Ben Zobrist Quotes

We were in Philadelphia when Manager Pat shifted me from third to short, and right off the bat, I knew I had found my dish. Footwork was more a part of the new position than it had been at third. I suddenly felt I had sprouted wings. A world of new possibilities opened for me.

Playing shortstop is 75 to 80 percent anticipation, knowing the hitter and the pitch being thrown.

I still feel like I can play defense at first base at a very high level.

The one thing is the more I play second base, the more I can work on the intricate movements of that position.

Outfield to infield is the most jarring because in the outfield, you have much more time to throw.

The shortstop is a perfectly conditioned athlete. You're running out on relays all the time. You're covering second base. On every pitch, you're moving.

I think I play center field better than I do anywhere else. I have enough speed and enough reaction to know where the ball goes off the bat.

There was Shawon Dunston and Mark Grace, and together we were a double play combination for ten years.

I made the varsity team as a freshman at 15. Then, I tore a tendon and never fully recovered. I was a shortstop, then third baseman, then second baseman.

I played Little League. I was a 'pitcher.' But we had a pitching machine, so I was just basically an 'in-infield' shortstop because all I got to do was field bloopers six feet from the plate. I couldn't hit, so that was pretty much my entire job.

I get a kick out of watching a team defense me. A player moves two steps in one direction and I hit it two steps the other way. It goes right by his glove and I laugh.

Obviously, I'm a shortstop at heart. I want to continue to play shortstop.

I want to meet Brandon Crawford and just pick his brain and figure out what helps him out on the defensive side of the ball.

I think it's hard for someone to play short and then come back to second. It's not the same.

I've always loved the infield, because I came up as an infielder.

I'm really trying to work on my defensive positioning.

Any time you play shortstop or center field, the majority of the baseballs are hit in the middle of the field.

There's a lot of things I can get better at as an individual, knowing where defenders are, having a better awareness. Those are things I can work on.

I try to pride myself in having really quick feet and being able to set up and throw balls in time.

I'm a 6'1' guard, but I'm blessed to have a wingspan of 6'7'. I have good lateral movement. For me, fighting over screens and using my hands, I kind of get tips on the ball. People don't understand getting a hand on the ball - not just stealing it - means a lot, especially in this league because everything happens so fast.

I see the game too slow from second base. That's why I like to play more short.

I've got a good first step and things of that nature. So it's just about using your body to make the defense play at your tempo and react to you.

I got Neil Walker now as my new second baseman. He's great. He looks comfortable there. He knows what he's doing. That's the second baseman you want to play with.

I know I can be a way better player as a shortstop than I can at third.

You have more time to make the play at second base than shortstop. That's why the game's more quick.