TEMPE, Ariz. — A full 15 years later, Torii Hunter remembers his gradual move from center field to right field and began re-living the memory upon his arrival in Angels camp this week, as the special assistant to the front office assumed a guest instructor role.
The former nine-time Gold Glove winner as a center fielder already had been receiving inquiries from a particularly wide-eyed player eager to make a positive impression this spring.
Are there tricks to the trade when moving from center to right? Mike Trout wanted to know.
The first thing Hunter addressed was the blow to the ego and why not to dwell on it so much.
“You play all those years, and then they say, ‘Hey, we want you to go to right field,’” Hunter said Wednesday morning. “It hurts for a minute, because it’s your dream. But at the same time, I knew where I was in my career. I was 36 years old, and it was time for me to kind of move to the right side to let somebody faster and younger and (who) has endurance to do it.”
Hunter started to make the move in 2010 as a member of the Angels, in his 12th full major-league season, to cede center to Peter Bourjos and Reggie Willits. Trout also dabbled there starting in 2011 and progressed to the full-time center fielder in 2014 when Hunter already left to the Detroit Tigers.
After settling into his new right field role, what Hunter remembers from those days was no longer the disappointment but the rejuvenation.
“My body felt great, and my numbers were better, average-wise,” Hunter said. “I stayed on the field. I played (at age) 37, 38, 39, even 40 in right field, and I was able to go out and put up some good numbers for an older guy. A wiser guy.”
While the spikes in offense weren’t drastic, Hunter did return to the All-Star Game in 2013 as a member of the Tigers, while winning a Silver Slugger Award and finishing 19th in American League MVP voting. He hadn’t been a top-20 MVP vote getter since 2007.
Hunter thinks Trout also will benefit the same way. Trout hasn’t played more than 82 games in four of the past five seasons, although one of those campaigns was the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
“We all are hoping and praying that this guy can stay on the field because I think his athletic ability, his gift, it should be seen by the world,” Hunter said. “And not even just Angels, fans. You got Pittsburgh, you got New York, you got Texas Rangers, you got everybody that wants to see Mike Trout on the field and rooting for him to stay on the field, because that’s somebody you just don’t see every day.”
As for those tricks to playing right field in Angel Stadium, Hunter says there is one in particular.
“In the first couple months, I think he’s going to have a problem with those (stadium) lights, but I’m here to kind of help them out and where to play,” Hunter said. “It’s the way you line up in right field. You stay on the left side toward center field, you actually don’t run into the lights as much.”
Hunter remembers it like it was yesterday. And in a sense, with Trout now in right field, it will feel like he is on the field again, knowing what his former teammate is going through.
“He asked so many questions, and still, to this day, a guy who’s a superstar, a Hall of Famer in the future, (he) still asks questions,” Hunter said. “That ought to let you know who he is.”
MIDDLE MAN
Veteran infielder Tim Anderson took a turn in center field on Wednesday with the Angels looking to explore any and all versatility the 31-year-old can bring.
Mostly a shortstop in his career, Anderson also has experience at second base. He has never played in the outfield in his major-league career.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen out there when those fly balls go up, but we want to give it a shot and see,” Manager Ron Washington said. “He might show us he can do it, and he might show us that, no, we ain’t gonna do that.”
Anderson did not record a put out, while fielding two singles in front of him. He also had a hit, a stolen base and a run scored in three at-bats.
COMPLETE FOCUS
In a battle for what appears to be the No. 5 starting spot, left-hander Reid Detmers followed a solid start from right-hander Jack Kochanowicz on Tuesday with one of his own Wednesday against the Dodgers.
Detmers gave up one run on two hits in 2⅔ innings.
“There’s only one thing I can control and that’s what I do out there, so I haven’t put too much thought into it,” Detmers said of the rotation battle.