Bad body language

When I watch games on TV, it is not unusual for the volume to be off.  Often my wife will be reading close by or the kids will be playing in the room making it hard to hear anyway.  It’s actually a good way to watch the game because it forces you to pay

attention and not simply be drawn to what the announcers are talking about.

I turn on a (muted) game the other day and I immediately notice bad body language from the young pitcher.  He sulked/pouted after every pitch. He walked around the mound with a “whoa-is-me” look on his face.  To be honest, he looked like a Little Leaguer who had just given up a few runs.  The hair on the back of my neck stood up.

There aren’t many things that a pitcher can do to earn my wrath while still on the mound.  If I don’t like what I see, I usually will wait until the guy comes off the mound so I can pull him aside in private and have my conversation (more like a monologue) with him.  Bad body language is different.  Bad body language is immature.  Bad body language is disrespectful to the game, your position, your teammates, your coaching staff, and the name on the front of your jersey.  I won’t stand for it.

To make matters worse, as the game went on, I realized that his bad inning was actually the inning before he was showing bad body language.  Totally inexcusable especially at the major league level.

Baseball is a hard game to play.  Sometimes it will drive you insane.  However, keeping your poise is part of your job as a player at any level.  No matter what happens, a players job is to appear and act professional.  Bad body language like the examples above shout to coaches and scouts “I need to grow up!”  

Set yourself apart from other players by keeping your poise even under the most frustrating circumstances.  It isn’t always easy but you will gain a lot of respect if you do.