Is there ANY chance, Braun could play center?

[BREWCREW5]

This is me probably trying to be wishful thinking, but is there anyway that Braun could play an average center field?

 

He seems very quick and has made a very easy transition to left field.

[trwi7]

He can barely play an average left field.

[owbc]

Absolutely not. He is a below average left fielder and frequently misjudges the trajectories of balls. He is quick on the basepaths but it does not seem to translate to being quick in the outfield.

 

Is there a particular reason you want to move him to CF? Isn't Cameron going to be back next year?

[JohnBriggs12]

I disagree that he "frequently misjudges the trajectories of balls" or that he's a below average LF. Apparently obsessedwithbrewcrew hasn't seen some of the stiffs out there on other teams. What he's he's still learning is when to go all out on a ball in front of him and when it's best to play safe. His tendency is to dive for balls in situations where it's better to give up the single and hold the man on first. Other than that he's a pretty good outfielder.

 

It's not that big a stretch that he could play CF but he'd need a couple ST first. I don't think it's in the plans though.

[Invader3K]

I think he could do it, but if you're going to move someone to CF, Hart or Weeks seem like more logical choices.

[FVBrewerFan]

Weeks would even be a better choice in CF. I'm far from sold on that idea, but I would take him in CF over Braun.

[Ennder]

I don't really think Braun would be good in CF but I think he could easily move to RF if we trade Hart. I think Weeks would be absolutely terrible in CF so I don't want to see that experiment, he is fast but he loses concentration so often and just seems to be really slow at making adjustments in general.

[dadofandrew]

What Briggs said. In addition, I doubt Ryan has the desire to learn how to play CF at a leaue average level, as he obviously hits aplenty to play LF/RF. He's plenty fast enough, and would probably not be that bad after the inevitable learning curve.

 

I don't see it happening. RF is possible, as he said he felt it was easier, and he has the arm for it, shoulder injury aside.

[lukevan]

I think it's easier to judge balls hit to center than to left. Generally you'll have more time to react and the angle of the ball coming off the bat is easier to judge. I think Braun could play passable in center but I don't think he has good enough OF instincts to be a productive defender out there. RF or LF, sure.

[RightFieldCoder]

In left field all balls hit to you slice or hook towards your right. In right field all balls hit to you slice or hook towards your left. In center you must deal with slices and hooks going either direction. It is easier to track balls in the corners than in center. In center you have to figure out which way it is curving besides where it is hit. One also has more ground to worry about in center. Very rarely does one move up the defensive spectrum. Braun's already moved down once in his MLB career, it would be odd to then move him up the scale.

[SoCal Brew Crew Fan]

Watching Mike Cameron judging and tracking down a fly to Center is a thing of beauty. Watching Braun misjudge a ball and take a wrong path towards a ball, yet usually make up for it with his speed gives me the yips. Braun constantly misjudges flys and often takes a horrendous path towards the ball. It's his speed and arm that save him. He'd probably be fine in RF, but CF...no way. I'd rather bring Cam back. I'm with obsessed on this one.

[joepepsi]

At this point I think the best move is to put Gerut in CF and use Cam's money to try and improve other areas, like pitching.

[jhart05]

Weeks would be a terrible CF. I've heard either Melvin or other scouts say this, maybe both. I don't remember where. Plus he was looking pretty good at 2B, why mess with him again. The Brewers will not move him to CF. So we all need to just move on from this, it's not going to happen.

 

Braun in CF, no thanks. Cam makes him look better than he is.

 

Hart can't play CF either. I sat in RF for about 25 games last year. He gets a terrible jump on the ball. He doesn't seem to read the ball coming off the bat very well at all. While Cam seems to take a step in the right direction before the ball is even hit.

 

They should bring Cameron back. He is 7th in the majors, 5th in the NL, in OPS, and brings a well above average glove. I personally hope Cam retires in a Brewer uniform. Plus they don't have a major league ready CF prospect right now.

 

There is more to playing CF than just being quick or fast.

[endaround]

Braun grades out below average in LF the place where Lee, Dunn, and Ramirez play. He shouldn't be moved.

