WebBall.com - Evaluating Your Infielders

Evaluating Your Infielders

Ted Kubiak in addition to 10 years in the majors in all infield positions, Ted Kubiak, was a manager in Single A at the time he first contributed to WebBall - someone who knows of what he speaks. He shared his thoughts with us at a mid-90s clinic at the BCBC conference in Vancouver, Canada What you see here is WebBall's interpretation of those ideas, so if they don't jive with other opinions or don't quite seem right, that's our fault, not Ted's.

After earning two World Series rings as Oakland's chief utilityman, Kubiak left the A's in a 1975 trade with the San Diego Padres where he wrapped up his playing career in 1976. Ted later became a manager for the New York-Penn League team in Mahoning Valley, a Class-A minor league affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. In 2002, Kubiak briefly left the Indians' farm system to become a minor league manager in the St. Louis Cardinals' organization but returned to Mahoning Valley in 2003.

Ted is also now an advisor to Akadema Professional, makers of the infield gloves which WebBall recommends. (Click to close.)

- with information from Ted Kubiak

[Editor's note: Parents, players, and coaches may all benefit from the insights in this article inspired by Ted Kubiak, see side note and bio.]

The Challenge

Scouting may be the toughest job in baseball. There's very little time to properly assess a player in any try-out environment, which means a lot is left to the coaching staff once players are assigned. (See also Scouting Fielders and Infielder Attributes for other viewpoints.)

Some Observations

Here are some things to consider for the infield that are not what many would call conventional wisdom but seem to reflect Ted Kubiak's experience as player and manager (as interpreted by WebBall)...

Kids rush forward too much. The first instinct - too often - is to charge straight at the ball, without considering the angle it's moving, the spin, or the alignment needed for a good throw after the stop. Coaches: try to slow them down, get them to think laterally.

Unteach the cross-over. Many coaches [including WebBall - ed.note] have emphasized the cross-over step as a way to get the body moving and get a jump to the side. But this can close off the hips and reduce flexibility and may force the body into a higher posture. So try to unteach crossovers. Have them turn with open hips and the lead leg going first.

Tire them out, then work them hard. [Ed note: this is very contrary to the conventional wisdom that training should stop before muscle fatigue. But then again...] Players need to learn to be efficient - minimize effort for maximum results. If they start to tire but are challenged to keep doing the task, they will force themselves to find a way to do it with the least possible effort - to conserve energy. Perspiration = inspiration.

Taking charge is hard to teach but easy to spot. The best infielders (see below) have confidence in their abilities, a desire to shine, and a willingness to take all the pressure on themselves. while mechanics and strategy can be taught, the instinct to be a leader is something each player will develop on their own - some sooner than others.

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