365 Days to Better Baseball - Baseball Team Unity

Baseball Team Unity is Paramount

Baseball Team Unity

Nothing disrupts a team's focus and winning ways more than the loss of team unity and nothing disrupts team unity more than gossip beyond the field.

There is the famous promotional line that says, "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas." This idea is also important in baseball, "What happens in the clubhouse stays in the clubhouse." Of course, at the lower levels of baseball, there should be no secrets among players or coaches, as young players should not hear things that cannot be discussed at home. However, as players move into the higher levels of ball, things discussed in the team clubhouse are for the team only, as long as there is nothing unethical occurring, of course.

When things that are for the team only, or team gossip leaves the clubhouse, team unity is often compromised. Once disunity begins, teams tend to lose focus on the field as well, leading to slumps and a "long" season.

Good coaches have this team unity rule and remind players of it with the additional rule that if players need to talk about something privately, the coach's door is always open.