The best Right Fielders in Major League Baseball history

The best Right Fielders in Major League Baseball history

 

 

10) Dwight Evans – Owner of one of the strongest throwing arms among outfielders in baseball history, eight time Gold Glove winner and three time All Star Evans saved 71 runs while playing 2,092 games in right field, mainly with the Red Sox for 20 seasons from 1972-1991. His fielding average of .987 is higher than the league average of .978 for right fielders during that time period. “Dewey” batted .272 with 385 home runs and 1,384 RBI’s.

 

9) Ichiro Suzuki – Playing 1,954 games in right field in 17 years from 2001-2017, mainly with the Mariners, “Wizard” has saved 123 runs defensively and his .991 fielding percentage is higher than the league average of .983. Winner of 10 Gold Gloves and a 10 time All Star, Suzuki has batted .312 with 3,034 hits and 508 stolen bases.

 

8) Dave Winfield - A 12 time All Star and winner of five Gold Gloves, Winfield played 1,882 games in right for 22 years from 1973-1995, for the Yankees, Padres, Angels, Blue Jays, and Twins. His .984 fielding percentage was above the league average of .977. Winfield hit .283 with 465 home runs, 1,833 RBI’s, and 223 stolen bases.

 

7) Reggie Jackson - “Mr. October” played 1,942 games in right field for 21 years from 1967-1987, twice leading AL outfielders in assists. The 1973 AL MVP and 14 time All Star batted .262 with 563 home runs, 1,702 RBI’s, and 228 stolen bases for the A’s, Yankees, Angels, and Orioles. In 27 World Series games Jackson hit .357 with 10 homers and 24 RBI’s.

 

6) Tony Gwynn – A 15 time All Star Gwynn led the NL in batting average for eight of his 20 years with the Padres from 1982-2001. “Captain Video” hit .338 with a .388 on base percentage, 3,141 hits, and 319 stolen bases. He won five Gold Gloves while playing 2,144 games in right field.

 

5) Roberto Clemente – “The Great One” was named to 15 All Star teams, won 12 Gold Gloves, and was selected as the 1966 NL MVP. Clemente played 2,305 games in right for the Pirates for 18 years from 1955-1972, and is credited with saving 205 runs defensively. He batted .317 with 3,000 hits, 240 homers, and 1,305 RBI’s.

 

4) Al Kaline – An 18 time All Star and winner of 10 Gold Gloves, “Mr. Tiger” played 2,031 games in right field for Detroit for 22 seasons from 1953-1974. Kaline batted .297 with 399 home runs, 1,582 RBI’s, and 3,007 hits. His .985 fielding percentage was higher than the league average of .978 and he is credited with saving 155 runs defensively.

 

3) Paul Waner – “Big Poison” played 2,250 games in right field for 20 seasons from 1926-1945, primarily with the Pirates. Waner batted .333 with a .404 on base percentage, 605 doubles, 191 triples, and 3,152 hits. He was named the 1927 NL MVP.

 

2) Mel Ott – A 12 time All Star, “Master Melvin” played 2,161 games in right field during 22 seasons from 1926-1947, all with the New York Giants.  Ott hit .304 with 511 home runs, 1,860 RBI’s, with a .414 on base percentage and .533 slugging percentage. His fielding percentage of .980 was higher than the league average of .971 for right fielders during that time period.

 

1) Hank Aaron – “Hammerin’ Hank” played 2,174 games in right, mainly with the Braves, during 23 seasons from 1954-1975. His .980 fielding percentage was higher than the league average of .976 and he is credited with saving 98 runs as a right fielder. Aaron batted .305 with 755 homers, 2,297 RBI’s, 240 stolen bases, and a .555 slugging percentage. He was selected to 25 All Star teams, won three Gold Gloves, and was named the 1957 NL MVP.

The best Left Fielders in Major League Baseball history

The best Left Fielders in Major League Baseball history

 

10) Ralph Kiner – A six time All Star, Kiner played 1,307 games in left field in 10 seasons from 1946-1955, primarily with the Pirates. He batted .279 with a .398 on base percentage, 369 homers and 1,015 RBI’s.

9) Ed Delahanty – “Big Ed” played 1,346 games in left for 16 seasons from 1888-1903, mainly with the Phillies. He had a career batting average of .346 with a .411 on base percentage, .505 slugging percentage, and 455 stolen bases.

8) Jim Rice – An eight time All Star and the 1978 AL MVP, Rice played 1,503 games in left field for the Red Sox for 15 years from 1974-1989. He batted .298 with 382 home runs and 1,451 RBI’s.

7) Billy Williams – “Sweet Swingin’” played 1,738 games in left during 17 seasons with the Cubs from 1959-1976. A six time All Star, Williams hit .290 with 426 home runs and 1,475 RBI’s.

6) Goose Goslin – Playing 1,948 games in left field for 18 seasons from 1921-1938, mainly with the Washington Senators, Hall of Famer Goslin batted .316 with a .387 on base percentage, 248 home runs, 1,612 RBI’s, and 176 stolen bases.

