Does your team need a center fielder? Two pieces of advice: get in line and keep your expectations low.
Center field is one of baseball’s traditional glamour positions. When Paul Simon conjured the yearning for the great American role model, John Fogerty sang about a return to limelight and Terry Cashman captured the lyrical essence of talkin’ baseball, all looked to center field. Now, when our nation turns its lonely eyes to center field, it sees the worst the position has been in half a century.
Center fielders last season hit .237 with a .303 on-base percentage and .688 OPS, the worst marks in each category at the position in at least 50 seasons (since 1973, when complete records by position are available).
