A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder

Outfielder

Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...

 in baseball

Baseball

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

 who plays defense in center field – the baseball fielding position

Baseball positions

There are 9 fielding positions in baseball. Each position conventionally has an associated number which is used to score putouts...

 between left field

Left fielder

In baseball, a left fielder is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...

 and right field

Right fielder

A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...

. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the center fielder is assigned the number 8.

Position description

Outfielders must cover large distances, so speed, instincts and quickness to react to the ball are key. They must be able to catch fly balls above their head and on the run. They must be able to throw the ball accurately over a long distance to be effective. Amateur players may find it difficult to concentrate on the game, since they are so far from the action. Emphasizing the correct position will give outfield players something to concentrate on at each pitch.

As well as the requirements above, the center fielder will be the outfielder who has the best combination of speed and throwing distance. The center fielder covers more ‘grass’ than any other player (see photo) and, most likely, will catch the most fly balls. The center fielder also has the greatest responsibility among the three outfielders for coordinating their play to prevent collisions when converging on a fly ball, and on plays where he does not make the catch, he must position himself behind the corner outfielder in case the ball gets past him. He is the captain of the outfield and has the authority to call off the corner fielders when he thinks he can catch the ball. Aside from requiring more speed and range, the center field position is slightly easier to field because balls tend to fly on a straight path, rather than curving as they do for the other outfield positions. A center fielder's vision and depth perception for that matter is a coveted skill and must be considered above average. Because the center fielder requires a good arm and fast legs, center field is generally the position where the team puts its best all-around athletes; as a result, center fielders are often fine hitters as well. Many center fielders are renowned as excellent batters and base runners.
When a base runner is trying to steal second base the center fielder must back up second base

Second baseman

Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...

 on throws from the catcher

Catcher

Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...

 to second base in case the second basemen misses the catch or it is a bad throw.

Hall of Fame center fielders

Richie Ashburn Richie Ashburn Don Richard "Richie" Ashburn , also known by the nicknames, "Putt-Putt", "The Tilden Flash", and "Whitey" due to his light-blond hair, was an American center fielder in Major League Baseball. He was born in Tilden, Nebraska... Earl Averill Earl Averill Howard Earl Averill was an American player in Major League Baseball who was a center fielder from 1929 to 1941... Cool Papa Bell Willard Brown Max Carey Max Carey Max George Carey was an American center fielder in Major League Baseball who starred for the Pittsburgh Pirates and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1961... Oscar Charleston Oscar Charleston Oscar McKinley Charleston was an American center fielder and manager in baseball's Negro leagues from to ....

Ty Cobb Ty Cobb Tyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb , nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He was born in Narrows, Georgia... Earle Combs Earle Combs Earle Bryan Combs was an American professional baseball player, who played his entire career for the New York Yankees . Combs batted leadoff and played center field on the Yankees' fabled 1927 team... Joe DiMaggio Joe DiMaggio Joseph Paul "Joe" DiMaggio , nicknamed "Joltin' Joe" and "The Yankee Clipper," was an American Major League Baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career for the New York Yankees. He is perhaps best known for his 56-game hitting streak , a record that still stands... Larry Doby Larry Doby Lawrence Eugene "Larry" Doby was an American professional baseball player in the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball.... Hugh Duffy Hugh Duffy Hugh Duffy was a 19th century Major League Baseball player. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1945.-Career:... Billy Hamilton

Pete Hill Pete Hill * , Personal profiles at Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. – identical to Riley -External links:* – unknown content, URL confirmed 2010-04-16... Mickey Mantle Mickey Mantle Mickey Charles Mantle was an American professional baseball player. Mantle is regarded by many to be the greatest switch hitter of all time, and one of the greatest players in baseball history. Mantle was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.Mantle was noted for his hitting... Willie Mays Willie Mays Willie Howard Mays, Jr. is a retired American professional baseball player who played the majority of his major league career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his... Kirby Puckett Kirby Puckett Kirby Puckett was a Major League Baseball center fielder. He played his entire 12-year baseball career with the Minnesota Twins and he is the Twins franchise's all-time leader in career hits, runs, doubles, and total bases... Edd Roush Edd Roush Edd J. Roush was a Major League Baseball player who was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. He played the majority of his career in center field.... Duke Snider Duke Snider Edwin Donald "Duke" Snider , nicknamed "The Silver Fox" and "The Duke of Flatbush", was a Major League Baseball center fielder and left-handed batter who played for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers , New York Mets , and San Francisco Giants .Snider was elected to the National Baseball Hall of...

Tris Speaker Tris Speaker Tristram E. Speaker , nicknamed "Spoke" and "The Grey Eagle", was an American baseball player. Considered one of the best offensive and defensive center fielders in the history of Major League Baseball, he compiled a career batting average of .345 , and still holds the record of 792 career doubles... Turkey Stearnes Turkey Stearnes Norman Thomas "Turkey" Stearnes was an African American center fielder in the Negro leagues. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000.-Early Life and career:... Cristóbal Torriente Cristóbal Torriente Cristóbal Torriente was a Cuban outfielder in Negro league baseball with the Cuban Stars, All Nations, Chicago American Giants, Kansas City Monarchs and Detroit Stars over a career that lasted from 1914 to 1928, plus a single game in 1932.-Negro league career:Torriente was born in Cienfuegos, Cuba... Lloyd Waner Lloyd Waner Lloyd James Waner , nicknamed "Little Poison", was a Major League Baseball center fielder. His small stature at 5'9" and 132 lb made him one of the smallest players of his era. Along with his brother, Paul Waner, he anchored the Pittsburgh Pirates outfield throughout the 1920s and 1930s... Zack Wheat Zack Wheat Wheat played his first full season in . He played every game for the Superbas that season as the regular left fielder, leading the league in games played. He batted .284 that season, the second-lowest average of his career, which led the team, and was among the league leaders in hits, doubles, and... Hack Wilson Hack Wilson Lewis Robert "Hack" Wilson was an American professional baseball player who played 12 seasons with the New York Giants, Chicago Cubs, Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies...

See also

• Baseball Hall of Fame
• Outfield
  Outfield
  The outfield is a sporting term used in cricket and baseball to refer to the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield...
  
  
• Baseball positions
  Baseball positions
  There are 9 fielding positions in baseball. Each position conventionally has an associated number which is used to score putouts...
  
  
• Centerfield (song)
  Centerfield (song)
  "Centerfield" is the title track from John Fogerty's album Centerfield, Fogerty's first solo album after a nine-year absence. The song, whose title refers to the baseball position, is commonly played at baseball games across the United States...
  
  
• Centerfield (album)