The Baseball Observer - Jan/ Feb 2016
32
11. Can players who are not good teammates still be successful players?
Of course, there always will be players who are very physically talented and who, because of talent, will be successful on the field. Typically, these players will be able to let talent dictate their performance. In some instances, the fact that these players are not good teammates may be overlooked by coaches and others including teammates.
However, over the course of time, especially as the level of baseball competition increases, the mental side of the game becomes increasingly important---and one important mental quality a player needs to possess, in order to maximize his performance, is being a good teammate.
12. Where does leadership come in with respect to teamwork and the team?
A team leader is a player who through actions and some words is able to guide other players to be productive competitors and even good teammates, especially given team goals.
In terms of being a team leader, though, every player cannot be a team leader.
Leadership development is a process and its does take time and circumstance. Many players naturally become team leaders, and contribute to team cohesion by establishing themselves through the quality of their preparation, via their performance and how they handle challenging situations.
13. How is being a good teammate assessed by major league teams when considering players for the draft and for advancement in the player development system?
Increasingly, area scouts and scouting directors from most major league baseball clubs are gathering information about the mental and emotional development of prospective draft prospects.
In this regard, these scouts as well as player development coaches who are part of professional clubs consider being a good teammate as a positive trait that they want in their players. These baseball professionals consider being a good teammate as a distinct mental asset that the player can bring to their teams and to the process of winning games.
In contrast, they want to rule out players who are considered as being selfish, self-centered, and who do not work for the betterment of the team.
More basically, what major league clubs seek in terms of being a good teammate are the characteristics which I have described in my response to the first interview question.
These characteristics are assessed in the following ways:
(a) interviews with coaches and others who know the player as being part of a team;
(b) discussion with other players, both on the same team and on opposing teams;
(c) observations of the player before during and after games including at team workouts;
(d) written information about the player such as in the media; and
(e) psychological assessment