The conversation stretched on for close to four minutes before Eric Hosmer proffered a smile, a form of wry protest from one of the most genial players in baseball.
Yes, he has heard these numbers before, the ones that question his status as one of the best defensive first basemen in baseball. And as a member of the Royals, he is naturally skeptical of advanced metrics. But he is also a smart and open-minded baseball player, a 26-year-old who likes to think about the game in different ways. So he wants this to come out the right way.