3B

Stand where the skin meets the grass in front of home plate down the 3B line and smash fungos at him.

Arm is a separate issue, standard drills there apply

There are lots of good videos of college and pro drills on you tube that you can pick and choose from to help with fielding.  If his fielding techniques needs polished, IMO, smashing fungos at him will not, but rather, taking lots of ground balls that allow him to focus on technique

Lefthook, it's his 3B fielding technique. The thing that distinguishes 3B defense from middle infield defense is quick reaction.........and also coming in to field bunts.

As for drills on coming in to field bunts and making throws to first, my favorite drill is rolling bunts and having the player throw to first

Kids got the arm....just worried about any footwork and techniques.  Had thought of setting a net a first and rolling or smashing balls to simulate bunts and hard hit balls.  Just didnt now if there was a specific "goto" resource for footwork and so forth. Position is also another thing he has never really been coach up on beyond the move up for fast guys and back for power hitters and move back after 2 strikes.

I am not aware of 3B-specific footwork drills, others might. I think general infield agility applies to 3B, you just gotta react quicker.

Player needs to understand his cut responsibilities. When the play's at 3B, needs to judge left/right and sink/out and call it out as early as possible to the cutoff man. If he's the cut, needs to know the LF's arm strength to position himself at the proper distance from home plate, and also be able to make the throw to 2B if the catcher calls for it.

Again, I think the best way to drill for this stuff is to do it

FYI, my son plays 3B and works with a former minor leaguer on his defense.  There are, if memory serves me correct, 15 different types of ground balls that can come his way. Add to that fact that each of these balls, depending upon the runners on base or inning of the game, will result in a different decision on what he has to do with the ball.  And you have less then a second to make your decision.  

While I am able to reinforce what he's been taught, I could never have taught him nearly as much as he's learned through his trainer.

Just my .02 cents. 

Green, doesn't sound like he is new to 3B, and I agree that you have to have above avg reaction to to be a good 3B.  But if technique is not mastered, taking smashers will only reinforce bad fielding habits....even working a slow roller requires good technique, and like you said, the best way is to practice.

I also think that standard infield agility drills will help with foot speed.

On top of all the things Green listed, he should be reading the pitch call, whether it be from the catcher or the coach, signs, and make adjustments in his position as needed

+10 on that.  Standard agility drills, hand rolled balls in different locations (concentrating on the footwork), hit balls in all directions (still eyeing the footwork), then you can smash away.  

Of course throws must be worked in as well.  Then finally, situations.  Where are you going with the ball based on the game situation.

We are talking about a high school senior here who is a starting first baseman.

If his coach isn't "smashing" fungos to him at first (from the pitcher's mound to simulate bad pickoff throws, and from home plate to simulate hard grounders) then that would be disappointing.

For a Little Leaguer, I agree to take things gradually. For a starting high school senior first baseman, I got no problem smashing him grounders at 3B from day one to learn that position.

He needs a lot of reps. Then when a situation occurs in a game it's something he's practiced many times. Don't forget to practice charging and throwing across body, and diving and getting to his feet quickly for a throw.

Some truth to that.  If he needs work on the finer details at 3B he should get that on his own. But he should have enough knowledge at his age to handle the harder hit balls. Especially from playing 1B.

He has experienced success hitting and pitching in hs and select this past year so he has likely not placed the emphasis he should on defense as a whole.  Add to that that, as noted, in high school he plays 1b and select 3b he just isnt getting the practice reps he needs.  He is aware of all the requirements for both as far as cutoffs et cetera.  High level player who is getting college looks as a corner.  But he could easily be typecast as a 1b...not that there is anything wrong with that other than he really wants to play 3b...if he doesnt solidify the defense.

Sounds like youtube vids will suffice...just want to empower him with better tools to succeed.

He's a high level player currently getting college looks primarily at 1B. College coaches should be able to visualize how that would translate to 3B once they see his arm.

In general, I think the following is a representative checklist of what scouts are looking for on defense. Note the one I highlighted. That one separates the athlete from the kid who was able to afford a lot of lessons.

