Roger Maris Defense

Skip · 09-19-2002, 07:00 PM

I may be simply off the boat here, but I dont remember ever reading/hearing anyone discuss Maris as a great defensive OF. Campbell on ESPN in discussing his Gold Glove picks for this year says this:

OF: Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle Mariners: One of the top five right fielders I've seen in my 35-plus years in baseball (along with Roberto Clemente, Dwight Evans, Al Kaline, Larry Walker and maybe Roger Maris).

My books are all in boxes right now, so can someone clarify for me whether Maris was that good and I'm oblivious, or whether Campbell is simply name dropping.

Fuzzy Bear · 09-19-2002, 07:08 PM

Maris won the Gold Glove in 1960.

Maris was able to play for a pennant winner regularly in 1967 and 1968 despite having poor offensive seasons (though not as poor as they appear due to those years being the height of the 60s pitchers' era). Some of the must be due to his defensive play.

VNV Nation · 09-19-2002, 07:09 PM

I've read that Roger Maris was considered a top-notch fielder. Maybe not quite on the level of Clemente, but then, everything he ever did was pretty much overshadowed by 61*/'61.
Some people definitely thought he was a better outfielder than Mantle 1960-1965 or so.

His range factors are pretty good and I imagine that it's difficult to put up a good range factor in RF in Yankee Stadium.

Ytown Tribe fan · 09-19-2002, 07:12 PM

Maris was a fair outfielder, playing LF and CF for the Tribe before moving mainly to RF with the Yanks (although he did play some CF). He won the Gold Glove in 1960, his first MVP season, but Mickey Mantle and Al Kaline deserved it more.

Maris' range was better than average in the first half of his career and he had 10 assists his first season and 15 his second (between two teams), but he tailed off until his last two seasons with the Cards, when his range increased.

Wins Shares shows him with 2.56 defensive WS per 1000 innings, which is below average for an outfielder with that many innings, but on a par with guys like Aaron and Robby.

pwdennis · 09-20-2002, 12:01 AM

I saw Maris play some over an eight year period. My recollections of him were :

a) his arm was good and accurate but not overwhelming
b) his instincts were good in terms of throwing to the right base and gauging whether or not he had a chance at catching the ball or needed to pull up to play the bounce
c) he made few errors

As good as Kaline, Evans or Clemente - no, but solid

Duque · 09-20-2002, 01:56 PM

Did he spell Mantle in CF when he was out towards the end of the '61 season?

KCBOOMER · 09-20-2002, 02:04 PM

I recall Maris being a very solid defensive right fielder.

VNV Nation · 09-20-2002, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Duque
Did he spell Mantle in CF when he was out towards the end of the '61 season?

yes

NCFella19 · 09-20-2002, 11:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by VNV Nation
quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by Duque
Did he spell Mantle in CF when he was out towards the end of the '61 season?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

yes

And verified by HBO's showing of "61*" tonight on TV.

BBapplepie · 09-21-2002, 02:54 PM

I was a Roger Maris fan, so was many other NY'er in 60's.
He was great going to right, that backhand side. He was
quick charging in on balls, getting a good jump. In the later
year his O was down but in St. Louis his D came alive.
I would rate him to others the same as pwdennis did .

09-19-2002, 07:00 PM	#1
Skip NetShrine Vagabond Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Louisville Posts: 7,866	Roger Maris Defense I may be simply off the boat here, but I dont remember ever reading/hearing anyone discuss Maris as a great defensive OF. Campbell on ESPN in discussing his Gold Glove picks for this year says this: OF: Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle Mariners: One of the top five right fielders I've seen in my 35-plus years in baseball (along with Roberto Clemente, Dwight Evans, Al Kaline, Larry Walker and maybe Roger Maris). My books are all in boxes right now, so can someone clarify for me whether Maris was that good and I'm oblivious, or whether Campbell is simply name dropping.

09-20-2002, 12:01 AM	#5
pwdennis NetShrine All-Century Team Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Winter Springs, FL Posts: 2,503	I saw Maris play some over an eight year period. My recollections of him were : a) his arm was good and accurate but not overwhelming b) his instincts were good in terms of throwing to the right base and gauging whether or not he had a chance at catching the ball or needed to pull up to play the bounce c) he made few errors As good as Kaline, Evans or Clemente - no, but solid __________________ "I would submit that if the world survives for a million years, perhaps its finest hour may be that in the last half of the 20th century, when the power to blow up the world rested in the hands of a few men in two very unsophisticated and suspicious countries, we didn't do it, and one American, Richard Nixon, moved the cold war away from permanent confrontation toward victory. How could any wrong that he did compare with that?" - John Sears

09-20-2002, 01:56 PM	#6
Duque NetShrine's Desperado Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Southern CA Posts: 2,638	Did he spell Mantle in CF when he was out towards the end of the '61 season? __________________ Bad Andy It's such a fine line between stupid and clever.

09-20-2002, 02:04 PM	#7
KCBOOMER NetShrine All-Century Team Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Home of the T-Bones Posts: 11,116	I recall Maris being a very solid defensive right fielder. __________________ KCBOOMER *Buck O'Neil: The Monarch of Baseball*

09-21-2002, 02:54 PM	#10
BBapplepie NetShrine All-Century Team Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Wappingers Falls, N.Y. Posts: 1,446	I was a Roger Maris fan, so was many other NY'er in 60's. He was great going to right, that backhand side. He was quick charging in on balls, getting a good jump. In the later year his O was down but in St. Louis his D came alive. I would rate him to others the same as pwdennis did . __________________ Hello again, everybody. Its a bee-yoo-tiful day for BB.

09-19-2002, 07:08 PM	#2
Fuzzy Bear NetShrine's Evangelist Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Living by faith, and not by sight! Posts: 2,194	Maris won the Gold Glove in 1960. Maris was able to play for a pennant winner regularly in 1967 and 1968 despite having poor offensive seasons (though not as poor as they appear due to those years being the height of the 60s pitchers' era). Some of the must be due to his defensive play.

09-19-2002, 07:09 PM	#3
VNV Nation Membership Suspended 11/19/02 Join Date: May 2002 Location: VNV Nation Posts: 2,952	I've read that Roger Maris was considered a top-notch fielder. Maybe not quite on the level of Clemente, but then, everything he ever did was pretty much overshadowed by 61*/'61. Some people definitely thought he was a better outfielder than Mantle 1960-1965 or so. His range factors are pretty good and I imagine that it's difficult to put up a good range factor in RF in Yankee Stadium.

09-19-2002, 07:12 PM	#4
Ytown Tribe fan Guest Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Scrappers territory Posts: 2,515	Maris was a fair outfielder, playing LF and CF for the Tribe before moving mainly to RF with the Yanks (although he did play some CF). He won the Gold Glove in 1960, his first MVP season, but Mickey Mantle and Al Kaline deserved it more. Maris' range was better than average in the first half of his career and he had 10 assists his first season and 15 his second (between two teams), but he tailed off until his last two seasons with the Cards, when his range increased. Wins Shares shows him with 2.56 defensive WS per 1000 innings, which is below average for an outfielder with that many innings, but on a par with guys like Aaron and Robby.

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