USA Baseball Sport Development Blog

Individualizing the Off-Season 

Fundamental Skills

By Darren Fenster / November 2, 2018

By the end of the season, it is smart for all of us in the game to do our own personal year in review. From there, we can see what went well, and what we need to improve upon. And it’s in that introspection where we need to dig deep with both objectivity and honesty.  Self-awareness plays a vital role in player development, as those who know what they can and can’t do are able to, in a sense, be their own coaches, constantly looking for ways to either improve themselves or break out of a funk without always being under the watchful eye of an instructor. A coach has done an incredible job with a player when that player has learned himself inside and out. 

Athletes never stay at the same level; they are either getting better or they are getting worse, and complacency is the quickest route to the latter. A separator amongst the game’s best isn’t always talent. Combined with that knowledge of self, often times it’s a player’s obsessive desire to get better without ever being satisfied with where they are, whether that be in A-Ball or the Big Leagues. And it’s in the off-season- when players are on their own, away from their teams- where that desire becomes the driving force being their everyday work.

The off-season should hold three distinct characteristics: 1) rest to recharge, 2) make your strengths stronger, and 3) lessen your limitations. We’ve previously discussed the value of getting away from the game and playing other sports, so this week’s focus is on the individualized aspect of the latter two off-season traits. 

Ask yourself, your coaches, scouts, and teammates, “what do you do well?”  Also ask the question, “what do you struggle with?” Often times our own perception of self is slightly different than other’s reality.  And that’s fine.  Maybe we come out of those conversations humbled, not nearly as good at something as we think we are, or with a newfound confidence, aware of something that we didn’t even think about as a weapon in our arsenal.

MAKING YOUR STRENGTHS STRONGER

No matter how good a player may be, they can ALWAYS be better.  After taking that straw poll of those around you, reflect on that list of strengths and figure out how they can become stronger.  For example, if you are a hitter, maybe you displayed an outstanding feel for the strike zone this past season, but you could have been more selective at times, and aggressive at others.  Well, your off-season focus can be placed on learning YOUR zone; understanding the pitches you hit well, and those that you don’t.  Then, come the spring, your approach in the box can reflect an improved selective aggressiveness that might just turn a good year into a great one. 

If you’re a pitcher, perhaps one of your greatest strengths of the year was the way you filled up the strike zone and challenged hitters to put the ball in play. But in doing so, you might have thrown too many hittable strikes, when you could have let the count play to your advantage by forcing the hitter to chase pitches out of the zone. In that case, your off-season focus can be centered around your ability to command the baseball for a ball; elevating the fastball or burying your off-speed stuff. Do that, and you will be well on your way to becoming a complete pitcher, who knows how to really pitch. 

LESSENING YOUR LIMITATIONS

There is not a player out there who can do everything at a Hall-of-Fame level. Even Mike Trout has his own limitations…and while I can’t think of a single one right now, trust me, he does! At the higher levels of the game, scouting reports are developed for one team to exploit another club’s weaknesses. That goes as broad as for a team who might not be able to field a bunt to as detailed as a hitter who cannot get to the inside pitch to save his life. Naturally, the fewer weaknesses a team or player may have, the tougher they are to beat.

So, with that in mind, take note of what you don’t do well. While no one will expect you to turn a weakness into a strength overnight, if you can slowly but surely improve upon your limitations, over time, you might eventually become just average at something you may have previously been terrible at. Like that hitter who couldn’t hit anything inside. By starting on the tee, and the progressing to toss, and finishing with BP either off of an arm or a machine, you can emphasize the inside pitch every day. It may be ugly at first, but by practicing with a consistent purpose and plan, before long you can, in fact, learn the proper way to get the barrel to a pitch that for years may have given you nightmares in your sleep.

There is no secret switch in the game. Your strengths didn’t magically appear overnight; rather some things in the game just happen to come more easily than others. To be good at anything, it takes time, focus, and energy. Probably none more so than when it comes to working on your weaknesses. But when that time, focus, and energy is spent on all parts of the game- both good and bad- a lot of good is sure to follow. One player’s physical gifts are completely different than another’s. So, the way each player trains should be a reflection of their own individuality, rather than a singular ideal of what a player can and should be.

