A Really Cool Interview Jeff Schaefer - CBC

On the baseball field, Jeff Schaefer is still playing. His competitive instincts take over, so he tries to find that edge that will give his team the best opportunity to win. He may be coaching, but his nature is to compete---be it baseball or the boardroom. However, he’s a baseball gym “rat”, too. Yes, Schaef was successful in the corporate world, but the keys to his success is what pulled him back into the game. Coaching his employees to use teamwork, unselfish attitude and willing to do whatever it takes is what he had learned through sports; what he was missing was the smell of a ball field, the crack of the bat and the camaraderie of a clubhouse.

I find Jeff to be unique and thought it would be interesting for the TBR members to get to know him better. I believe you will find him to be funny, open, friendly, but when it comes to his passion for baseball, he is very serious….enjoy the interview!!!

I'll start by posting his rookie card and his Mariner's card. As you will notice, he is young for his age. In Schaef's 4 seasons of playing Major League baseball---he never made an error!

 

Jeff, tell us about your background?


I grew up a Yankee Fan on the eastern half of Long Island, NY in a town called Patchogue; imagine that on Long Island, I had to be tough. I graduated from Patchogue-Medford HS in 1978 and went on to play baseball at the University of Maryland. From there I started a 14 year professional career. Reading that must sound easy, but every advance I made came with an incredible fight. I never had the best talent in the world, but I did have the desire to succeed. That is what I love most about being able to teach the game after playing; taking players who want to improve and helping them get there. I got there through hard work and commitment and all I can hope is that I can share that with the youth of the Charlotte and the rest of the Carolinas.

What led you to Charlotte?


Baseball has led me everywhere I have ever been in my life and it has been a fantastic ride. When they say baseball is life I would also suggest baseball creates life. After being drafted I was assigned to Bluefield, WV. I spent that half-season in the Appalachian League (Rookie) at Bluefield, WV and was promoted to AAA International League at the end of that season when Cal Ripken got his call-up to Baltimore. Don’t you just love when Cal Ripken resigns his position so someone else can have it? My second year began in Hagerstown (A) about a 100 at bats into the season I was called up to AA Charlotte. After that season I made up my mind to make Charlotte home base. I really liked the city and the people I had met.

Its sounds as if your journey to the big leagues had a few turns along the way can you map out your pro baseball journey?


OK, but you have to wear a seat belt because my journey to the big leagues had a few more speed bumps than most. It was definitely the journey of a baseball rat. There are days at CBC that I see myself in some of the players; the guys who would give everything to get there. I loved the journey and the results. Every single day that I had a uniform on my back was a great day no matter what level or team I was playing for.

1981- Orioles- Blue Field (Rookie), Rochester (AAA), St. Pete (Winter Instruct)
1982- Orioles- Hagerstown (A) Charlotte (AA)
1983- Orioles- Hagerstown (A) Charlotte (AA)
1983- Orioles- Rochester (AAA) Charlotte (AA) Rochester (AAA)
1984- Orioles- Rochester (AAA) Charlotte (AA)
1985- Orioles- Major League Spring Training; Rochester (AAA)
1986- Angels- Midland, TX (AA)
1987- Dodgers – San Antonio (AA); Albuquerque
1988- White Sox- Vancouver (AAA)

• 1989- White Sox- (ML), Vancouver (AAA), White Sox (ML)
• 1990- Seattle- Calgary (AAA), Seattle (ML)
• 1991- Seattle (ML)
• 1992- Seattle (ML)
• 1993- Cleveland- Charlotte (AAA)
• 1994- Orioles- Rochester (AAA); Oakland -Tacoma (AAA); Oakland

(ML)

 

What made you decide on opening Carolinas Baseball Center?


Easy question to answer…I love everything about this game. I loved playing it, I love the strategy of it, I love the butterflies I still get in my stomach before each game, I love the competition, and I have found out that I love teaching the game. What better way to capture everything you love about the game then to open up a baseball training facility so I can be around the game and the people who share the same passion on a daily basis.

You recently moved CBC, what were the reasons for the move?


This one is easy and hard to answer all at the same time. The easy answer is that we wanted to take baseball training in Charlotte to the next level. We have a vision to be the premier baseball training facility in the South East. The hard part is more personal. We have, without a question in my mind the most dedicated, professional staff in the country. We have dedicated baseball players at every level who want to enhance their game each and every day and we had the ability and the resources to provide both with a major league experience and opportunity. When we opened CBC in 2007 I felt we had done a good job with the facility. It served us and the baseball community well. We put a lot of thought into putting together a facility that was purely for developing baseball players. What we want to do now is transcend everything that the area has known and be THE baseball training center for anyone who wants to live the dream.

Tell us a little bit about the new facility?


