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Tips for Coaches when Drafting Players:
During fielding practice, watch for athleticism then make note of fielding mechanics. It is nice to get quality athletes with solid fielding mechanics but I would prefer a quality athlete who I can teach to play the game correctly over an inferior athlete who has been coached to his max potential already.
Don’t get carried away with the big kid that pops long flyballs. He isn’t going to see those pitches in real games. Look for kids with good swings that hit line drives. I really like kids that take pitches that aren’t good pitches and go with the pitch if it is away.
Then there are the intangibles. Some kids just carry themselves with an inner arrogance that speaks to their confidence that they will succeed. I can’t stand those that aren’t serious. You are going to be spending a lot of time with these kids. Goof offs are a waste of time.
Unless you have a couple of returning studs, your first pick in the draft will be the best potential pitcher available. Then if you don’t have one, a catcher.
The key to winning is to have stud pitchers. It is amazing how good your defense is when the pitcher is K’ing 10+ a game. The key to having at least one stud pitcher is to sire one because you probably aren’t going to be able to draft 2 stud pitchers.
I always operate on the theory that if a dog is gonna bite you he’ll bite you when he is a pup. So I will always take a younger, weaker, less developed stud over an older, stronger maybe even better but mediocre for his age, player.
Yours In Baseball
Bruce Lambin
THE COACH
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