What’s the Call? Overrunning First Base

November 1, 2018

After overrunning first base, is the batter-runner ever in jeopardy of being put out before returning to the base? 

What’s the Call?

Monday Manager: Misplayed Grounder

October 29, 2018

Coach Without Worrying About the Win or Loss

Fundamental Skills

By Darren Fenster / October 26, 2018

Every year in the middle of February, Spring Training facilities in Florida and Arizona all have a buzz of excitement for the upcoming baseball season. Major League stars are getting ready for the grind, minor league guys are found on backfields honing their craft, while fans are enjoying both as they escape the cold weather with warm thoughts of summer. There is hardly a time of the year when there is more enthusiasm for our game.

For the amount of fanfare seen at these complexes in February and March, what goes on in the months September and October does so under the radar, with little to no coverage at all. Fall Instructional League amongst professional baseball clubs is one of the cooler baseball environments because it’s sole purpose- as it lies in it’s title- IS instruction. There is no championship trophy. It is barely even a true league, with no records and no standings. The “league’s” only real function is setting up a game schedule for teams to play.

Spring training brings in a couple hundred players and tens of thousands of fans. Instructs- as it’s commonly referred to- attracts 40-50 players, and even fewer fans. Not all players go. In fact, attending is by invitation-only. It’s a privilege to be asked to get another three to four weeks added on to the baseball season because that usually means the organization believes so much in the potential of those players that the additional focus on those individuals’ specific skills may be the difference between them becoming Major Leaguers or not.

Instructs is all about individual player development. Yes, team fundamentals are practiced and emphasized when appropriate, but the main focus during this month-long period is on taking a player’s raw athletic ability, and helping to mold it into useable baseball skills. For instance, a player who in an above-average runner may spend the entire time at instructs learning how to bunt for a hit or on stealing bases. Pitchers often spend their weeks working on developing a specific pitch, while other players may be transitioning to entirely new positions that fit best with their talent, like a hitter with a great arm becoming a pitcher, or a shortstop learning the utility role at other spots around the diamond.

All of this detailed instruction is able to happen because Instructional League creates an environment that allows for, and often encourages, failure where that failure has absolutely no effect on the team’s daily success, because records aren’t kept, nor are scores closely followed. A game in instructs is not your normal baseball contest. The traditional rules of the game are more in the background than they are dictating how the players from each team play the game.

That plus-runner learning how to bunt? He may attempt to lay one down in each of his four times at bat, regardless of the situation, and may start certain innings on base without actually doing anything to get there. That pitcher figuring out his new breaking ball? He may throw it far more than he does his fastball. When he’s thrown enough, the words, “roll it” will be heard from the dugout and the inning is over, whether or not any outs have actually been recorded. That newfound utility player? He might start at a different position each game, or play multiple positions throughout the course of one game. The more reps at the new spot, the more comfort he is able to build. There is still competitiveness in instructs, but rather than it being between teams, the competition lies within the player and their own personal inner drive to be better than they were the day before.

In this age of travel baseball with constant tournaments and showcases week in and week out, the concept of instructs is an interesting one to take in. If professionals have so much to be gained when placing the entire purpose on developing rather than to winning, there’s no reason why amateur baseball players can’t participate in something similar. So how can today’s coaches and aspiring Big Leaguers implement a similar approach? Well, it begins with the environment.  

The main reason why Instructional Leagues have been so productive over the years is because there is zero emphasis on winning games or individual stats. Instead of playing in competitive tournaments all summer and fall, schedule games throughout the same time frame where the results do not matter. It’s important that coaches from both clubs are of the same mindset when putting these games together, knowing full-well their purpose will be strictly developmental, and at times, may look non-traditional with innings that may start with runners on base, or end without getting three outs. Expose your players to positions that are completely foreign to them, and turn their primary position into a secondary one, giving them far more time at a new spot than one they are fully capable and comfortable playing.  

Additionally, give them specific skills to focus on during these games. For pitchers, that might mean throwing an entirely new pitch, or a focusing on throwing the fastball to a certain part of the plate that they may not do consistently. For position players, that may have the look of a right-handed hitter trying to learn how to switch-hit as a lefty, or forcing a free-swinger to take a strike in every at bat to build some discipline and pitch recognition- both important traits of good hitters.  

