[ Q ] Do You Think An Average Major League Baseball Player Will Raise His Game If He’s On An Outstanding Team?
Saturday, December 19th, 2009 at
9:45 pm
If an average player is playing on an excellent team, do you think the player will raise his level of play because of the success of his team? Let me know your opinion.
Tagged with: Average • Baseball • Game • He's • League • Major • Player • Raise • Think • Will
Filed under: boys of summer
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I don’t think that a player consciously raises his level of play by being on a better team, but I think that an average player will have more opportunities to succeed if he is on a better team.
For example, on your Cardinals, look at how well Holliday has done since coming from Oakland. He’s become an RBI machine simply because he has more opportunities to do so. And look at how Pujols has benefited from Holliday batting behind him as well (although I think Pujols could hit about .320 even if I was hitting behind him).
Or look at a player from my Cubs. When Aramis Ramirez came over from the Pirates, the knock on him was that he was not a very good third baseman. But now that he is playing on a team with an excellent first baseman, he will have a few of his throws that would have been errors now turn into outs. And that will boost his confidence tremendously.
And I also think that playing on a winner will affect a player’s outlook mentally. It’s a lot easier to relax and enjoy the game when you are winning more often than you lose. Having played a fair amount of ball in my day, I can attest to the fact that teams that are winning are a lot looser than the teams that are on a losing streak (and I played on some very good teams, and some very bad ones as well). And as Yogi Berra once said, “Baseball is 90% mental – the other half is physical.”
So again, while I don’t think a player actually becomes better, the results of his efforts are probably much better as a result of being surrounded by more talented teammates.
Yes. Look at Nick Swisher. He was with the White Sox last year, and was absolutely terrible (Sorry Nick!) but this year, he’s been playing fantastically, and having an overall better year than last. But in my opinion, it has less to do with whether or not your team is a contender, but more to do with who your manager is. I think Ozzie Guillen is a horrible manager, and Swisher didn’t do well in Chicago. But now Joe Girardi is his manager, and he is doing better.
depends on what you mean by an excellent or successful team. I dont necessarily think that a players performance will be better just because they are on a winning team, Milton Bradley anyone? I do however think that players will play better when they are in a playoff race, or have players to look up to around them. Above all, i think players’ performances improve the most when they are on a team with good chemistry. When a player fits into the team, and truly feels like he belongs there, its hard not to think he would play better.
I think he would need to in order to stay on the roster. Players on mediocre teams should play their best as well but they don’t always do because there is no motivation. A player on a team like the Nationals might not put their best effort into the game because their teammates aren’t or there is no chance of making the playoffs. I think that if a player sees his team playing well, he will step up his own game as well.
I do, I believe that the atmosphere of success can affect other players. It may not be something that the player is even aware of, but a winning atmosphere seems to bring more excitement out in a player, more drive and thus better performance.
It’s similar to a Cross Country runner. (I use this example because I was one). You tend to run faster depending on who you are up against. There were certain meets I would run far better in, not because I was forcing myself to consciously, but because I had faster runners around me than at a previous meet and I would change my pace.
Yes because of many reasons:
1) You barely get to start, so you are practically forced to play better, like in spring training when 2 players battle for a spot they both usually do good
2) Good Hitting is contagious. I don’t think someone actually knows why, but it seems when someone gets a hit 3 others get one.
3) He can learn from the good players
Yes I do. Playing on an excellent teams just makes the guy want to do. He is feeding off the crowd and the energy. Playing around a bunch of guys who want to succeed only makes him want to succeed. The guy comes to the ballpark every day with a positive attitude which makes a difference too.
Well, if he is an average player, he might be outshined by lets say, Derek Jeter on the yankees if he played on that team. But likewise, you cant choose your own MLB team, even if your with the nationals, you have to work as hard as you can.
Any type of player should do their best regardless, but you make a good point. I think so, because there in a better situation and it gives them a reason to play better, knowing they have a chance to go to the playoffs and possibly the World Series.
It depends, some people may feel the extra motivation, and adrenaline to do better on a team in a race, and some people may feel that where ever they go, causing them to try to perform better.