The best fielding shortstop in Major League Baseball history. Best fielding percentage for a shortstop. Least amount of errors for a shortstop. Most assists in a season. Most assists in a career. Most double plays in a career. Most consecutive 20 steal seasons.

The Wizard of Oz had incredible range on the field, hands quicker than a hummingbird's wings, and unparalleled instincts. Only Brooks Robinson is his equal in fielding.

Ozzie made the single greatest defensive play I ever saw. While playing for the Padres back in 1979, Ozzie was at shortstop when a ball was hit hard up the middle, apparently a sure base hit. Ozzie gets a great jump on the ball, and racing back behind second base, dives full out for it. But then, while Ozzie is is still in mid-air, about a foot off the ground with his left (glove) arm streched out in perfect position to snag the ball, the ball takes a bad hop and bounces high up over him. But then Ozzie reaches up with his other arm while still in mid-dive to bare hand the ball, comes up firing and gets the runner at first by a hair.

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