Above all, the point must be made to the players by the coaches that the entire focus and reason for these games is not to win or lose, nor to put up numbers, but to improve on the things that they don’t do well. Encourage failure and use that failure as a means to learn, rather than a reason to get upset as many would in normal competition. Without that emphasis in the message, these games won’t serve their purpose as best as they can.

Winning is a byproduct of a collective group of players playing the game well. The better those individual players are, the better their team will be. So don’t be scared to be different and put a focus on shaping the small pieces of the puzzle instead of completing that big picture all at once. Do that, and eventually, those wins that we all want tend to take care of themselves.

Cuddyer’s Corner: Alternative Ways to Play the Game

October 24, 2018

Monday Manager: Defensive Awareness

October 22, 2018

So…You Want To Work In Pro Ball, Huh?

Fundamental Skills

By Darren Fenster / October 19, 2018

Everyone has their own unique journey in the game. Some set out on a life path as a kid, and are able to follow it every step of the way. Others, like myself, set out on one road, only to get sidetracked and re-routed a handful of times on an incredible ride I never envisioned taking. For me, that road of happenstance brought me into the coaching ranks of professional baseball. My experiences in the game have been incredible, from the rewarding to the surreal. 

A few years ago, when I was at a crossroads in my professional life, debating between continuing in the game and starting a new career path in the medical device sales field, countless people volunteered their time, offering their insight as to what working in professional baseball is really like.  It was their collective experiences in the game that made me believe that there was still a place for me on a baseball field. And I’ve never been happier professionally since choosing that path.

Over the past seven-plus years, many have reached out to me both asking for insight as to what it is like to work in professional baseball, along with help getting into that side of the game, just as I did to others a short time ago. Here is my insight for all those inspired to find a position with a Major League club. 

First, allow me to begin by offering some background as to how my career path took shape in the first place.

My playing career as a Minor Leaguer in the Royals system ended abruptly due to a knee injury, and I wasn’t prepared by any means to start a life after baseball, and had no plan B.  So when I was released in the spring of 2006, I reached out to Fred Hill, the coach I played for at Rutgers, an ABCA hall of famer who has been like a second father to me, basically asking, “what do I do now?” He asked if I had any interest in coaching (I didn’t), because he thought I would make a good one if I got into it, and would create the Director of Operations position on his staff, specifically for me if I said the word. Well, without any other plans, I agreed, and by sheer good fortune, right place, right time, a position on a Big East Baseball program’s staff was created for me. Coach Hill saw something in me before I was ready to see it in myself. A huge break for me, which I didn’t realize at the time as I’ve since seen how incredibly hard it is to get a coaching position at any school, let alone one with a “big time” athletics department.

At the time, Division I programs could only have four “coaches” on the field, working with players, so, in the Director of Operations position, I was not allowed in uniform or on the field. That was actually a good thing because it enabled me to learn the complete inner workings of a college baseball program, and prepared me to step into an assistant coach/recruiting role when the opportunity presented itself a couple years later. In the meantime, I was able to get on the field, coaching experience, hooking on for one summer as an assistant in St. Cloud in the Northwoods League in 2007 when we won it all, and then the following summer in Orleans in the Cape Cod League.

After a few years on the coaching staff at Rutgers, and after testing the waters looking into a career in medical device sales, I began getting the itch to get back into professional baseball in a more baseball-centric position without having to recruit or worry about the countless off-the-field responsibilities of the college game. Having played for six years professionally myself, combined with the time I spent at RU, I felt like I had an incredibly strong resume that would make me a slam dunk hire for any professional team, well-equipped for a number of different areas in the game, that I would essentially be able to pick. My expectations were far off.  

I spent the entire summer of 2011 discussing my desire to return to professional baseball with those who had positions with clubs that I already had relationships with. I went through the Baseball America team directory and highlighted every single name that I knew (or played with or against) and reached out with a call, text, or email. After three full months of conversations, when September rolled around, I got one, yes, just one, phone interview with the Rockies for an open hitting coach job. I didn’t get a second interview. Then I started considering internships in baseball operations, and was up for two: one with the Indians that had an amazing track record with some very big wigs in the game, and the other with the Mets working in baseball operations with a variety of departments. I was ready and willing to leave a full-time position, with benefits, and a mortgage to pay, just to get back into the pro game.

