You never know?

Since there has been alot of discussion about player behavior and respect for the game recently let me just tell this story. A couple of years ago I went to watch a third round game after we had been eliminated from the playoffs. I sat down beside another HS coach that just happened to show up and two area college coaches that were taking in the Tuesday match up. They were there to get a look at a couple of kids in particular and anyone else that happened to catch their eye. One of the kids was very athletic and had a very plus arm from the outfield. One of the coaches was very high on him and had heard the kid was the real deal. After this kids first ab as he was walking back to the dug out after a bad third strike call on a high cb he mouthed off to his dug out ( that was "FN" "BS"). Both of these coaches looked at each other and shook their heads. Immediately they stopped focusing on his baseball skills and how he was playing the game and started focusing in on his demeanor and attitude. All of a sudden all of their comments were about his lack of make up in their eyes and nothing was said about his actual play on the field which was quite good. Later in the game with his team trailing he popped up with one out and jogged down to first. When he went back to the dug out he just sat by himself and never got up for this teamate at bat. One of the coaches made this comment "I dont know about you coach but thats not the kind of kid I want". The other coach stated "Its obvious he has some skills but he cant play for us".

The bottom line is who cares who watching. You should play the game the way it supposed to be played because thats the only way you know how to play it. If you have to think that someone might be watching you in order to make sure you handle yourself properly then you dont have the character that college coaches are looking for in players. Trash talking and being a me person is more detrimental than players can ever imagine. The type of young man you are is just as important if not more important than the type of player you are to a coach. And the bottom line in life it is way more important.

Personally I call them clowns. Once they demonstrate to me that they have no class and no true respect for the game I can no longer see the baseball gifts and abilities. I can only focus on the negatives because they far outweigh the baseball ability. We speak to all our players constantly about handling themselves with class and to respect the game and their opponents at all times. Not because a coach might be there but because it is the right way.

Play the game as hard as you possibly can. Do whatever it takes to get the win within the rules allowed. But victory is hollow if you loose the respect of your opponent by not respecting the game.

 

I would say that if Coach May's post affected just one person reading this board, it was a thread well worth it.

 

You read my mind!

I was (recently) very disappointed in a few HS players I saw because of ther attitudes. Players I was interested in and liked. One hit a jam shot ground ball to the first baseman and proceeded to walk directly from the batters box back to the dugout! In an earlier game he and another player got into baserunning situations and after making out I saw them arguing with their third base coach. If you have issue with the coach ask him questions "off on the side" later. Not right there in plain sight. I was really disheartened by these displays of a lack of respect for the game and for coaches. I was also disappointed in this teams "fire" and commitment to hustle and give it their all. With the exception of a few players they went through the motions. Not surprisingly, they are now eliminated.

 

Son,
I am living proof that you can change your attitude if you really have a desire. In Little League, I was the worst team mate you have ever seen. My coach was at his wits end. I would throw my bat, stomp my feet and not run out grounders. This did not come from home as my parents had very little to no involvement with my sports. I had a desire to win, but couldn't control that desire. Anyway my Little League coach tried everything to teach me and nothing worked. My last season on the team (12 years old), he came up with the idea to give out an MVP trophy for the team. He knew how competative I was and he knew this may have an effect on how I played. You didn't get trophies back then unless you WON something. He said the MVP would not only be the best athlete (which I knew I was) but would be the best sportsman and team mate. WHOA!!!!!
That threw the whole plan off, I didn't know if I could do the last, sportsman, ME...the rest of my team mates were jerks, how could I get along with them. They didn't want to win, like I did!
I wanted that trophy real bad, so everytime I would get in a situation that would cause me to explode, I would think about that trophy. The first few times were extremely tough to handle. I had to reach way down inside to get control. After that, it just got easier and easier to get control of my temper. Pretty soon, my team mates quit being jerks and started pulling for me.
Well now, now that my team mates wanted to win as bad as I did, then they must not be jerks after all, so I started pulling for them and guess what? We started winning and we were having a good time playing baseball. I now understood that my team mates were not the jerks that I thought, they just were afraid of ME!
They didn't like the way I threw bats and helmets and screamed everytime I struck out or even made an out.
I still think of my Little League Coach and appreciate the fact that he never gave up on me! I learned to control my temper and went on to play high school, Legion and College baseball. Thanks to my Little League Coach, Richard Church!
So here's a real life story to help you understand that yes, it can be done!
I can tell you have the desire to get better, so I KNOW
you will be sucessful. Good luck and keep us informed on your progress. Us old timers like to hear sucess stories!

 

I'm bringing this back because i feel it's an important thread. I left a couple of replies in this thread because they were important to include...and I wonder what happened with bjbball

 

This reminds me what Texas Coach Augie Garrido said the other day:

"Baseball does not build character....it reveals it"

 

You get find out what

people are made of not when everything is going good. Not when they are on top. But when their back is against the wall. When everything seems to be going wrong. Its easy to look the part and say and do all the right things when your 3-3 and your up by 10. But how do you react to 0-3 and down by 10? Do you still play the game the same way?

Its easy to be a good team mate when your always in the line up. What kind of team mate are you when you are not in the line up?

Its easy to work hard in practice and be on time everyday when you know you are going to be in the line up. But hard do you work if your not in the line up? How hard would you work if you knew you were not going to be in the line up? How good would your attitude be?

I could on and on with these different scenarios. But the bottom line is character never takes a day off. Its not determined by the circumstances. Its revealed through the circumstances. And when times are tough that is when TRUE character shines through. I totally agree. Baseball does not build character. It reveals a persons character. And it gives you an opportunity to spill those positive character traits onto everyone around you.

And likewise it gives those without character the opportunity to reveal the fact that they lack it as well.

 

ESPN caught a not so great outburst by the UGa. center fielder when he was called out looking the other night.

 

What will everyone remember

about that young man after watching the CWS now? Will they remember the clutch double or the great catches he made? Or will they remember "Yeah thats the kid that yelled "#&#&$# $*#)#*" at the umpire after he was called out on strike 3."

Personally first of all I would have made him get a shave and clean himself up so he looked like a baseball player and not a street thug. Secondly I would chewed his butt out and sat him the rest of the series after he did what he did. But thats just me.

 

Was that the same player that got plunked on another at bat? It was priceless to see his expression when the OF robbed him of an extra base hit on his next at bat.