It is off the charts! The new building is 50,000 sq ft of baseball training heaven. I’ve seen a lot of facilities from local batting cages to MLB training centers and I have yet to see anything that rivals what we have put together. Our field area alone is 20,000 sq ft of field turf which is the same surface used by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and the Minnesota Twins. We doubled the square footage, increased the number of cages to 7. We added 4 more mounds and 5 more tee stations. We also put in a 4 lane 90 yard track, fully equipped 4000 sq ft strength and conditioning area that is nicer than most health clubs. The strength, conditioning, speed and agility are part of our player/team development program. We have professional speed and agility and strength and conditioning coaches for these programs. We are preparing to webcam the field area, track, one mound and one cage. Recruiters and scouts will have the ability to log on to their computers and watch players workout live. It opens up colleges across the country to our kids and any other high school player wanting schools outside our region to see them. We brought the DARTFISH video analysis program in house. There is so much DARTFISH is capable of besides analyzing player’s fundamentals and producing high end collegiate videos. This is a great teaching tool.

I could go on but I much rather have everyone who wants to see something special in terms of a baseball training facility to come on down. We like giving tours and talking baseball…you can meet the sitcom characters!

So you are extending invitations?

Absolutely, I want every baseball junkie and every baseball junkie wanna be to come check us out. Baseball people are a fraternity so it only fitting that CBC be the frat “animal” house. Everyone is welcome in our facility, we are about the players in our area getting better. Please stop by anytime!

Is CBC available only to the kids who play inside your organization?

Absolutely not! We opened CBC to help develop all players regardless of who they play for. We do our best to function like Switzerland…unless Switzerland is attacked of course. We really do want anyone who loves the game to stop by and visit the facility. Come see what we are about. We are serious about what we do and continue to explore new ways to make better baseball players…and laugh…a lot.

 

In the past two years you have run a Winter Collegiate Coaches Skills Camp that has brought a great deal of attention to the high school players from North and South Carolina. I see that the format has changed for this year’s camp. What is the change and why did you feel you needed to make a change?

The CBC staff is continuously looking at ways to bring legitimate attention not only to the kids that play for CBC but all high school players in our region. The new Collegiate Coaches Skills Camp format came to us from the suggestion of one of our local college coaches. This particular coach said we should look at the Southern Maryland Baseball Camp format. After being inside our facility he felt we were suited to bring in hundreds of talented high school players who wanted to work with and be evaluated by the our region’s top college coaches. So I started asking other coaches about changing our format and each one felt the three day camp was the way to go. It does give the coaches a longer opportunity to work with the players and the players a better chance of learning exactly what this level of coach is looking for in a player at the next level. The personal attention and the attention to detail and opportunity is second to none. Over 30 schools and MLB teams will be there looking to help the regions high school players advance to the next level.

CBC Collegiate Coaches Skills Camp
Players Graduating
2010 - 2011 - 2012 -2013
Jan 10th, 17th, 24th
http://www.cbcbaseball.net/play/collegiatecoachesinstructioncamp.html


Baseball people are a different breed I’m sure you have come across a few interesting people along the way.


Oh you got that right! I see one in the mirror everyday and then I walk into CBC and there is a whole cast of characters! Baseball is a character incubator. CBC turns into “Cheers” everyday. If someone wanted to produce a funny reality show they just need to set up the cameras inside CBC, walk away and come back at the end of the month. They would have enough material to carry the show for years. I swear it is like a being back in the clubhouse or the dugout all day every day!

Now the showcase peeps are straight out of the Wild West and the title of the showcase movie is “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly”.

Speaking of characters what is your relationship with the college coaches?

I have a tremendous respect for those guys. The head coaches are running a business and the assistants live in the trenches and grind it out for the love of the game. Nobody is ever going to get rich coaching college baseball. You can’t do that job and not love baseball and the journey. So the answer to your question is yes, we have built strong professional relationships and have developed some pretty good friendships along the way as well.


What changes have you seen take place in professional baseball and Amateur game?

On the pro level now that the steroid era is over we are going to see the chess match return. A manager will no longer be able to write six juiced up bombers into the lineup and sit back and watch the fireworks. This should bring some parity back the leagues and allow small market teams who have good scouting, strong minor league system and play fundamentally sound baseball challenge for division championships and wild card spots.

This is the greatest game on earth and it is our game regardless of the fact that it is rapidly becoming a global game. What I see from the American amateur/youth players is how the game is learned differently from the other countries whose players are invading the big leagues. For the American amateur player self development is virtually dead, pick-up games are almost non-existent, parents organize everything and very few kids come home and from school throw their bags down grab their gloves and head to the street for the daily neighborhood world series game.

What differences do you see in today’s high school athlete compared to the high school athlete 10 even 20 years ago?

