Letter to Player Development:

Without player development (“PD”), there will be no championships, and the organization will flounder.  For PD to thrive, there needs to be true collaboration within the organization as to the PD mission on a per player basis, and we must have complete transparency.  The greatest mistakes we make on the PD front are (i) when we fail to communicate with one another – not just with coaches, scouts and the front office, but also with the very players that we invest-in and work so hard to develop; and (ii) when we take a cookie-cut approach to PD (for example, we cannot take the same PD approach with Gary Sanchez as we would with Tyler Wade).

Organizations thrive when those within the organization are aligned, communicate openly and honestly and are all on the same page.  This stands true for Fortune 100 companies, non-profits, government agencies, professional and amateur sports teams, small businesses and even families.  When the leaders of an organization have a clear plan for each of its members and that plan is communicated to all within the organization, the chances of success are much greater.  When applying this concept to a baseball team and PD, we are likely to fail if the PD plan has not been provided to coaches and staff or it has been provided but coaches and staff do not understand and embrace the plan.  Such a failure may lead to coaches within the same organization taking a different approach (and perhaps a contradictory one)  to the development of the same player.

After the PD plan is communicated and embraced, we risk failure if that PD plan does not allow for reasonable flexibility on a per player basis based on the physical and mental characteristics of each player.  It is also important to consider language barriers and cultural issues.  In sum, some players may respond well to “tough love” but others may crumble or feel overwhelmed.  To get the very best out of a person, there is no one recipe for success.  To be clear, we cannot allow players to lack discipline and focus, but we also cannot be rigid and treat each and every player in the very same manner when it comes to the growth and development of those within the organization.

After the PD plan is embraced and coaches take the necessary steps and use all of the appropriate resources to carry-out that PD plan, the PD plan collapses if we fail to communicate in an open and honest manner with our players.  To be a part of the PD plan and create the proper PD environment, each player should know his PD plan, and each player should receive regular and honest feedback as to how he is doing.  We are failing if our players can honestly say, “I don’t know where I stand.  Not one person, farm director, manager, pitching coach has explained to me what my path is or where I will go.”  Player feedback is critical to PD, and we must take the time to provide such feedback in a constructive and effective manner.

Teams win championships because the team creates a family environment.  A family is at its best when its members feel valued and there is open and honest communication from top to bottom.  If the team understands the importance of discipline, collaboration, communication and honesty – all crucial to proper PD.  I embrace the culture each team creates. It becomes their DNA approach. It would be a privilege for me to work within a player development system and give my all to help each and every player develop.

Best Regards,

Tyler Goodro