So as the fall of 2011 was progressing, and while going thru the long interview process for those internships, I was preparing for another year at Rutgers. During instructional league in mid-October, I followed up with the Red Sox assistant General Manager at the time, Mike Hazen (now running the Diamondbacks), who I played against when he was at Princeton, and he said there was a possibility of something opening up in a few weeks, but nothing for sure. For the next month and a half, crickets. Figured nothing was open after all, or they filled it with someone else. Then, during Winter Meetings in December, he called me out of the blue to ask if I was still interested in the hitting coach job, as the A-ball job had opened, and later that day I did a phone interview with the Farm Director. A week later I was up at Fenway for a face to face, and the following week they offered me the job. Literally six months-worth of banging doors down with next to no opportunities, and then just like that, within a quick two weeks, I had the job. That transition has been then best move of my professional life. Simply getting my foot in the door was also the hardest transition of my professional life.

Having just completed my seventh season with the Red Sox, I can unequivocally say that working in professional baseball is awesome. I absolutely love it, and honestly can’t really see myself doing anything else outside of the game. But rest assure, it is not an easy lifestyle on a number of different fronts. My days are spent teaching the game I love. I have a passion for what I do, and a purpose to my days that go far beyond the field. While much of the world is inside, making a living doing something they may not enjoy, I’m outside throwing BP and hitting ground balls. I’ve been a part of, and have had an impact on, one of the most storied franchises in all of professional sports. I’ve worked in the cage with a future hall-of-famer. I have a World Series ring… with my name on it. 

I. HAVE. A. WORLD. SERIES. RING.

But for as rewarding as a career can be to work in professional baseball at the highest levels of the game, there are many challenges that come with doing something that we love. 

In Player Development, you will work from one extreme to the other. Yes, our days are spent on the field, making our players better; nights spent competing under the lights. But being a coach in professional baseball means sacrificing any sense of a work-life balance. Days are long, often times arriving at the ballpark before noon for a 7:00 p.m. game and staying as late as midnight or later. Our schedule is one of the extremes, pretty much working just about every day from mid-February thru Labor Day before enjoying an off-season with little to no responsibility. The fall and winter provide me with a ton of flexibility to branch out and do a handful of other things in the game that has literally taken me all over the world and have given me life experiences that most could only dream.  

There is a culture and camaraderie in our organization that is very much a family atmosphere full of like-minded people who truly have a passion for the game and helping those in it. I have built relationships with both colleagues and players that I hold as dear as I do my own relatives and people I grew up with.  Sustaining a “normal” family life, however, is a huge challenge. I am not married, and don’t have any kids, so it’s very easy for me to up and go where I want when I want, or to go wherever the Red Sox tell me to go. Some guys will go weeks and months without seeing their wives or kids and are able to make it work.  

And lastly, there is a big misconception when it comes to compensation in professional baseball. Put simply, you’re either in the Big Leagues, or you’re not. Unless you are a Major League manager or a long-tenured guy on a Major League staff, you will not get rich working in professional baseball. It is in many senses a labor of love. The majority of those working in the game are doing it for the love first, the money, second. But, if you’re financially responsible, you’ll be able to pay your bills, and will have opportunities to make money in the off-season if you find your way in as a coach.

Scouting, both amateur and professional, and baseball operations are other departments that every Major League club employs, and while I don’t have personal experience in either, much of the same premise applies as does in Player Development. No job in baseball is a traditional 9-5, and few will be able to sustain a career in the game without a genuine love for the game.  

A life in the game requires many sacrifices. Sacrifices that many don’t want to give up or can’t give up.  But those sacrifices come from a place of passion. And that passion is a bond we all share, and one that keeps us enthusiastically coming to work day after day, year after year. We all take a great sense of pride in being a part of something that is so much bigger than any single one of us. 

What’s the Call? Tag/Putout

October 18, 2018

A batter-runner hits the ball hard back to the pitcher, so hard the ball gets stuck between the fingers of his glove. He throws the whole glove in attempt to get the batter-runner out and the first baseman catches it. Did he get the out?

What’s the Call?

Diamond Doc: Tommy John Surgeries in Position Players

October 16, 2018

Monday Manager: Leadoff Double

October 15, 2018

Little Things Make for Big Wins

Fundamental Skills

By Darren Fenster / October 12, 2018

Omaha, Nebraska.

