The Game’s Epidemic - Jun 26
The second half has begun. We lost a tough one tonight on the road in Sarasota. Lauren Gagnier threw 8 innings and only allowed 1 run, but it was enough to beat the Flying Tigers tonight, who scored none! We had some opportunities, but no big hit. A couple of base running blunders didn’t help things either. Running the bases correctly is a huge part of the game and is not taught or stressed enough with young players. Simple things, like being aggressive on balls in the dirt, are so important in winning and losing ball games. 90 feet is big. Anytime you can gain 90 feet, you are helping your team have a chance to score a run. Overall, young players aren’t aggressive enough to take that extra base. I am sure it goes back to the upbringing of high school aged players these days. The showcase monster breeds selfish players who care only about their personal statistics and impressing whoever happens to be watching, than they do about winning the game they are playing in. The days of playing baseball to win across our great land are over. Young players are playing for money, weather it be scholarship, draft or big leagues, they want the dough. Very few care if the team they play on wins or looses. I remember my first year coaching; our first round pick was on first base. There was also a runner on third, one out. Ground ball hit to second and instead of the first rounder taking out the short stop he pealed out of the way so not to impede the throw, for an easy 4-6-3 double play. Of course, if one was thinking, “Team First”, then the runner would try to slide hard into second base and break up the double play so that the runner on third could possibly score. I remember vividly the look in this young man’s eyes as I told him that he should have tried to go hard into second. He looked at me as if so say, “Why would I want to do something like that?” I hope by now he has learned his lesson. Young players, listen up! If you want to play in the big leagues or at a major college program, you better learn how to play to win. Big league managers and head college coaches care about winning games. Bottom line. That is what they are paid to do. I spoke with two college coaches at very successful programs who both had disappointing ends to their seasons. I asked them both what happened, and their responses were exactly the same. “Our kids didn’t play to win. They don’t get bunts down, move runners over, run the bases well….and we had no chemistry.” Selfish baseball is becoming an epidemic nationwide and there is no way to stop it. Playing hard to help you team win is the essence of the game, an essence that is fading away. Players need to focus on playing the game correctly, aggressively, and with a TEAM first, ME second attitude. Guess what? The numbers and impressions that players are trying so hard to attain, will be there, if the game is played that way. Plus, if focus is on the team, chemistry is built. Players pull for each other and the game is a blast. It is my focus and goal to get the Flying Tigers’ players to buy into this as well. A very tough task I might add, as we are having a rough year so far. Losing breeds selfishness in baseball. Players forget about winning and try to put up numbers. It doesn’t work. You play this game with reckless abandon and fight like the dickens for 27 outs every night. Where is Pete Rose when you need him?