You hear people arguing all the time about who the greatest player of all time is, not just in baseball but in every sport. Often times it is argued what exactly makes those players great. Usually, the best players in basketball and football are incredible athletes, but to me the same can’t be said for baseball. I mean really, you can’t ever say that Babe Ruth was an incredible athlete. This made me wonder, what makes a baseball player great?
What Truly Makes a Baseball Player Special
Sure, the freak athletes are almost always very good baseball players. Mike Trout is a great example of that as he has been an incredible success in every facet of the game (not only does he hit home runs, he can also make spectacular leaping grabs over the fence to rob an opponent of a home run, or can steal a base with his great speed). However, athletic ability isn’t all it comes down to. No one has to be able to turn and make a silky-smooth signature jump throw to first like Derek Jeter all the time. Many great players aren’t incredible athletes at all. Prince Fielder has become an astounding hitter in his career, and has not been bad at all at first base defensively, but not many people (if any) would consider Prince Fielder an athlete by any means. What really makes a baseball player great is not just the pure athleticism.
Baseball is not a game of mere tangible skills. You don’t have to be naturally strong, you don’t have to be a born speed runner, and you don’t have to just have great natural instincts. Baseball is a game that can be mastered with hard work. Take Joey Votto for example. Votto isn’t a natural born athlete, but he works hard. Before Joey’s MVP season, he wasn’t anything too special. He was average at best, and at times he was a liability in the field. However, when he put in a lot of work it all came together. All the work resulted in an MVP and a Gold Glove Award.
The bottom line is, a great baseball player doesn’t have to be a supernatural athlete. There’s no doubt that athleticism helps in the game of baseball, and makes the game come easier, but in no way is tons of athleticism needed. Hard-working players will go just as far as, or further than, the great athletes, if they outwork the great athletes. With Spring training starting up and baseball season coming right around the corner, it will be interesting to keep a close eye on the guys that are putting more work in, and seeing how far it takes them and how much it increases their potential to become one of the greatest in the game.
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