Every June, this quaint Midwestern city becomes the pinnacle of the college baseball world when it hosts the College World Series. Every February, it is the destination for all 298 NCAA Division I baseball teams. It is the goal. But out of those 298 clubs, only eight get to go. Only eight get to play for the National Championship. EIGHT. It is a special place that only a few special teams get to experience.

Last June, in the bottom of the 10th inning of a tied, deciding game-three of the Louisville Super Regional, Cal State Fullerton found itself one run away from its season ending when the leadoff hitter for the Cardinals reached base. A sacrifice bunt was in order. Everyone in the ballpark knew it. Everybody watching on television knew it. And Cal State Fullerton’s defense knew it, too… especially their second baseman, Taylor Bryant.

As Louisville’s hitter laid down a textbook sacrifice, Fullerton’s catcher fielded the ball cleanly, and without a play at second, shuffled his feet towards first to take the “sure” out. When the ball left the catcher’s hand, it was apparent that “sure” out would not be recorded; the throw airmailed over the 1st baseman’s head and headed for the right field corner- but the ball never made it there. The ball never even made it into the outfield because Taylor Bryant was backing up the play, in position behind first base, exactly where he was supposed to be, when he was supposed to be there. Had he not been there, Louisville’s runner from first likely would have scored easily, and a frantic dogpile at home plate would have ensued with the Cardinals’ ticket punched to Omaha.

But Taylor Bryant was there.

Bryant’s simple backup of first base not only saved the game, but it saved Fullerton’s season. Fittingly, both he and the Titans were rewarded, escaping out of that 1st and 2nd, nobody out jam without giving up a run, and an inning or two later, they would push across a run of their own that would punch THEIR ticket to Omaha… all because Taylor Bryant was backing up a base.

Who knows how many times Bryant had made that sprint to back up first base, only to watch his teammates throw and catch the ball without issue and get that “sure” out? Who knows how many times Bryant practiced backing up first base, only to realize his energy to be in position, just in case of a bad throw, went for naught.

What do we (and Taylor Bryant) know? Clearly, that “little thing” is not so little after all.

One of the biggest challenges for coaches in any sport is to get their players to buy in to the small details of the game, the things that seemingly, to them, don’t really matter. While stories like Fullerton’s help in the cause, the reality is that it takes a special culture to get an entire team to embrace those things that barely get noticed. When you have a roster full of players who take pride in doing the little things, a funny thing happens: those big things tend to take care of themselves.

Creating that detail-oriented, little-thing atmosphere begins with the coaching staff. We as coaches cannot expect players to care about something in games if we don’t show how much we care about something by working at it. From there, it’s time for us to get our players to buy in. That’s not an easy thing to do, especially when the majority of these little things garner little notice, nor recognition. So take it upon yourself to change that. Take notice of the details. Recognize those who are doing the right thing.

Everyone knows the hitter who got the game-winning hit, or the pitcher who secured the win with a key strikeout with the bases loaded. Praise the unsung hero. The guy who isn’t in the box score. The player who didn’t get the headline. Point out the guy who moved the runner, or drew the walk to keep the inning going that gave the hero the opportunity to be the hero. Applaud the middle-reliever who pitched those middle innings that kept your club in the game and give the closer that chance to close the game.

In the age of selfies, every kid wants the lens of them. So give them what they want, but do it in their selfless moments. Those moments that aren’t about them individually, but about the team as a whole.

The ultimate compliment a coach can get is that his team plays the game the way it was meant to be played. That compliment, while independent of winning and losing, is a testament to simply caring about doing the right thing- always, and in all ways- because it’s the right thing to do. Caring about the little things shows a love for the game. Caring about the little things shows an attention to detail. Caring about the little things displays character.

Caring about the little things, we promise you, will help make for big wins. Watch this month’s MLB postseason, and you’ll be sure to see for yourself.

Just ask Taylor Bryant…

This article was published in the April 2016 edition of Coach and Athletic Director Magazine.