5) Al Simmons – “Bucketfoot Al” played 1,372 games in left for seven teams, mostly with the A’s, for 20 years from 1924-1944. A three time All Star, he also played centerfield. Simmons hit .334 with 307 home runs and 1,828 RBI’s.

4) Lou Brock – “The Rocket” spent 19 seasons with the Cubs and Cardinals from 1961-1979. Playing 2,161 games in left field Brock amassed 3,043 hits while batting .293. A six time All Star, he is second in baseball history with 938 stolen bases.

3) Rickey Henderson – “Man of Steal” played 2,421 games in left in 25 years for nine different teams, 14 seasons with the A’s, from 1979-2003. Henderson holds the MLB stolen base record with 1,406; he batted .279 with a .401 on base percentage, 3,055 hits, 2,295 runs scored, and 2,190 walks. A ten time All Star selection and winner of the 1990 AL MVP, he won one Gold Glove and is credited with saving 58 runs in left field.

2) Carl Yastrzemski – An 18 time All Star in 22 years from 1961-1983 for the Red Sox, “Yaz” won seven Gold Gloves and is credited with saving 134 runs defensively while playing 1,912 games in left field.  The 1967 AL MVP  totaled 3,419 hits while batting .285 with a .379 on base percentage, 452 home runs, 1,844 RBI’s, and 168 stolen bases.

1) Ted Williams – In 19 seasons from 1939-1960 “The Splendid Splinter” had a career batting average of .344, on base percentage of .482, slugging percentage of .634, 521 home runs, 1,839 RBI’s, and 2,021 walks.  Williams played 1,982 games in left field for the Red Sox, was a 19 time All Star, and won the AL MVP in 1946 and 1949.

Yankees Girardi might as well throw away his binder

Yankees' manager Joe Girardi might not be using his trusty binder as much these days.

The numbers were impossible to ignore, but for the second time in five games Girardi refused to be seduced by them and didn’t start Ichiro Suzuki against Red Sox left-hander Jon Lester.

“I looked at possibly sitting down one of the other lefty hitters against Lester,’’ Girardi told reporters. “You look at Ellsbury and he has had success and you look at Brett Gardner and he has been playing extremely well and important at the top of our lineup.  Soriano has had a double and homer in two games he has played against him this year. Part of it is, possibly you would like to give one of your lefties a day off and I am going to play the guys we have been playing every day.’’

So, Ichiro took a seat despite having a .340 (18-for-53) average against Lester. That came after Ichiro wasn’t in the lineup Tuesday night in Toronto against lefty Mark Buehrle, against whom he was batting .421 (24-for-57).  I know the game has a heartbeat, but even I would have made sure Suzuki was in the lineup against Lester and Buehrle.

Soriano went 0-for-3 and is now hitting .273 (6-for-22) against Lester.

Girardi was correct saying Gardner has been very important to the top of the lineup, but he is 3-for-13 (.231) against Lester after going 1-for-2 with a walk. Ellsbury went 1-for-3 and is 4-for-9 (.444) against his former teammate.

A regular player in the big leagues since 2001, Soriano has had trouble adjusting to not playing every day. His last homer was May 17 and he is without a homer in 62 at-bats. His skills have eroded, and this is likely his last year in the majors.  The Yankees are unlikely to get any significant production out of him for the remainder of the season.

I hope the Yankees aren't boring this year...

While the Yankees didn't have a bad season last year, finishing 85-77, they were kind of a boring team. They had a few exciting moments, provided mostly by role players like Jayson Nix and Lyle Overbay, but for the most part watching them was somewhat dull.

This year's edition may be a little more exciting, if what's on paper translates onto the field. If Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardner can stay healthy and each play at least 140 games, watching the Yanks might become fun again. Having Alfonso Soriano around for a full season should add pop to the lineup, and Carlos Beltran will add some offensive consistency (hopefully he won't look at many third strikes at the end of the game). Having Derek Jeter play a full season and hit like his old self - he has a career .312 batting average - will add some excitement. If Mark Teixeira's wrist is fully healed, having him in the lineup for 140 games will provide some punch and gives the team one of the best defensive first basemen in the majors. Teixeira usually makes one outstanding defensive play to save a hit every game.

Some people are comparing Brian McCann to Thurman Munson, but I don't think he's that good, although he is an upgrade offensively over what the Yankees had last year and can hold his own defensively.

I do think the starting pitching and bullpen will be better than what some are predicting, although it may not be enough to dominate teams like Boston and Tampa.  But if Tanaka makes the adjustment from Japan; if Pineda and Nova live up to their potential; and if Kuroda and Sabathia can each squeeze another above average season from their arms, the Yankees look to have a decent staff.  the bullpen, with Robertson, Kelley, Thornton, and pitchers that had pretty good years last year like Claiborne, Warren, Phelps, with someone like Nuno who has shown flashes, the bullpen ought to keep the team in most games.

Opening day is less than three weeks away, so we'll know soon if the 2014 Yankees are going to give us some excitement this spring, or if it's going to be a long, boring summer of baseball.