6 Tool

My guess is "Awareness " is the 6th tool. Some players just have a 6th sense and see opportunities that others don't. An example would be when Jeter intercepted the relay throw home from RF and made the play to get the out at home. Not many pro SS would've made that play, because most don't see things that way. Of course this is all just my opinion.

Your observation is very good. Can it be taught? Yes, I think it can with patience and the player desire to learn.

Bob

Willie Mays had perhaps the biggest 6th Tool ever.  He was positioning players and even calling pitches from Center Field!  He would bait runners into taking chances on him and gun them down, and he was a master at taking extra bases as a base runner.

With Willie it wasn't just superior athletic ability and intelligence and competitive spirit, he had been around the game since he was a little boy and knew it inside out.

Part of being baseball smart is just learned like things like don't steal third with 2 outs, throw 2 bases ahead of the runners starting base in  the of and so on. Those things have to be learned and you just have to know it. Everyone can learn that and there is no excuse for messing that up.

But those improvisations like the jeter play or the baez tag requires awareness and also some logical thinking in very quick time and I'm not sure it can be learned.

Maybe you could improve it by allowing some creativity in practice but then again most coaches have their hands fulll with  kids getting the simplest fundamentals like who is the cut off and which base to throw to (sometimes even up to  HS) so I could understand why he doesn't allow for free playing time where you could practice those improvisations since you have to get the fundamentals first.

If you had to boil it down to one word, i would say instincts.  Awareness is on the right track, but i think the baseball definition of instincts is a combination of awareness and action.  Its one thing to be aware - its another thing to be aware AND to act on it without hesitation. It is a tool that cant be measured in a showcase.  It is also a tool that can be the difference between a good player and a great player. 

it may be possible to build on the infamous 6th tool in some form of practice or just experience in the game but most of it is just there or not there. Few people, across many industries (yes some business men have the 6th tool as well) are able to explain why...it is felt by them, it often is described as going with your gut...what does that mean? good luck but certain people have it and it is absolutely real. 

The harder you work the luckier you get! Other times it is just putting yourself in the right place at the right for unknown reasons other then it seemed to make sense. 

old_school posted:

The harder you work the luckier you get! 

I had seen this quote at some point but forgotten all about it. Thanks for sharing! Going to share with my son, students, and position players over the next couple of days. Simple but true!

6th tool in action: www.fangraphs.com/blogs/andrel...s-we-cannot-measure/

2019Dad posted:

6th tool in action: www.fangraphs.com/blogs/andrel...s-we-cannot-measure/

A lot of that is just pure natural ability but watch him bust it to 3rd to be part of that run down. That effort is what everybody can and should play with.

It has to be learned over many years of thought and be given the opportunity in a game that allows the player to produce that thought into reality.  Like blocking 92.  You can teach blocking all you want, but you won't be able to routinely block 92 without years of blocking practice and pitch recognition.  It's learned over many years of blocking so that your brain reacts without thought or you are too late, same with game awareness. 

2forU posted:

It has to be learned over many years of thought and be given the opportunity in a game that allows the player to produce that thought into reality.  Like blocking 92.  You can teach blocking all you want, but you won't be able to routinely block 92 without years of blocking practice and pitch recognition.  It's learned over many years of blocking so that your brain reacts without thought or you are too late, same with game awareness. 

Good point.  Same with judging line drives as a base runner, going 1st to 3rd, angles on ground balls as an infielder, all sorts of things just takes reps and reps and reps

3and2Fastball posted:

2forU posted:

It has to be learned over many years of thought and be given the opportunity in a game that allows the player to produce that thought into reality.  Like blocking 92.  You can teach blocking all you want, but you won't be able to routinely block 92 without years of blocking practice and pitch recognition.  It's learned over many years of blocking so that your brain reacts without thought or you are too late, same with game awareness. 

Good point.  Same with judging line drives as a base runner, going 1st to 3rd, angles on ground balls as an infielder, all sorts of things just takes reps and reps and reps

Sure reps help, but you can see it in "some" kids very early.  I think it has much more to do with how a player's brain is wired.  How many play variances are "naturally" running through a players head at any moment.  If than scenarios, calculating instantly.  The mind is an amazing thing.  Some players minds are just better processors of the data.  Yes, more experience grows the data to trouble shoot a problem, but not all players "processors" are equal....  

Is this catch an example of a 6th tool?

http://m.mlb.com/cutfour/2017/...s-remember-the-catch.

Knowledge of the stadium, the hitter, the wind, the pitcher and Willie started back when the ball was released. Willie did not regard this as his "greatest" catch. In his "Rookie" year when Leo was the manager, Willie raced to left center and he could stretch his glove hand across his body to catch the ball, he made the catch with the right hand "bare handed".

Running in from the OF to the Giants dugout he asked "Mr Leo, did you see that catch"

Leo Durocher said "no son, do it again"!!!

Bob