Willie Mays once said that “Defense to me is the key to playing baseball.” It figures that the outfielder who made “The Catch” over his shoulder in the 1954 World Series would be partial to fielding.
That iconic Mays moment aside, making routine outs is not as glamorous as smashing home runs or stealing home. But botching some of those routine outs is costing the Washington Nationals games this season.
“We’ve got to play both sides of the baseball. We really do,” manager Dave Martinez said after Tuesday’s 6-2 loss. “Defense is just as important as hitting.