Torii Hunter Quotes

I loved to make a great defensive play, I'd rather do that than hit a home run.

I think I'm a guy who loves to play defense. I have a great time in the outfield. I think it's fun robbing guys on hits - there are plenty of times you're gonna be robbed as a hitter.

The hardest thing to do in sports, I think, is to hit a home run.

There is nothing better than walking out and hitting a home run.

Baseball is like driving, it's the one who gets home safely that counts.

Hit a home run - put your head down, drop the bat, run around the bases, because the name on the front is more - a lot more important than the name on the back.

When he hit a ground ball to you, you knew you had to make a good throw because he was going to be running.

I always liked the defensive part of baseball.

After I hit a home run I had a habit of running the bases with my head down. I figured the pitcher already felt bad enough without me showing him up rounding the bases.

I have only one superstition... Touch all the bases when I hit a home run.

Being a presence on the defensive end, I know that's important to me, I have to establish that.

A lot of guys are offensive minded, which is good at some points and times but bad at others - at lots of others. I wish I could say I want everybody to play defense as hard as I do. It's not a reality.

I'm a defender first and foremost, and if I'm playing right centre-half, I am even more of a defender than the wing-backs.

I always say that I think my job is behind home plate, call a good game, play some good defense, and also, I know I was not a power hitter.

Defensive moments are for each and every player.

I feel I am a total defender.

Really what we've done is establish a tradition in Carolina of playing defense.

I just try to be the same guy each and every day and just do something when we're hitting or make a nice defensive play or run the bases. Just trying to be consistent in that way.

I've always loved blocking shots.

Regardless of how well you can be offensively, if you have a great defense, you can deal with any offense.

He hit the ball so hard, I couldn't even turn around in time to see it go over the fence.

[On Willie Mays] He was something like zero for twenty-one the first time I saw him. His first major league hit was a home run off me and I'll never forgive myself. We might have gotten rid of Willie (Mays) forever if I'd only struck him out.

We got to stop people. We go ahead and we score 100 points every night, but we give up more. Our whole thing was, we know we can score, and we have to start having some kind of fun on the defensive end. Everybody want to play offense. Not too many people want to play defense. Defense is ego, pride, and that's the way we've been coming out, just taking the challenge. Man-on-man first, and having each other's back when a guy gets beat.

I'm one of the best defenders to ever play basketball, so I'm still the first option on defense.

You might as well go in and start getting dressed. I'm going to hit his first pitch for a home run.