Good topic infielddad. Ah the intangibles --- gotta love ‘em. Leadership, chemistry, and winning all blended together in to a well oiled machine. We credit the players but I think in reality the players that are team leaders are ALLOWED to be leaders because of good coaching. The coach, while he may not develop a team leader, will either encourage of discourage leadership from amongst the players by his method of coaching. A player has to be allowed to be assertive on the field and in the dugout in order to be a team leader but not so assertive that he becomes aloof and separates himself from his teammates. A coach can stifle that assertiveness or he can allow it to develop. The way a player "feels" is very important in how he performs. A player cannot walk on egg shells and play to his ability. He has to be encouraged to go all out ---- and understood when he make mistakes too. I have no idea how to make it happen but I can see it and feel it in a winning team when it does happen. Not only does the team leader feel good when his teammate excels he also feels his pain when he fails (you don't TEACH that). The team leader is a special player. While the teams leaders’ stats may not draw attention, those leaders are a vital part of the winning team. In my opinion stud player don’t normally make good team leaders. The stud player is automatically on a pedestal because of his talent and his encouragement can appear as if he’s “talking down” to his teammates.
Fungo