❒How their hands worked

❒How their bodies worked

❒How they got to the ball

❒How they moved

❒What position their feet were

in when they caught the ball

❒Their glove position

❒The exchange of the ball from the glove to the

throwing hand

❒How quickly they got to their throwing angle

❒What angle they threw from

❒Can they throw from all angles?

❒Do they have carry on their throws from all angles?

❒Is their ability manufactured or do they have a

natural flow?

❒What kind of throwing arm do they have?

❒Are they flexible?

This is not meant as a flippant remark so please don't take it as such. 

From what I hear and see with corner guys, infield or outfield, the hit tool is what gets them to play in college.  If you hit they will teach you the way they want you to do it.

A college coach can take his second string CF and make him a corner OF guy at any time and same with his MIFs.  If he is worried about third base defense and doesn't have a prototypical corner guy hit his way into that spot he will get by with a MIF over there.

Not that it isn't important to be a good defender, but I think they are looking for hitters first and defenders second.  For you to flip it the other way around I think you have to be an up the middle guy already.  They will give up a little offense for defense there but still have to be a good hitter.  With limited time to work if it was my son I work on the hitting every chance I get.

I can't answer for monkeyboy, or anyone else for that matter, but this is part of the reason why my son works so hard at 3B.  In the past he wasn't a reliable option there, so he found himself playing 1B.  To his credit he refused to accept that and has worked very hard at overcoming his defensive deficiencies.  Thousands of groundballs later he's become the primary 3B on his travel/showcase and fall HS teams.  It's far from over for him and he continues to put the work in. The kid could, and still does, hit very well.

Listen, he knows that a coach is going to play him where they see fit.  But he didn't want to be just a "bat".  He's become a solid option at 1B and 3B now.

Feels at times there is a stigma attached to 1b like that is where people wind up because they werent talented enough to play another position. Oversimplification I am sure.  Seems like a kid is a little more marketable if he can demonstrate the ability to play 3rd...meaning he should be able to fall back to 1b depending on needs of the team...is this a false assumption?

So...my kid can hit..been a late bloomer but he hits for really good power...has received some Area Code\Scout INvitational looks which to me tells me he has something.  My worry was wanting him to be more rounded thus more viable.  But if the feeling of the masses this late in the game is to further emphasis hitting which should win him looks and playing time then so be it.  My worry was with the lack of a polished defensive game at 3b that he would be moved to 1b and possibly a tougher time getting at bats and playing time due to possibly other big bats being pushed that way.

Sign of a very mature ball player! Well rounded...kudos.

NYDad-

I completely understand where you are coming from but I think the situations and priorities are not the same for a freshman and a senior who is trying to play at the next level.  In the OP's case his son has met the standards that both his HS program and his travel program have set for playing on the field. 

IMO hitting is the key to the next step for everyone including the OP's son vs. spending time on fielding drills at third.  The OP says his son is a successful hitter and based on the fact he is garnering college interest I think that is a factual statement.  One can always get better and if it was my son I would focus there vs. worrying about whether he can field a slow roller up the thirdbase line.  Just one man's opinion.

When you go to heavily scouted events there is a reason in my mind why everyone is behind homeplate.  Most if not all eyeballs are focused on two things.  The pitcher and the hitter.  Everything starts there.  If you are a hitter to a minimum acceptable level or higher in the eyes of the evaluator they then start looking at other things like defense,etc.  Stellar up the middle defenders may get to lower the minimum acceptable hitter bar a little but corner guys from what I have seen can not.  To get noticed there you have to hit well. 

Sorry Backstop.  I was trying to touch on that in my post as you loaded yours.  You are 100% correct.  They are worlds apart at this time.

And for the record, while I agree with most of your other comments, my son feels that coupled with his hitting being a +defender will make him more desirable.  I'm not about to argue that point with him as he continues to put in the time in the cage, so nothing is being sacrificed.  It's not like he's doing less work, he's doing more.  I don't see the point in complaining to him.

Monkeyboy-

If it was me nail down the college decision and go from there.  Until that is put to bed I think your son should hit, hit, and hit.

