What are coaches looking for when they say, "Hustle." Is it different at practice and in a game? At the college level and high school level? What tells you someone isn't hustling?
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If I have to tell a kid to hustle there is a problem. If a player has to remind himself to hustle there is a problem. It is the way you play the game , approach the game , the way you practice etc etc. I do not notice a kid that hustles because that is a given. I notice the kid that does not hustle because that stands out like a sore thumb.
I like to tell kids, 'We all can't pick the ball up on the warning track and throw the ball to home plate on a line, but we all can hustle"
One of my favorite hustle stories I also like to tell the kids is that I went to an colleg game one afternoon and the game one starter for one team throws a gem; wins 2-1... then in game 2 he's out chasing foul balls in the parking lot and the next moment on the top step encouraging his guys... hustle was his way of life; he didn't have to get up in the morning and say; 'well today I guess I'll be a hustler."
One of my favorite hustle stories I also like to tell the kids is that I went to an colleg game one afternoon and the game one starter for one team throws a gem; wins 2-1... then in game 2 he's out chasing foul balls in the parking lot and the next moment on the top step encouraging his guys... hustle was his way of life; he didn't have to get up in the morning and say; 'well today I guess I'll be a hustler."
Hustle...I have a very personal story. My late dad told me that I wouldn't always have the most talent, but I could out hustle anyone if I wanted to.
Last day of fall college cuts in college my freshman year. Coach posted names of guys to come see him (this meant you were getting cut). My name was on the board, so I went to see the coach at the time indicated next to my name. He didn't cut me after all. He wanted to let me know that I had made the team, and the only reason I made the team was of my hustle. He said he could tell when players were hustling just to impress a coach, and he could also tell that wasn't what I was doing. 100 mph is all I ever knew, so didn't seem like a big deal to me to sprint on and off the field whenever we were doing something. Guess it helped though? One other gem coach shared with me, we had 26 players on the roster, and I was number 26. He told me he would put pitchers in the field and at bat before me, and that I had a lot of work to do.
Last day of fall college cuts in college my freshman year. Coach posted names of guys to come see him (this meant you were getting cut). My name was on the board, so I went to see the coach at the time indicated next to my name. He didn't cut me after all. He wanted to let me know that I had made the team, and the only reason I made the team was of my hustle. He said he could tell when players were hustling just to impress a coach, and he could also tell that wasn't what I was doing. 100 mph is all I ever knew, so didn't seem like a big deal to me to sprint on and off the field whenever we were doing something. Guess it helped though? One other gem coach shared with me, we had 26 players on the roster, and I was number 26. He told me he would put pitchers in the field and at bat before me, and that I had a lot of work to do.
An infielder that doesn't stop his charge to the groundball even when thinking he can not reach it. The hitter than run at full speed when hit a groundball for double play. The outfielder that doesn't stop running after the ball, even thinking the flyball is foul. There are a lot of examples of hustle. As a coach I like the kid that was pitching and ask me for one more batter when I was going to call to the bullpen. Or the kid that thinking I was going to pinch hit for him got close to me and told me, "coach, I am going to win this game".
Real Life Example---
we had a kid at one of our showcases last year who ran on and off the field every inning, ran up to hit and even to the exetent that he leaped over the foul line in and out of the dugout---every coach in attendance noticed
we had a kid at one of our showcases last year who ran on and off the field every inning, ran up to hit and even to the exetent that he leaped over the foul line in and out of the dugout---every coach in attendance noticed
An easy to understand message was quietly given to our team by our college coach in a fall game. Our centerfielder was not getting to his position very quickly (being polite here.) He quietly came over to three separate pitchers (we were always lobbying to get into these fall games) and told us whoever got there first could play center that inning. We all three flew by our centerfielder who had to walk all the way back with the other two pitchers that were slower than me. 
quote:Originally posted by hsballcoach:
We all three flew by our centerfielder who had to walk all the way back with the other two pitchers that were slower than me.
That is an awesome story. I definitely plan to use this when I am coaching!
To me, "hustle" can be defined as "the willingness to exert 100% effort to accomplish as much as a player's talent will allow". That may sound a bit much...but to me, hustle simply comes down to a players' desire to give all he has for the team.
I was driving by our local school the other day and saw the Freshman tryouts going on, and since I had a little time on my hands (and am a baseball nutbag) I thought I would sit awhile in my car, eat my lunch and watch for a little bit. They were having a little intra-squad scrimmage and over the course of 2-3 innings that I observed, I saw no one hustling out to their positions. They would either walk or slowly jog out, and for some reason, that just irked me to no end. One player in RF was even caught daydreaming as a very catchable fly ball dropped in front of him.
These guys haven't even made the team yet, and they aren't even hustling. If I were the coach, I would have stopped practice right then and there, and after running about 20 gassers, I'd tell them that if they were serious about making the team, then they had better start acting like it.
These guys haven't even made the team yet, and they aren't even hustling. If I were the coach, I would have stopped practice right then and there, and after running about 20 gassers, I'd tell them that if they were serious about making the team, then they had better start acting like it.
