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Post by marklaker on Aug 15, 2010 5:39:11 GMT -8
Son and I have decided to place additional emphasis on fielding this off-season after focusing much of our past efforts on hitting and pitching. Any tips, tricks, drills, strategies from current and former third baseman for a young (12) hopeful?
Thanks!
Mark
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Post by cosmo34 on Aug 15, 2010 12:35:29 GMT -8
Lateral quickness and reactions are everything at 3bag. Side to side foot work drills, and teach him how to use his body to block the ball.
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Post by marklaker on Aug 15, 2010 14:49:25 GMT -8
Agreed. He has relatively quick reflexes and he's become pretty adept at blocking the ball, but he could improve his lateral quickness. Still a bit gawky.
11.5" sound right for a 3B glove?
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Post by Brett on Aug 15, 2010 16:31:32 GMT -8
11.5" sound right for a 3B glove? At that age, that is a good size. I was more of an 11.75" or 12" guy when I was in college but he can always work up to that. Robin Ventura used a 13" glove at 3B in the big leagues, but he was the only one that I ever heard of using a glove that big.
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Post by Brett on Aug 15, 2010 16:48:11 GMT -8
Son and I have decided to place additional emphasis on fielding this off-season after focusing much of our past efforts on hitting and pitching. Any tips, tricks, drills, strategies from current and former third baseman for a young (12) hopeful? Thanks! Mark Above anything, work to develop toughness while playing third. It is called the hot corner for a reason, and fear does not play well there. My old college coach always told us a story about a player by the name of Art Brown. I have no idea when he played but Art did not posses the greatest hands at third base. What he did possess, however, was toughness, and rarely did a ball get by Art. The moral of the story that my coach told was that you won't always field the ball cleanly at third, but your goal should always be to knock the ball down, and keep it in front of you. If you can instill the idea that no ball should ever get by your son at third, I think it would go a long way into developing him as a third baseman. If you can keep a hard hit ball in front of you at third, you should have the time to pick it up with your bare hand (always use your bare hand when picking up a ball that you have knocked down) and get an out.
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Post by cosmo34 on Aug 15, 2010 19:39:04 GMT -8
11.5 sounds good. Like Brett said, can always go up later on. I used an 11.5 so I could still get it out quickly to turn it at 2nd.
And yes, toughness is a big one at 3B. Gotta have some stones.
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