Expert: Rick Bundy - 5/15/2010

Question
Hi, My question- What position(s)would I be best at in HS baseball? I'm 13 and in 7th grade. I want to play in the Majors someday, so I'm trying to figure out which position I would be best at in HS so i can get at much practice now as I can in that position. I want to get on the HS varsity team in 9th grade. I've played with 18 yr olds in college scout camps and I more than hold my own. I play 1st base in travel ball and little league. I also pitch and WAS the best pitcher in my league for years, but lately I've been struggling with my fastball.  I have alot of control and an awesome slider, drop and slurve, but all my coaches want me to throw is fastballs!! My fastball is not as fast or accurate as other pitchers. I'm right handed and very tall -6'1" (my doctor thinks I'll be 6'4" or taller in a couple of years), slim, w/some muscle.  I'm smart (honor student in gifted program) -cool, calm and focused when playing baseball. I'm a good clutch hitter and I send the ball to the fence on a 310' field (but not over it---yet) batting .450 in Little League I bat 4th or 5th in line-up.  Right now I play 1st and pitcher. I have a great glove, quick reflexes, but not as quick at turning and diving as some of the smaller kids who move really fast. I'm a great baserunner, but would like to run faster. Awesome at grounders and pop-ups. I played 1st base in travel ball and thought that's what I'd play in HS but now I'm thinking maybe i should play 3rd because HS might prefer a lefty on 1st. I practice couple times a week and have made a pitcher's mound in my backyard--I haven't given up on my pitching. I watch what I eat and drink and i work out.  I want to do whatever it takes to make it (not steriods)to the Majors. I'm just wondering if i should continue on 1st to become the best 1st baseman i can be or try another position and be knowledgable with several positions? Is it smart to compete with a lefty at 1st? What do you think? Thanks!

Answer
Joe:  Thank you for your question.

I would suggest that you concentrate on building your overall baseball mechanics, rather than concentrating on a specific position at this point in time.

Baseball tryouts are generally about skills, abilities and attitudes, rather than position specific.  If they say go to the position you normally play, that is where you should go.  It will still be all about the basics of fielding, throwing and hitting, where players end up eventually becomes determined by team needs at the time.

Often, players end up playing a position that may not be their best personal spot, yet by them playing there it makes the team better.

Work at making yourself as marketable and flexible as possible.  Get experience at all positions.  Players that can do more than one thing are a valuable asset to any team.

Being able to pitch is a good thing.  No team ever has too many pitchers.  You are off to a good start height wise.  That will be what it is going to be, you have no control over that.

Listen to your coaches, throw more fastballs!  I would highly recommend that you eliminate your slider, drop and slurve and learn a basic change up, as a second pitch to go with your fastball.
You have grown fast, and are continuing to grow.  The slider, drop and slurve all put a lot of pressure on your arm.  Wait 2 to 3 years to worry about and work on those pitches.  You have plenty of time to learn those pitches, you won't have plenty of time if you should injure your arm.

Hitting is all about timing.  Pitching is all about the disruption of that timing.  It is  not so important what the velocity of your fastball is, what is important is the difference in speed between your fastball and change, and learning to locate those pitches where you want them to be.

I saw Pedro Martinez on TV, in a playoff game, strike out a hitter with 3 consecutive changeups, each one at a different speed, each one slower than the one before it.  I believe he has four different grips he uses, and does so very effectively.  Even now, when he has lost some of his velocity, he can still play.  That is because he knows how to pitch, not just throw.

Greg Maddux, 23 yrs MLB and 355 wins, rarely topped the high 80's with his fastball.  He said: "I try to do two things, locate my fastball and change speeds.  That's it.  I try to keep it as simple as possible.  I just throw my fastball to both sides of the plate and change speeds every now and then.  There is no special food, or anything like that, I just try to make quality pitches and try to be prepared each time I go out there."

He also said, "I could probably throw harder if I wanted, but why?  When they're in a jam, a lot of pitchers try to throw harder.  Me, I try to locate better."

As you get a little older you can add a sinker or cut fastball; but for now stay with the fastball and change.  Location enables you to be efficient, that is, get ahead of hitters and keep pitch counts down, thus saving wear and tear on your arm.

Sounds like you definitely have "baseball fever".  That is a good thing.  Baseball is a great and enjoyable journey.  I wish you the best!

If you look on my website at www.theoleballgame.com, you may find additional information of interest as you move forward.  In the hitting section there are some pages on hitting splits, showing a breakdown of batting averages by pitch counts.

This information is in there for hitters, which you are also.  You can also take those splits and use them to develop a pitching plan and philosophy, as they plainly show how hard it is to hit when you have two strikes.  If it's that way in MLB, it is even more so in youth baseball.

Good luck as you move forward.  Protect that arm.

Yours in baseball,

Rick