Player Attitudes

After coaching youth baseball for a number of years and seeing many player's emotions get in the way of playing the game, I decided to write down this advice...

The Game of Baseball is Not Perfect and Neither Are You!

A very good baseball player will get three hits in every ten bats over their playing career. That means that they will not reach base and make an out seven times in every ten at-bats.

A very good baseball player will strike out against good and sometimes, not so good pitching. Umpires can make bad calls that will put a batter behind in the count giving the pitcher an advantage or even call you out on a third strike on a bad pitch. Umpires are human and make mistakes. They are a part of the game.

A very good baseball player will go to the plate with the attitude that he will get a hit. A batter has three strikes to put the ball in play. A very good baseball player will try to get three good swings at the plate and try to hit the ball hard somewhere. A very good baseball player will strike out getting three good cuts on occasion. It's a part of the game. As time goes on and pitching gets better, it will happen more often than it does now. A very good baseball player will minimize his strikeouts.

A very good baseball player will make mistakes. A very good baseball player will learn from his mistakes and try to not repeat them.

The point of this message is that every player will make outs. Every player will make mistakes. When a player throws a temper tantrum and shows emotions on the field when they make an out or a mistake, they put the emphasis on a negative. When you show emotions on the field you give your opponents a lot of satisfaction. Your actions can cause your team to get down. If you continually get upset with yourself during a game and show it, you may want to consider finding another sport. You will probably not be happy playing the game of baseball. Remember, baseball is a GAME! Have fun!

What kind of message do you want to send to your fans, parents, teammates and opponents with your conduct on the field? I believe that all baseball players that play at a high level want to succeed. Everyone wants to succeed. Players do not want to embarrass themselves on the field. When a player makes an error or hits into an out what does he gain by crying or yelling or pouting or throwing a helmet or bat? It shows the lack of maturity in a player. It embarrasses the player. It embarrasses the team. It embarrasses your family. It makes your opponents happy. Don't ever let your opponent know that he got the better of you. Show him next time up that he might have gotten you that time but you got him the next time. Make up for your batting with your fielding. Don't let one mistake cause another mistake. There are a lot of at-bats in the season for every player. There are a lot of plays that need to be made in a season. There will be errors and great plays made. It's a part of the game.

A very good baseball player will not show his emotions on the field. He will show class and maturity. A very good baseball player will encourage other players when they're not having a good day. A very good baseball player will try to find any way to help his team win. A very good baseball player will never give up!

Grow up! Act your age! Don't show your emotions on the field! Remember, the game of baseball is not perfect and neither are you!