The positive change is in the physical evolution of these kids. The high school athlete is bigger, stronger and faster. More schools have added strength and conditioning to their curriculums. Where I’ve seen the high school athlete regress is their skill set, baseball aptitude and instinct. Technology has taken the youth athlete off the sandlot where they used learn how to play the game and develop instincts. This is one of the reasons that the Latino and Japanese players are starting to dominate the big leagues. Baseball is a game of adjustments and self development builds an internal data base that helps the player figure things out when there is no one to coach them. The dissipation of self development in the American player has opened the door for baseball training facilities across the country. We have to teach these kids how to train, play, and adjust physically and more so mentally in order to compete on the higher levels.


For the past 2 years you have been involved in Showcase baseball, what are your thoughts about that?

Oh yeah, we get involved in showcase baseball! I thank and blame Don Hutchins of the South Charlotte Panthers for that one. We started out strictly as an instructional facility and then Don came to Jake Robbins (CBC Head Pitching Coach) and me asking if we would be interested in getting into showcase baseball. Don had a few players that tried out for the Panthers that he liked but didn’t have room on his rosters. I wasn’t sure at the time if I wanted to head down that road, but now I am very happy we did. In our showcase program (CBC Diamond Rats) we have two teams at the 17U level, two at 16U, and two at 15U. Instructing/teaching is great but there is nothing like being on the field doing battle.

 

If you could change anything about Showcase, what would it be?


The first changes I’d make would be to cut the number of teams in a tournament down or add a field so we can get rid of playing to a time and inning limit format. I like to see the game being played the way it was meant to be played. Play to a win in every game. That would be the first change.

The second change would be to form a Showcase League and have a schedule similar to minor league baseball. The season would start the last week in May and end in Oct with a playoff and World Series format. This would require some serious planning but I believe it would change the culture of showcase baseball for the better, at least in our region. Done right you could play games inside your division during the week as well. The league format would also help control the rosters, bring local baseball fans that wouldn’t normally attend showcase games out. I want to see the game being played by these kids the way it is meant to be played. I want to see them chasing something. You become a champion by playing for championships. You learn more competing for an end result rather than just chance to showcase your skills. It sucks when two teams are locked into a dog fight and the clock or innings run out.


How do you feel about “Show and Go” teams vs. “Practice” teams?


CBC is a practice organization. Jake Robbins and I both understand development. We know what the long term benefits teams and players reap through structured practices. Our teams are primarily made up of kids from the greater Charlotte area. We like the player who can make weekly practices and take advantage of CBC anytime they choose.

How does CBC attract players to play in its organization?

Good question! Our approach seems to be different than most other organizations. I can tell you we don’t chase, call or offer kool-aide to players from other organizations. We don’t make threats if a player wants to tryout or play somewhere else. We actually encourage our kids to go to other tryouts. We want them to see what is out there in regards to organizations, talent, coaches and practice facilities. They need information to make educated decisions. What we do is post information regarding CBC, our teams and tryouts. Our information gets into the baseball pipeline and the people interested contact us. I believe what attracts players and families to CBC would be our player development program, state of the art facility, superior coaching staff and our relationship with the college recruiters and scouts.


What do you want people to know about Jeff Schaefer

According to my wife and 4 kids dad knows nothing except baseball…I guess that is not such a bad thing. Honestly, I love the game.

Peace Out,

Schaef

 

Braves, great interview with Schaef. I can personally say that it doesn't matter if you play in his organization or is a member he helps you in every way. He has always helped Mikal and talked to MIkal everytime we visit. I only forsee great things from CBC. Braves my only problem with Schaef is he is always avoiding the round table of Hill and James. Maybe you can find out why and get me some straight answers. The CBC staff is wonderful and every player will benefit if they are involved with those guys.

 

I believe his wife told him he can't afford to lose any more of "HER" money. Here's what I find unique. He likes playing Showcase baseball simply because it allows him back on the field, but what he really prefers is to training the players. He doesn't care if they are from the db's, Canes, Cubs or any other organization. He has no intention of recruiting other team's players. His satisfaction is seeing a NC player get better, regardless of what team he plays for. If he had a wishlist, it would be to get out of having a showcase team and have all players from every team in the state come train at his facility.

 

Schaef tought me...

Schaef even has knowledge for men whom the game has long passed by. I learned from Schaef on a showcase road trip one time the old baseball addage: "you know the table is right when one has to fall off for another to be is set down"...our round table was right...long live the round table

 

Maybe he is avoiding your round table because of Wilmington. That was a tough conversation. Mr. James bowed out due to the heavy conversation and thirst. Great evening for all that attended....

 

Hit it far it was a hot evening in wilmington and it made us quite thirsty. schaef just ruin my opinion of Long Islanders. I thought they were fighters and didn't quit. Thank goodness for baseball because his seat at the round table is up for sale to the highest bid.