The draft is a fascinating event. Major League Baseball has an amateur draft early every year in June. Unlike football and basketball the draft includes all the high school and college players that are eligible.
I could write a book about our experience during the fall and spring leading up to the 2004 draft. It was interesting, insightful, and stressful for us as parents. For our son it was just something he was going to go through to get to professional baseball. After all these years I am still amazed by his confidence and worry free attitude that year. For example, when a team would send him information packets to fill out he would just let them sit and not even open them. He would just tell me that if they wanted him they would draft him and all the other stuff didn't really matter. Well my wife and I didn't take any chances. We made sure all the forms were filled out and all information requests were promptly mailed in.
But, on to what will really help you as a parent and hopefully the development of your young player. The 5 tools: Hitting. Hitting for Power. Arm Strength. Speed. Glove.
Its very rare that a player has all 5 tools. A young Micky Mantle had all 5. As did Willie Mays. But, Barry Bonds had a below average arm. Mark McGwire was not blessed with foot speed. Rod Carew lacked power. All of these are all-time great players and if not in the Hall of Fame should be someday.
Then you look at pitchers. All they need is the ability to throw the ball. And, when it comes draft time the guys with the cannons like Nolan Ryan get picked first. Unless you are a lefty and those guys sneak in the back door because being left handed is somewhat magic. But, some of the most successful pitchers in baseball history were NOT flame throwers. Greg Maddux comes to mind. Whitey Ford. Randy Jones. These guys got hitters out with location, movement, and deception.
My point is you don't have to be a 5 tool player to excel and to maybe make it to professional baseball. And, the best part about baseball is that it is a skill sport. If you develop the correct skills/mechanics and are lucky enough to grow and physically develop your body you can have a chance.
Let's take a look at the 5 tools.
1. Hitting: Hitting a baseball is one of the funnest things I have ever done. It is a blast to watch the ball soar over the fence, or fly over an outfielders head. It is also one of the most difficult skills in all of sports to acquire. And, you do acquire it. Its not given. There is no "Natural".
So hitting is a skill and it has to be developed over time by learning and trying to perfect the correct mechanics. The biggest problem with hitting is the bad instruction kids get when they are young. This bad instruction comes from their dads most of the time. But, sometimes their youth league coaches too.
I've worked with some athletic kids who were taught the wrong mechanics when they were young and most of them were unable to change. This meant they were limited to just being recreational players and when they got to high school they either got cut or were below average hitters.
So hitting is a skill. Not something that you just wake up one morning and are great at.
2. Hitting for Power: This is sort of a part "B" to the skill of hitting. Because if you can't hit, you can't hit with power. So the same proper mechanics have to be developed to hit for power.
Two factors usually affect hitting for power. Size and strength. And, a third factor that doesn't get the ink it should is the hitters approach at the plate.
Usually the big kids and adults have an advantage when it comes to hitting for power. But, this doesn't always hold true. Henry Aaron, Ernie Banks, and Hack Wilson are old timers who hit the ball out of the park who weren't huge guys. But, Ted Williams is a guy who was skin and bones who crushed the ball. I've seen pictures of him when he was just getting started with the Red Sox that have his ribs sticking out like he was half starved.
So its not impossible to hit for power if you aren't bigger than average and as strong as an ox.
3. Arm Strength: I am convinced that about 75% of velocity is God given and 25% is mechanics. Enough of it is mechanics that it can't be ignored. We will discuss developing throwing mechanics and arm health in the future. Remember. Your kid has one arm. If it gets ruined so does his chance to play.
4. Speed: This is more God given than mechanics, however, I have been to the Olympic Training facility in Colorado Springs and watched adult runners working on their mechanics to get that competitive edge. But, this is an area where most parents need to seek help and instruction for their kids due to the lack of information that is out there. And, you need someone who knows what they are looking at too.
5. Glove: This is definitely a skill and it can be perfected with work and a few simple mechanical tips.
Next Blog: Mistakes Parents Make Teaching Hitting, Part I.
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