YBE 068: Play Like A Middle Infielder with Billy Boyer

The middle infield positions benefit from players with a lot of athleticism. But what if you have players who aren't exactly the most athletic? Is there no hope for them? Billy Boyer, assistant coach at the University of Washington, helps break down some of the nuances that can help elevate the infield play of your players. This is Part 1 of a two-part interview.

In this 36-minute episode, you'll learn:

the difference between the AA and AAA minor league levels
whether players are cut-throat to each other in the minors, or have a mentoring mentality
what is a 'prep step' and how is it different from a 'creep step'
whether a 'glove roll' is right or wrong
why and how to get their sightline outside the path of the ball when approaching a ground ball
how to position the body and feet when fielding a grounder

Resources mentioned in this episode:

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Greg Pitts

I would love to watch a video of him demonstrating this,
because this seems like way too much movement.
From the pre-pitch hop to getting outside the baseball, I feel like the
player is creating too much room for error.
The dropping the left toe slightly behind the right toe as you field the
ball seems awkward too, because as a right handed thrower I would feel off
balance and this would seem to hurt you against a fast runner.
- Tom McGuire
  
  It’s how the pros do it.
  
  Check out this video on the hop – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRWzHz0Fhjs&t=6s
  
  The Hop is all over MLB/College baseball –
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvzhH_6O7pw
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzZAQ0z0kUo
  
  On getting outside the baseball, you have to think about in what direction you’re throwing the ball – most of the time, the infielder is throwing towards his/her left, so it makes sense that the infielder should get an angle/start momentum towards their target before fielding the ball.
- Tom McGuire
  
  Pedroria Hop – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkHtUOsqUI4
  - Matthew Bailey
    
    Thank you for posting this!
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Matthew Bailey

Amazing stuff! This is one of the best podcasts that I have listened to. The comments on this blog are fantastic as well. My son is a huge fan of Pedroia, so he’ll really learn from the video. Thanks to all.

Rob keep up the excellent work. You have made a huge difference in my life as an assistant coach and as a “Baseball Dad.”