediately explains how useful data is.

That makes sense, but I still don?t believe in data.

But if a guy can?t go the other way, and you?re an outfielder, you better know that.?

How does an outfielder know a guy can't go the other way, Torri? DATA!

[Babypowder]

Torri Hunter contradicts himself repeatedly. He says he doesn't believe in data then immediately explains how useful data is.

How does an outfielder know a guy can't go the other way, Torri? DATA!

Torii Hunter has shown me enough that I know his opinions on anything shouldn't be taken seriously.

[survivedc]

Torii Hunter has shown me enough that I know his opinions on anything shouldn't be taken seriously.

Except his opinion on how to play outfield.

[Babypowder]

Except his opinion on how to play outfield.

If this article is any indication, not even that.

[Beef Supreme]

Torii Hunter has shown me enough that I know his opinions on anything shouldn't be taken seriously.

Except his opinion on how to play outfield.

BOOM!

The temerity of a keyboard jockey crapping on a star MLB outfielder about how to play the outfield is comical (in an unfunny way.)

[Beef Supreme]

BOOM!

The temerity of a keyboard jockey crapping on a star MLB outfielder about how to play the outfield is comical (in an unfunny way.)

Cuz, you know, you play baseball on paper, not on the field.

[weams]

BOOM!

The temerity of a keyboard jockey crapping on a star MLB outfielder about how to play the outfield is comical (in an unfunny way.)

Please don't insult fellow posters. No need. Even if you disagree with them.

[survivedc]

If this article is any indication, not even that.

I would say his 17 years in the bigs are a better indicator than a fairly short and relatively inexhaustive article.

[MrOrange82]

BOOM!

The temerity of a keyboard jockey crapping on a star MLB outfielder about how to play the outfield is comical (in an unfunny way.)

I'm going to guess you're not a politician. Have you ever criticized one? Ever commented on how he/she is doing a terrible job of running the country/state/county/etc.?

Going to guess you're not a baseball owner/GM, either. This is a discussion board. Opinions are integral. And very few are based on first-hand, professional experience.

[Beef Supreme]

I'm going to guess you're not a politician. Have you ever criticized one? Ever commented on how he/she is doing a terrible job of running the country/state/county/etc.?

Going to guess you're not a baseball owner/GM, either. This is a discussion board. Opinions are integral. And very few are based on first-hand, professional experience.

Sorry posters. I found the disparaging comments about Torii Hunter to be offensive and arrogant. I will keep it to myself.

I doubt there are any GMs or Owners who comment on this board, however.

[El Gordo]

I think there is a distinction to be made between data based shifts and positioning based on hitters tendencies from pitch to pitch. Pretty sure Mantle, Mays, and DiMaggio, didn't pore over the charts to learn other players tendencies.

[Beef Supreme]

I would say his 17 years in the bigs are a better indicator than a fairly short and relatively inexhaustive article.

I agree with this opinion.

[jsbearr]

Of course, Hunter never played data-free.

He is arguing personal qualitative and quantitative data over other forms of data collection and analysis. He probably was not a fundamentalist with that either.

Mostly it is just him lashing out at something that seems a bit foreign to him even though it really is not.

[weams]

Sorry posters. I found the disparaging comments about Torii Hunter to be offensive and arrogant. I will keep it to myself.

I doubt there are any GMs or Owners who comment on this board, however.

BOOM!

The temerity of a keyboard jockey crapping on a star MLB outfielder about how to play the outfield is comical (in an unfunny way.)

This is where you insulted a poster. Not pretending that any of them are GMs. Maybe you forgot what you wrote. I know I sometimes do.