Indians manager instructs local ballplayers
Published on July 22, 2009 - 2:23 pm
by Reggie Hayes
Wedge was in Fort Wayne on Saturday to teach at annual baseball clinic.
By Reggie Hayes
of The News-Sentinel - 1/20/08
It was 8 degrees outside Saturday, but felt a lot like baseball spring training inside. Cleveland Indians manager Eric Wedge addressed the assembled ballplayers, demanded their attention with firm words, and then touched on hitting, attitude and behavior.
His audience, however, included more than 200 youth baseball players experiencing a one-day respite from the bite of winter and some rarified instruction from the American League Manager of the Year. Wedge visited Fort Wayne on Saturday to teach at his annual baseball clinic at the ASH Centre sports complex. He later served as the keynote speaker at a banquet with the Fort Wayne Sports Corp. at the Grand Wayne Convention Center. "This gets me fired up," Wedge said. "I have the greatest job in the world. I have the opportunity to work and teach and spend time with these kids, and then I have my older group of kids I'll be going to Florida with in a little while."
There are differences. His "older kids" are millionaire professional ballplayers.
But in many ways, baseball is baseball, Wedge said. "If these kids here could see us at spring training, we're doing some of the same drills we're doing here," Wedge said. "In the playoffs, before the game starts, Grady Sizemore is down there working on these drills the kids are doing." Wedge spoke repeatedly to the group of players about hitting - maintaining balance, swinging with a chopping motion, staying away from fly balls, etc. - but he also kept harping on listening.
He pointed time and again to parents, teachers and coaches. "The most important thing these kids can do, day in and day out, is to listen to the people that care about them," Wedge said.
Wedge, who donates his time to the clinic, with proceeds going to the Fort Wayne Sports Corp. for local youth sports projects, said he is committed to returning to Fort Wayne for the event every year.
Wedge is a Fort Wayne native who played baseball at Northrop High School, Wichita State University and in the major leagues before moving into managing.