Fourth outfielder

In baseball, a fourth outfielder is a backup outfielder, who does not have the hitting skills to regularly play in the corner outfield, but does not have the fielding skills to play center field; for these players, this often leads to playing time that has been called "erratic and unpredictable".[1] Often, fourth outfielders are outfield prospects who have not settled on one outfield position when arriving in the Major Leagues,[2] veteran players seeking additional playing time to extend their careers,[3][4] or part-time position players who double as designated hitters.[1]

A current example would be Gerardo Parra of the Milwaukee Brewers.[5] Considered among the best defensive outfielders and a Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner in 2011, Parra was employed among all three outfield positions during the 2012 Major League Baseball season.

[6][7]

In contrast, the term fifth infielder does not refer to a backup or reserve infielder, but to a defensive shift where a fielder from the outfield is brought into the infield, leaving a team with only two players in the outfield.

See also

References


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, December 20, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.