The Science of GRIT and Why It Matters

Beyond the Diamond

By Dr. Anne Shadle / October 11, 2018

There would be little argument that the topics listed below are important items that lead an athlete to a formula of success. The purpose of this article is to take a brief look at these areas and what science is beginning to show us. First though, take a look at the list below and rank the following items in terms of importance. (Disclaimer: there are no right or wrong answers. This is from your own perspective, what you value and what you think matters most).

1.     Talent and natural abilities

2.     Preparation and effort

3.     Passion and perseverance (We can think of this as a person’s will to do something.)

4.     Self-discipline and self-regulation

5.     Determination and Direction

How does your list look? Why did you organize the topics in the rank order that you did? How would you build your sport curriculum and training plan with teaching these topics included? If we think about this list as a periodization of training mental skills: the periodization is about teaching one skill, leading into the next skill, and building on from the next skill you focus on, talk about and teach from, just like baseball skills.

We all have an idea of what it takes to be successful. This could be sport IQ, genetic gifts, kinetic genius, hard work or even natural talent. However, having these skills does not mean those individuals are or will be the best performers. Science has been trying to give us a better understanding and predication of what it takes to be successful in school, sport, and life. If we look to science to help us identify the keys to high performance and success we are led to the work of Dr. Angela Duckworth and her research on GRIT.

Dr. Duckworth has found that a significant predictor of success is having GRIT. She shares that “GRIT is passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. GRIT is having stamina. GRIT is sticking with your future goals day in and day out, not for the week, not just for the month, but for years and working really hard to make that future a reality.” In our five-key model (listed above) it appears the third, “Passion and Perseverance” and the fifth, “Determination and Direction,” would be important traits to emphasize and develop.

If having talent does not automatically make you gritty, how do we build GRIT in kids? For an answer to this question, we look to Dr. Carol Dweck’s research on mindset. Dr. Dweck has focused her work around the question, “How does a person deal with failure?” From her work, she has discovered two types of mindsets. One she has termed as “Fixed Mindset” and the other “Growth Mindset.” Her work suggests we should teach our young athletes to be flexible in their thinking and avoid getting stuck in the rigid “all or nothing” thinking. It is suggested that we teach athletes and kids that failure gives us the opportunity to learn. Failures and mistakes are part of the path to success and mastery.

Science now shows us that our brain grows and changes in response to challenge. We are naturally wired to overcome adversity. How we respond to success and failure both as parents and as a developing athlete is important in terms of building neural pathways and patterns of behavior in the brain. Duckworth’s ground-breaking work on GRIT gives us insight on a few important topics.

To expand on this idea, we (coaches, parents, and athletes) in the sport world often get distracted by talent. We often think talent and natural abilities lead to effort and achievement. However, the problem with talent is that kids who are extremely talented in comparison to their peers have a hard time learning the importance of effort and hard work. Success comes easily to them. A little effort is given, and they easily succeed and master new skills. Unfortunately, the message that is received is that “this is easy-I’m a natural.” This idea is also reinforced by coaches, parents, and others simply by saying, “Wow! You are so talented!” Nevertheless, other athletes catch up or the talented kids are now surrounded by other talented kids when they arrive at another level (we see this a lot with college freshman). The rigid “all or nothing” thinking kicks in, appearing as frustration with fixed mindset thoughts like “I shouldn’t have to work that hard. I should naturally excel, and win, as I always have.”  

We mend this issue by teaching that effort absolutely matters. The repeated message throughout the sport environment is emphasized by the celebration of improvement within teammates and recognition of effort. In regard to the display of talent, we recognize passion and perseverance. Focus can be on the thrill of being a baseball player, being in your athletic body, hitting well, running fast around the bases, throwing far, the pure joy in simply playing the game, and enjoying time with our friends. If we absorb all of this information and put it into a simple the formula, the formula for success looks like the following:  

Success = Preparation x Will x Effort.

Additional information:

To check in with how you are doing with your own grittiness take some time to read, reflect and discuss the questions below:

10 Questions: How Gritty Are You?

1.     New ideas and projects sometimes distract me from previous ones.

2.     Setbacks don’t discourage me. I don’t give up easily.

3.     I often set a goal but later choose to pursue a different one.

4.     I am a hard worker.

5.     I have difficulty maintaining my focus on projects that take more than a few months to complete.

6.     I finish whatever I begin.

7.     My interests change from year to year.

8.     I am diligent. I never give up.

9.     I have been obsessed with a certain idea or project for a short time but later lost interest.

10.  I have overcome setbacks to conquer an important challenge.

Duckworth, A. (2017). Grit: The power of passion and perseverance. London: Vermilion. For more information check out Dr. Angela Duckworth’s book: GRIT: The Power of Passion and Perseverance.

