Outfield Quotes & Sayings

I call these lessons 'learned on the fly' because the knowledge gained from the experiences connected with them were very much akin to the spirit of the centerfielder in baseball running backward at full speed, looking towards the heavens, trying to not lose sight of the ball or fail to notice the sensation of gravel from the warning track under his cleats as he knowingly approaches the blindside impact of an outfield wall. His focused intention guides him into trying to make the catch that will save the game for his team, his city and the harmony of the moment, despite the foreboding threat of a pending collision. Decisions in these situations are made in an instant. One weighs the purpose of the game, the success of the catch and one's own safety of survival in a fleeting moment, and in all hopes one lives to tell about it in the glow of great success. — Michael Delaware

I'll win more games playing everyday in the outfield than I will pitching every fourth day. — George Herman

Any sportswriter who thinks the world is no bigger than the outfield fence in not only a bad citizen, but also a lousy sportswriter. — Red Smith

Whenever we play the Twins, Torii Hunter has a major impact on defense. He tells the left fielder and the right fielder to take the day off and he covers the whole outfield. — Ken Macha

When I was a rookie, Cy Young used to hit me flies to sharpen my abilities to judge in advance the direction and distance of an outfield-hit ball. — Tris Speaker

God what an outfield,' he says. 'What a left field.' He looks up at me, and I look down at him. 'This must be heaven,' he says.
No. It's Iowa,' I reply automatically. But then I feel the night rubbing softly against my face like cherry blossoms; look at the sleeping girl-child in my arms, her small hand curled around one of my fingers; think of the fierce warmth of the woman waiting for me in the house; inhale the fresh-cut grass small that seems locked in the air like permanent incense; and listen to the drone of the crowd, as below me Shoelss Joe Jackson tenses, watching the angle of the distant bat for a clue as to where the ball will be hit.
I think you're right, Joe,' I say, but softly enough not to disturb his concentration. — W.P. Kinsella

Why certainly I'd like to have that fellow who hits a home run every time at bat, who strikes out every opposing batter when he's pitching, who throws strikes to any base or the plate when he's playing outfield and who's always thinking about two innings ahead just what he'll do to baffle the other team. Any manager would want a guy like that playing for him. The only trouble is to get him to put down his cup of beer and come down out of the stands and do those things. — Danny Murtaugh

Gee, its lonesome in the outfield. It's hard to keep awake with nothing to do. — Babe Ruth

Carl Yastrzemski was the best all-around player. He could run, throw and hit. He had the ability to play a number of different positions. He signed as a shortstop. He could play the outfield, of course, and third base and first, too. He was a tremendous athlete. Mickey Mantle was unbelievable, too. — Al Kaline

Indians love baseball," jokes Charlie Hill, "but we don't set up camp in the ballpark! Hey, if the Atlanta Braves think that using Indians as mascots is simply harmless fun, then why not have them dress up some white guy in a three-piece suit and have him shuffle around a mobile home parked in the middle of the outfield every time their team scores a hit? Or how about changing the names of a few of these sports teams? Why not have the Atlanta White Boys or the Kansas City Caucasians or the Chicago Negroes, the Washington Jews or New York Rednecks?" My — MariJo Moore

I was nicknamed Skeeter in Little League because I was small and fast, like a mosquito flying across the outfield. — Skeet Ulrich

I pitched and I played the outfield. — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

I think I do a great job in the outfield. — Rafael Soriano

I've won plenty of games by knowing when to take out my pitcher; whom to replace him with; or how to place my infield or outfield to defend properly against the opposing hitter. — Walter Alston

I never think Im going to make a double play in the outfield. But I did it. — Alfonso Soriano

Switching to the outfield was the best break I ever got. — Al Kaline

The outfield's billiard green: no bare patches, no flowers. The things that are painted white-the sightscreen, the pickets around the boundary-are so white it hurts. The hoses and the boundary line are white. The entire playing surface is perfectly flat and level. And in the middle of the ground, across that wide carpet of perfect grass, the holy of holies.
A turf wicket. — Jock Serong

I loved running. I can catch everything in the outfield. I could throw people out from the fence. — Shemar Moore

I am a lefty, though I bat right-handed ... When I was a kid I pitched, played first, outfield and shortstop as well. Now it's mainly softball with some friends. — Josh Charles

You can't win if nobody catches the ball in the outfield. You're only as good as the team you have behind you. — Jim Palmer

We have some fast guys out there. It's always fun to compete with each other at practice in the outfield. It's going to be a fun year out there. — Andrew Stevenson

When I was young, it was fun being in the locker room and shagging balls in the outfield in spring training. But I couldn't keep my attention on the games for more than 30 minutes. I would sit there with my Game Boy the whole game. — Shane Larkin

Once in a while, I played second base; once in a while, outfield. But those were just pickup games and softball leagues. So when I bought the Yankees, I tried to stay one pace ahead of the players. — George Steinbrenner

Gary Bell is nicknamed Ding Dong. Of course. What's interesting about it is that "Ding Dong" is what the guys holler when somebody gets hit in the cup. The cups are metal inserts that fit inside the jock strap, and when a baseball hits one it's called ringing the bell, which rhymes with hell, which is what it hurts like. It's funny, even if you're in the outfield, or in the dugout, no matter how far away, when a guy gets it in the cup you can hear it. Ding Dong. — Jim Bouton

One reason outfielders don't have stronger arms might be they don't practice as much as we did. Most teams today don't take outfield practice. Another reason is baseball has to compete with other sports now - basketball, football, soccer - for the better athletes that might have more skills and stronger arms. — Al Kaline

The outfield is solid, so is the catching and the infield. — Barry Zito

I started playing soccer at age 6 and played both outfield and goalie. Back then, no one wanted to go on goalie - coaches would make deals with me so I'd do it. It's a tough position as a kid. — Tim Howard

The secret of my success was clean living and a fast outfield. — Lefty Gomez

The reason we had an all-black outfield in '51 is Don Mueller got hurt, so Hank Thompson was a legitimate replacement. So what? People talk about, 'You're the first to do this. You're the first to do that.' Don't dwell on race all the time. — Monte Irvin

I feel that I was a good all-around player, I had good speed, a good arm and could play the outfield. — Roger Maris