I have a lot of respect for the firstbase position.  Brother was college first basemen.

Once the college decision is made and done his college coach can start to guide his focus.  Maybe he loves his bat and has no need for him to play third, but the program is where your son wants to be.  My guess your son will be happy to be at first base and you won't have spent all the time developing a skill he doesn't need.  Conversely if it is the other way you have plenty of time to work on the fielding later.  Either position the common denominator is hitting.

Good luck.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8i-4nD0oegg

Several years ago on our annual Australia trip with Dave LaRoche and his sons Adam and Andy we discussed the great 3b. Dave played on the NY Yankees with Craig Nettles and against Mike Schmidt and Brooks Robinson.

Check on U-tube for their films and read books on 3b defense. I remember Al Rosen of the Indians and later President of the SF Giants. He played deep on every hitter and crept toward the batter so he could move quickly left or right. His feet were in motion.

Every player can self - teach himself.

My son Robert played at U of Hawaii, 3b, SS and 1b. Always carry the 1b mitt. Learn to do the "splits". It looks good for the umpires and fans.

Bob

Goodwill Series and Area Code Games

Mike Schmidt...exceptional!...I have some good memories of Buddy Bell from my day watching the Rangers as a kid.

After hitting and having an arm (picking it off the line), the single best way to set himself apart is charging the bunt and making a "natural" right foot throw.  Best to do it with glove transfer, but ability to bare hand a great bunt it also necessary.  Bes of luck!

Work on technique and fundamentals. You can take a 1000 ground balls and if you are doing it wrong you will still be doing it wrong at the end of the 1000. I don't think players work on their swing by hitting 95 mph fastballs and I don't believe infielders work on fielding fundamentals by having baseballs smashed at them from close range. Spend a lot of time rolling him baseballs and working on the basics, it will be time well spent. I set a net up 30-40 feet from my son when rolling baseballs and have him make short throws into the net after fielding each baseball. It reduces the stress on his arm vs. throwing all the way across to first and he still gets to complete the play.

This thread is about a high school senior. Would like to confirm if your recommendations are addressed to high school seniors or maybe some other age group.

Yes, absolutely for High School players. My son is a MIF and works sometimes with a D1 SS and these are drills their team use. We always work on the fundamentals and usually start our defensive workouts with some hand rolled baseballs. As a matter of fact, he has even had my son practice fielding ground balls without a ball being involved. This drill is all about footwork, you field ground balls with your feet! You must work on the basics all the time, no matter the skill level of the player. Don't get me wrong, he takes tons of ground balls delivered by a fungo bat, but I never miss the opportunity to continue to work on the basics. Most of his defensive workouts begin with ladder drills. An old MLB MIF told me "You field a ground ball with your feet, not your hands" and that has stuck with me.

Green Light, go to youtube and search Mike Candrea. These are wonderful drills for infielders. I have found that it is a lot easier to put the baseball exactly where I want it, to my son by rolling it, rather than with a fungo bat and I am pretty good with the bat after all these years of being a baseball dad. For example, I can roll a dozen balls to his backhand in a short period of time to the exact distance I want where as if I were to hit them it may take 2 or 3 times that many balls with a bat to get the 12 I want. I hope this makes sense Green Light, sorry for the confusion. 

Sure that makes sense, Little. I have no problem if dads want to roll grounders to their high school seniors in an effort to convert them to third basemen. Mean it. I'm not a "my way or the highway" guy.

But my recommendation stands. OP wants to get his HS senior up to snuff at 3B, and I say the first thing to do is have someone hit sharp fungos at him. Unless and until there is acceptable proficiency fielding hard hit balls that get on you in a hurry...at that age level..... other drills that would tend to help a player become a complete third baseman might not amount to an optimal use of time.

Thanks for the help guys!...Son has been offered a spot for 3b\Rf\Pitcher.  He is raw at 3b but has arm and enough skills to warrant a look there on a JUCO.  Will have to work hard to not be pushed to RF but VERY happy!

Congrats.  As long as he does the above he will be fine.