Ask Doug: Off-Season Training, Showcases and the World Series

Baseball Factory

November 17, 2008

By Doug Glanville


Doug Glanville is working with the Baseball Factory and Team One Baseball as a Special Consultant. He will be writing articles and looking for your questions and feedback. If you have a question for Doug, please email him at askdoug@baseballfactory.com
A few questions for Doug:

Q: Doug, how did you train during the off-season? Did you take time off or did you ever get burnt out? What suggestions do you have for high school players in order to stay sharp, improve and be prepared for the 2009 high school season?
A: The off-season was something I cherished over the years. The major league season was 162 games and if you include spring training, you are looking at 200 games. You need a break. So the first thing I did was relax! It is important to have down time and clear your head to regroup. As you asked in your question, you don't want to burn out and that happens when you don't give your mind and body a well-deserved rest.

I tried to mix it up every off-season. That was to make sure that I kept everything new and fresh. When I first came over by trade to the Phillies, I worked out with the strength and conditioning coach so that I would learn their system, but after a while I started trying new things or focusing on areas that I needed the most work in. I even was crazy enough to take dance lessons (before "Dancing with the Stars") because I thought it would be good practice for endurances and timing. It really helped!

I know the competition is getting more and more serious in high school and I didn't have a Baseball Factory to see where I stood with my peers, so I know that you have to stay sharp. Baseball Factory has a wonderful support team for training programs, so I would suggest talking to their staff on various workout programs. I guarantee those programs won't be that different than some of the things I did in Chicago Cubs spring training! So you are in good hands.

But don't forget about your studies! The off-season is a good time to get settled into the new school year so that you will be ready to rock in the Spring! And most importantly, enjoy yourself, enjoy your experience in high school and work hard!

Q: I have been through the Team One showcase and have been contacted by a couple colleges. I have been told by numerous people that I can play Division I ball and my question is: after DI ball or even before is a showcase really the only way to get professional scouts to pay attention to you as a high school senior?
A: When I was in high school it was a little different. It was before the internet and before major showcase events like Team One. I am sure there are other avenues to getting exposure, but the real question is "Am I taking advantage of all possible roads to getting noticed?" With a showcase event like Team One, you are only helping yourself by maximizing the time you spend with the best competition and finding out where you stand nationwide. Having talent will get you noticed, but working and competing with the best players and developers puts the exclamation point on it.

Here are a few of my previous Ask Doug responses that might also help answer your question:

Is Travel Ball the Only Way?

Cold Climate Visibility

Q: Being a former Phillies player, was it exciting for you to watch them win the World Series? There have been a lot of talented teams that didn’t win the World Series, so what do you think separates a talented team from a championship team?
A: I was thrilled to see the Phillies win the World Series! I played with a lot of the guys on the team and from the front office to the popcorn vendors, they had a big family. I have a lot of respect for their ownership group and how they managed to keep it a "family" business. One of their owners, David Montgomery, came to my wedding in 2005. Class act.

It is all about playing as a team. Every team in the major leagues is talented. They all can do amazing things on the baseball field, but what separates a talented team, from a championship team is their ability to work together. They put their ego in their back pocket and focus on playing fundamentally sound team baseball. It isn't about how many homeruns your team hits, it is about wins in the win column. I played with the Texas Rangers in 2003 and we had the most talented line-up I ever played in, but we got outscored every game.

"Play for the name on the front of your jersey, not the one on the back" was a good way to remember it!

Republished from The Baseball Factory