Anyone know why every story that mentions the Borbon/Cruz fly ball fiasco in an article calls it Borbon's blunder? Don't you learn in Little League that the centerfielder has priority over any ball he can reach? When it comes to catching a fly it shouldn't matter that Cruz is an All-Star and Borbon isn't, if the centerfielder calls it, Cruz has to get out of the way. It seems like Cruz has had several close calls in the past. He needs to learn that it's okay to get called off. Anyone else agree?

I've played the whole OF snice i was 5 and still do in softball(I'm 20 now) any ball the CF calls is his ball and you get out his way no questions asked, so yes I do agree yesterday was Cruz's fault and I'm pretty sure Wash made that clear to Cruz after the inning. With that said, when playing center if one of your cornner OFs are camped you need to let them have it because Ham and Cruz will get very tired, very quickly if Borbon calls them off balls they're camped under.

Willie Mays Quote:
"Two things I won't do, as a center fielder. 1) I won't run through a brick wall to catch a fly out. 2) I won't run through a camped corner, waiting for a can of corn... I'm smarter than that" This was a 20 yr old kid, when asked if he could play CF in the majors, per Leo Durocher.

The CF can call the catch, but it wasn't his play....and we're not exactly talking about the Rock of the Rangers in Julio Borbon.

If the play had been to the same place on the other side, Amigo de Andrus, would you be contending that he run over the league MVP?

Borbon is hanging on to his position by a thread, let alone a roster spot. I'd prefer we talk about him quarterbacking an outfield after he earns some credibility, not before. He made a poor decision.

HubZ

That is a great quote, don't know where you found it but it's a good one.
I think it puts this discussion in a proper perspective.

If a CF calls for the ball, it's his.

Besides, Cruz wasn't "camped" under the ball. Cruz was still drifting as the ball arrived, hence the collision.

Anybody in the stadium knows Cruz was indeed camped under the ball. He hardly had to move because the outfield was shifted to the left. Opinions can be argued, facts are facts.

I thought Cruz was still drifting as well. If he is camped, I agree that Borbon shouldn't take it. With that said, when the ball is in the air both guys are looking in the air and going for it, that's why communication is the key. If Cruz is called off he has to give way. When both guys are looking in the air you have to have a system of communication. Maybe Cruz can say "Camp" (jn Spanish of course) if he's camped.

As to whether Borbon should take balls from Hamilton in left. If he can get to them, absolutely! When Hamilton hears him call that he's got it, he has to get out of the way. Besides, since both are left handed Borbon 's play to his glove side should be easier than Hamilton's play to is throwing-hand side.

Hard to be literally camped with 40mph winds above... but Wash noted "Camped..."
Borbon should be aggressive, but understand & be aware of his surroundings.
Wash; "I can live with aggressive mistakes..."
I like Josh, Julio and Nelli, as the script is written by Wash. It'll work out.

They should make mlb centerfielders and shortstops take a baseball version of the wonderlic test much like nfl quarterbacks. I think that'd give us a very good idea of why Borbon does what he does...

Guys ... it was nerves. It was the first hit ball of the season. Everybody wss edgy ... certainly Borbon given all the criticism that was sent his way during spring training.

If we are going to keep ragging on Borbon for that play in the first 5 minutes of the first game ... then how come we don't rag on Young for muffing the ball Poppy hit into the shift ... or the play he didn't make to his left several innings later.

Reason ... none of those plays resulted in losses and harping about them is of less value than harping on Rhadigan's ineptness.

Two big triples in four games- me forgive ... what was the point here? Dead issue.

Like I said during the Cactus League, I would have been much more concerned to see Borbon fielding flawlessly and hitting .180 than making a few errors and hitting .350. We know Julio can play CF at a solid-to-very good level. We don't know if he can hit. On that front, LOTS of good signs so far. In 3 games, he's got 2 big triples, a single, a walk, and a HBP, and on top of all that, he saw 18 pitches in 3 PAs last night. Looks and smells like some maturity at the plate. Now, if only we could get the Borbon-Kins-Andrus trio stealing some bases, this thing would really be able to beat you in every way you can beat another team.

Believe I saw Cruz asked about the situation and he said it was so loud, that neither could hear one another. I've never played CF before, but I'd bet that played a large part into what happened. Combine that with Borbon simply being too aggressive and trying to prove something, and what happened happened. No big thing, they won the game, unlike Ichiro's 2 run blunder last night. Work to minimize these things, keep getting those triples, and he will be fine.

Bullsh. That was Cruz's ball. It was a ignorant play by Julio. However, he has bounced back from that ignominious start, and is playing much better defense. And two 2-out triples? Awesome. So all is forgiven.