The Fielding Bible Volume III is a fascinating book of the subtleties of playing defense in Major League Baseball.

I had read their first volume and I was excited to read their third. I was not disappointed.

John Dewan and Ben Jedlovec have unveiled another wonderful guide for baseball stat-geeks.

Dewan and Jedlovec included new studies on crucial aspects of fielding, including defensive positioning, the Ted Williams shift, bunts, double plays, outfielder arms and catcher defense.

Their statistical analysis – building on the work began by stat-godfather Bill James – has significantly increased our understanding of the benefits of a good defensive player and the consequences of playing a poor defensive player.

All-Stars For All Time is subtitled “a sabermetric ranking of the major league best, 1876–2007.” I found the book to be balanced, position-specific, adjusted, and, as a former catcher, I loved the depth of the analysis.

Balanced
“Baseball’s All-Time All-Star team was determined by a comparison of each player’s offensive and defensive contributions as measured by his most important statistics.”

Position-Specific
“Each position had to be evaluated separately since each position had unique responsibilities that required its own measurements. For instance, catchers had to be evaluated for their ability to throw out potential base stealers, while pitchers were evaluated for their success in the art of pitching. Other position players were measured primarily for their success at producing runs on offense and for preventing runs on defense.”

When I was a teen I had a conversation with my dad about my future career choices.

Since I was a little boy I was known as “Scotty the Scientist”, so clearly a career in the sciences made sense for me. So it was a surprise to my dad when I mentioned that I thought about becoming a police officer.

That dream was more based on my fantasies about being a hero than understanding the what the job would entail.

Right Up Your Alley - What You Do Reveals Who You Are Becoming 

Since I was very young I’ve been a baseball fan.

As a fan with a limited budget, televised games, box scores, recaps and baseball books often satisfy my fascination with major league baseball.

This summer, like many summers, I planned and read a few baseball books.

In May I wrote my review of The Baseball Codes by Jason Turbow and Michael Duca, a fascinating perspective of the culture of the game within the game.

Subtitled “A Ballplayer’s Inside View”, The Game From Where I Stand by Doug Glanville is just that, “an inside view.”

I wasn’t certain what to expect when I began read Glanville’s book. As a baseball fan, and specifically a Chicago Cubs fan, I only knew Glanville as an outfielder.  He was a decent hitter — who was pretty quick on the base paths.  He was also a very capable outfielder who compiled an astounding 293-game errorless streak.

I didn’t know if his book’s “inside view” would be filled with scandalous allegations, tiresome self-promotion, or effusive praise for teammates.

This week is Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game.  One of the pre-game celebrations is the Home Run Derby.

The MLB Twitter-feed was filled with anticipation.

“Will @theCUTCH22 be McCrushin’? How many Trumbombs for @Mtrumbo44? Can Prince or Cano win ?#HRDerby? again?“

Here’s my interpretation:

Will (the Pittsburgh Pirates’) Andrew McCutchen win? How many home runs do you think (Anaheim Angels’) Mark Trumbo will hit? Do you think former Home Run Derby champions (Detroit Tigers’) Prince Fielder and (NY Yankees’) Robinson Cano win the Home Run Derby this year?

Last Year

With my dad’s influence I grew up a baseball fan.  We played catch on the sidewalks.  We played wiffle ball in the front yard.  We listened to games in the car.  We watched games in the living room.  I still have some baseball cards from 1970 the first season I bought my own baseball cards.

The Chicago Cubs were then and still are my favorite team.  My dad had been a Cubs fan and Milwaukee Braves fan growing up.

I live in Minnesota and recently a local baseball player, Scott Baker, required arm surgery.

Baker, according to TwinCities.com, “was scheduled for surgery to clean scar tissue off a flexor tendon, a procedure that would have required about six months of rehabilitation. Instead, he will miss at least 12 months.”

I love mysteries.  I love pondering mysteries.  I love trying to solve mysteries.  I wonder:

Why did two MRI exams failed to detect a tear in Baker’s ligament?
What causes baseball pitchers to have such a high rate of elbow injuries?  

Jim Thome signed with the MLB’s Philadelphia Phillies this off season.  I felt sad.  When he played with my local team, the Minnesota Twins, he was my favorite player.

Why?  Let me explain.

When Thome signed with the Twins before the 2010 season, the phone of (then) Twins general manager Bill Smith rang.

Smith recalled, “I got a call from someone with Philadelphia, telling me what a great guy we were getting…And then I got calls from the White Sox. And the Dodgers, even though he hadn’t been there a long time. And from Cleveland. They’d all say the same thing, about what a good guy he is.” 1

As Major League Baseball’s Spring Training ended each team made decisions about problem players.  They asked and answered:
“Do his assets exceed the sum total of his deficits?” 
“Do his strengths outweigh his weaknesses?” 

Your workplace has the same challenges.  Building a team of competent employees is a challenge.

You can’t change someone’s personality, but you can implement strategies to help them perform professionally and more competently while on the job.

Most Common Types Of Problem People And Strategies To Help Them Succeed: 1

The non-communicative person.
Ask open questions that force her to explain what she thinks.