Hustle can go a long way

My son is being watched this summer by the team that drafted him in June. He also runs full speed on and off the field. The scout talked to him after the game and commented how he liked how he hustled and how sometimes that can make the difference between a hi a and a low a assignment in professional ball. The pro managers like guys who give it full effort.

I saw the player in Norwich that TRHit is speaking of. The showcase had plenty of talented kids, but when you put a lot of good players together on the same field, they begin to blend in with each other. The player has to do something different or special to stand out from the crowd. In this young man's case, I saw him sprint from the 3rd base dugout to his position at 3rd base, then next inning spring out to his position in left field. All of the sudden I'm thinking to myself "Wow, this kid plays a few different positions and he loves the game. I'm gonna give him a few extra looks." While his speed, arm strength, and overall ability did not make him stand out head and shoulders above the rest, his hustle did, and it earned him some extra looks. What more could you want as a player than to earn extra looks?

TR started a good thread which has been a pet peeve of mine for a long, long time. I cannot understand why every single player doesn't hustle(doesn't have to be a "full" sprint) on and off the field between every inning.?????? It keeps their legs loose, gets their hearts pumping, releases adrenalin, and LOOKS GOOD. And it shows the other team that they came to play!!!

Also, why the heck does it take forever for players to leave the dugouts after the third out?
It has ALWAYS been 3 outs and back on the field hasn't it? What are they thinking when there are two outs and two strikes on the batter-"Maybe we'll get 4 outs this inning"? Every player should be ready to go back on the field immediately after the third out-exceptions to runners on bases, or a catcher putting on his equipment.

When my middle son played third base and his team was in the third base dugout he would run all the way to second base-touch it-and run back to third, most of the time before the other players were out of the dugout. Naturally, his teammates(HS) laughed at him. He is smiling inside now because he(and the one other player on the team that hustled) are the only two that got D1 scholarships.

I don't understand why coaches allow this "laziness" to happen. I just can't get used to it.

Agree with Moc1 100%. But I would add a couple of things:
1) For the guys on base, teammates should "pick 'um up" (i.e. if the 3B was a runner on first, the SS should bring out his hat a glove for him). I see SOME teams do this, but certainly not all.
2) Big pet peeve of mine....the 1B that doesn't have a ball in his glove for warming up the IF. I see way too many times the 1B hollering for a ball from the dugout.....jeez
3) I have been noticing the last year or so at HS (and I witnessed it in person at the CWS this year), what is the deal with the pitcher waiting a LONG time before he comes out of the dugout to take his warm up tosses? I saw several Rice, UNC, CSF pitchers do this at the CWS. And I'm not talking about the 8 position players running out, and then moments later the pitcher comes out. There were several occasions where the infielders were on their second round of ground balls and THEN the pitcher started making his way to the mound. I know it was hot in Omaha this year, but come on, it's hot for everyone.

this thread reminded me of my high school team years ago. we had a pitcher who would run off the mound into the dugout after the 3d out. the players huddled with him several times during the year to explain that pitchers "walk," in fact walk slowly off the mound. i am not espousing a view, but it's a story i had long forgotten.

My son’s high school team would kid around with him about the way he would sprint on and off the field.

At least until the scouts showed up during the spring.

The next thing you know we had a whole team running on and off the field.

I was helping our coach with Junior High tryouts and practice this week. One of the first things he told the 6th graders coming out for the first time- We run to our positions, it doesn't matter if it's infield practice or in between innings in a game.

Somebody mentioned "picking a guy up." We don't do that anymore. Our coach went to the CWS in 2005 and saw one of the teams (AZ State I believe) that the 7 position players huddle in front of the dugout and go out together and the pitcher and catcher go separate.

Hustle is one of--if not--THE thing I base my game upon. I will be the first person to tell you that I'm FAR from the most talented baseball player in the world, but I give it everything I have everyday for the game simply because I love it and want to keep playing it. I had knee surgery my freshman year and missed an entire year of baseball; an entire year that I could have played ball in the spring, summer, and fall, and then lifted in the winter. But I lost a step or two on my teammates and opponents that year. I feel that I gain that back when I work my *** off day-in and day-out. People think that they don't have to hustle like me because they didn't lose that step during the course of a year. They take the ability to play; the ability to run, jump, see, hear; for granted, and they need to consider some of the people who have never had that opportunity.