To check in with how you are doing with your own mindset take some time to read, reflect and discuss the information listed below:

Fixed Mindset

I am either good at baseball or not.

Growth Mindset

My baseball skills can be developed with practice.

Avoid challenges in baseball.

Ex. I am not good at this. I can’t do it.

Embrace challenges in baseball.

Ex. I will keep working on my hitting.

When facing adversity and challenges in baseball, give up easy.

Persist in the face of setbacks, injuries, mistakes, or loses.

Effort does not matter in practice or games.

Effort is the only way to improve at practice and in games.

Ignores feedback from coach and hears it as criticism and a personal attack.

Feedback and constructive criticism from coach is essential for improving in baseball.

Feels threatened and jealous when others play well and have success.

Finds lessons for learning, is inspired and motivated by the performances and success of teammates/peers.

= Hold themselves back from reaching potential.

= GRIT, Self-Determined, Reach higher levels of success.

Adapted from Dr. Carol Dweck’s Growth Mindset.  For more information check out Dr. Carol Dweck’s book: Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.

Cuddyer’s Corner: The Post Season

October 10, 2018

Monday Manager: Blocking

October 8, 2018

The Bond of the Game

Fundamental Skills

By Darren Fenster / October 5, 2018

Something incredible happens every September for every single Minor League team across the country. Within about 30 minutes of the last out of the last game, a clubhouse full of players and coaches all go their separate ways to head home for the off-season. What’s so strange is not this moment itself, but rather how the life we all had grown accustomed to over the past six months changes in the blink of an eye, moments after the season comes to a close.

Just like that, it’s over. Never again will the same group be together in the same way in the years to come. Some players will move up, others will get released, and a handful may repeat the level. The chapter in the book has been written to completion. In this chapter lies countless storylines; some of triumph, others of challenge. Through all of those good times and bad, a bond was created amongst a group of players and coaches who just grinded over the past 140 games, together. And as the months and years go by, something else that is pretty incredible takes place: that bond never dies. 

Many of us will reconvene for Spring Training the following February, and it will be like we never left.  Conversations pick up right where the left off, and for coaches, the love and trust built in the season prior only energizes all parties involved that much more for the seasons to come. For those who go in a different direction, it may be years before we reconnect again. But when we do, it will be like we never left because that bond lives on.

I’ve played on some good teams and coached some unsuccessful ones. But while I cannot for the life of me remember a single won-loss record for any team in any year, and I can’t recall a single player’s individual stat line; what I can remember are the incredible connections that began as teammates or as players of mine. Relationships are built by time and strengthened over the competition. When 25 guys come together to go to battle day in and day out, they can’t help but grow closer as the days go by with everyone pulling the rope in the same direction. 

While wearing the uniform, it is very easy to get caught up in the competition; understandable to not even think about how the game has shaped you as a person and how it sets you up for your future.  Perspective on a season completed or a career in the books gives us an opportunity to appreciate the bonds built and the lessons learned. There will always be a respect for those you put the spikes on with, as well as those you battled against. The game is a small fraternity that will always connect us; a club that only a select few will ever have the privilege of being a member. Looking back, you quickly realize how lucky we are to be bonded together by the game.

When your playing career is over, you won’t be remembered for the stats on the back of your baseball card. Rather you will be remembered as the guy in the picture on the front, and the impact you had on others; how you made them feel. When your coaching career is over, few will recount how many wins you were a part of. Rather you’ll be thought of by the manner you lead; how you helped your players and staff grow. When you are a great teammate, when you are a great coach, you are building a bond with others that will stand the test of time. Down the road, looking back, that’s something that you’ll value as a person far more than anything you’ve ever done on the field.

What’s the Call? Balk/Direct Step

October 4, 2018

With a runner on first, the pitcher uses some tricky footwork when trying to pick off the runner, leading with his pivot foot. Is the step illegal?

What’s the Call?

Diamond Doc: Preventing Sliding Injuries

October 2, 2018