CF to 1B Conversions

[Crash Course]

Can you name 5 cases of where a FT CF later became a FT 1B?
What was the most successful conversion of an established CF to a 1B in the history of the game?

[Crash Course]

Some that come to mind for me: Darin Erstad and Lee Mazzilli

Joe Carter and Dave Martinez also played some CF and 1B.

Did Al Oliver ever play CF?

[SmedIndy]

Yes, Oliver was a regular at CF for the Pirates early on in his career - same with Willie Montanez and the Phillies.

Is it one step from CF to 1B, or is it gradual?

[Crash Course]

Not sure. Based on so few to make the move, I dunno.

[KCBOOMER]

This is a tough one. A ton of good-to-great players have played a little first base after having been established CF's. Amongst the top 50 CF's in games played I think the one with the most time at 1B is Mickey Mantle. He played 2019 games in CF before going to 1B where he racked up 262 games.

But I don't know if that is what you mean by converting. It would seem like you mean something on the order of 1000 games at each position.

[pwdennis]

It's an unlikely transition for a truly good defensive CF. They would tend to move to corner outfield positions as they age, unless, like the Mick, their legs were just completely shot

[Makofan]

Was Pete Rose one?

[nyy26wc]

Was Pete Rose one?

No. He only played 70 games in his career in CF and never played enough there in any season for CF to qualify as his primary position for that year.

[sweaver]

Erstad, Mazzilli, Oliver (who also became a DH, another maybe worth a look), Mantle.

Dale Murphy did the opposite, going from a regular 1B (after C) to CF.

Felipe Alou flipped back and forth. He was a regular 1B some years, CF in others.

Roy Sievers, although he never played 100 games in a season as a CF.

Yaz, a regular CF in 1964.

[Crash Course]

Yaz a CF is a reach, no?
Remember - "established CF"

[Joseph]

Are you thinking about Bernie W. here Steve?

[SmedIndy]

131 games in one season as a regular is an established CF, no? You just said FT CF, no? 131 games is relatively a FT CF, no?

[Crash Course]

Are you thinking about Bernie W. here Steve?

Yeah, the talking heads on WFAN are starting again with moving him to 1B, as if it is something that can happen very easy - - like CFers move to 1B all the time.

[Crash Course]

131 games in one season as a regular is an established CF, no? You just said FT CF, no? 131 games is relatively a FT CF, no?

Playing CF, one season, for 131 games, and then playing LF/1B/DH for something like 20 years, does not make one an "established CF" in my eyes. Of course, your opinion may differ.

[sweaver]

Parameters are helpful. When I was searching, I just set limits of one season as a regular CF, and one as a regular 1B. Perhaps the bar should be set higher? How high?

[KCBOOMER]

Some that come to mind for me: Darin Erstad and Lee Mazzilli.


Erstad actually is more of a 1B who moved to CF (check the record).

Mazzilli only played 215 games as a 1B. He played LF 201 games. He played CF as his primary position his first 3+ seasons in the bigs which I guess is enough to call him established. After that he was sort of an LF and sort of a 1B.

Mantle stills seems to be a much better choice. Far more established than Maziili in CF and played more games at 1B.

[SmedIndy]

Yeah, one season as a regular seemed to be the original parameter. Teams don't play someone in CF for more than 100 games as a starter unless he has established he's done the job (or they're inept).

[SmedIndy]

Boom - when Erstad came up he was an OF, a CF mostly. He played 1B in 1997 because the Halos had Anderson, Edmonds and Salmon and they needed to get Erstad in there as well.

[Joseph]

Erstad played CF in college too.