[owbc]

Our 9-pack has us sitting in the 3rd row of the terrace looking directly at Ryan Braun from behind home plate. When the ball comes off the bat toward left field, we have a perfect view of its trajectory. From that vantage point, it is common to see Braun hesitate or make a first move in the wrong direction. It is less apparant on TV because he has usually already corrected himself by the time the camera switches to him. Like others said, he also usually makes up for it. However, that wasn't the case in the tie game against the Reds a few weeks ago. The Brewers were about to go to the bottom of the 10th inning with a tie score, but Braun missed a ball that was hit right at him because he took 3 steps in for an RBI double.

[Invader3K]

Braun grades out below average in LF the place where Lee, Dunn, and Ramirez play. He shouldn't be moved.

 

I don't get it. Are you saying he's worse than those three? I would disagree.

[brewerfan82]

Braun grades out below average in LF the place where Lee, Dunn, and Ramirez play. He shouldn't be moved.

 

I don't get it. Are you saying he's worse than those three? I would disagree.

I didn't read it that way. I think he means that some horrible fielders play in leftfield and Braun grades out as a below average even with them pulling the average down. I think in time Braun will be more than acceptable as a corner outfielder, I think he's very Jenkins-like there, but he's still learning.

[TheCrew07]

I disagree that he "frequently misjudges the trajectories of balls" or that he's a below average LF. Apparently obsessedwithbrewcrew hasn't seen some of the stiffs out there on other teams. What he's he's still learning is when to go all out on a ball in front of him and when it's best to play safe. His tendency is to dive for balls in situations where it's better to give up the single and hold the man on first. Other than that he's a pretty good outfielder.

 

How many games have you watched in person? When you are at the game and watch do you follow the trajectory of the ball in the air or watch the outfielders to see how they are moving to play the ball? Once the ball is hit I find it much easier to focus in on the nearest fielder, he's going to tell me exactly what I need to know. I can tell you from being there in person, that Braun makes fundamental mistakes on many balls hit at him, he's just able to cover them up with his natural athleticism. He certainly doesn't read the ball off the bat any better in the OF than he did at 3B. I only made it to 5 games this season, I spent more time/money on the T-Rats, but he was unimpressive in LF each time I was there.

[logan82]

Apparently obsessedwithbrewcrew hasn't seen some of the stiffs out there on other teams.

 

I am sure he has and that is why Braun is such a bad fielder. If everybody who played LF was a good outfielder and Braun was average, Braun would be a good outfielder. As it is, Braun is average at a position with many bad fielders which means average is bad.

[Hank Aarons Shoes]

Ryan Braun playing CF would be a joke. He barely makes it in LF. A strong defense would improve the Brewers pitching staff. Braun in CF would make the defense far,far worse.

[sbrylski]

A strong defense would improve the Brewers pitching staff.

 

Unfortunately, we really have no where to go but down in regards to center field defense.

[Invader3K]

I'm kind of tired of the Braun bashing.

 

He does a serviceable job out there. Is he gold glove caliber? No, of course not. But the fact is he is decent enough and not a liability. Ignored in all of this discussion is that all of his other tools more than make up for his slightly sub-par glove. Let's not forget this is only his second season in the outfield, and he's still fairly young. He'll continue to get better.

[logan82]

A strong defense would improve the Brewers pitching staff.

 

The Brewers are above average this year and were one of the best defensive teams in baseball in 2008.

 

I'm kind of tired of the Braun bashing.

 

Where is the bashing? Braun is below average at a position where average means bad. His defense is rated worse by UZR this year than last.

[Invader3K]

Yeah, I don't put a lot of stock in UZR to begin with. Isn't that stat supposed to take like 2000 starts to accurately measure? (I could be thinking of a different stat).

[logan82]

I guess if you are going to ignore a useful way to measure defense, then go ahead and believe what you like. Braun shows up as below average in all advanced measures of defense as well as looking bad in the field to many posters. To me that seems like a pretty unbiased measure that he is a bad defender.