August 19, 2011
Tips from the pros: Josh Reddick on outfield defense
by David Laurila/
The Red Sox' Josh Reddick says reading the catcher, the swing and the ball off the bat is key for an outfielder. (photo: Getty Images)
Outfield defense is often undervalued, but the Red Sox know just how important it is.
Josh Reddick is a prime example, as the 24-year-old rookie has earned playing time not just because he can swing the bat but also because he can help prevent runs.
In the latest installment of Tips from the Pros, Reddick covers the ins and outs of patrolling the outfield.
On the key to being a good outfielder: “The main thing for me, along with making sure that I’m in a good ready position, is getting the right reads on balls off the bat. Even in batting practice, I’m not taking my eyes off the ball. I’m making sure I know the ballpark and my routes.
“In (batting practice), I take one round where I just get to know the park a little bit. I’ll take some balls out there to see how the ground plays, how the ball carries, and how it comes off the wall. The next round, we do what we like to call power shagging, which is game-speed shagging.”
On posture and stance: “In center, I stay a little more upright and can react better that way. If I’m playing a corner spot, I’ll be slightly more bent down. I have my glove hand on my hip, resting nice and easy. My right arm is dangling down. I don’t get too relaxed, though. I make sure that I stay on my toes. My posture is a little like when I’m running the bases. I have a slight knee bend. That way I’m not coming straight up, I can stay low and go side to side.”
On where his eyes are focused: “I watch for the pitcher to get into his windup, then take a glance right at the batter and kind of use my peripheral vision to see where the ball is going to be hit. You don’t want to be caught watching the ball or the batter. You want to focus on one point, right in front of the batter. I feel that’s the best way for me to get reads on the ball. My eyes aren’t moving too much, they’re mostly focused on one point.”
On getting a jump: “It’s a lot easier to do in center field, because you can see where the pitcher is throwing and you can see the swing a lot better. At the corners, it’s more about how quick your reaction time is. Reading swings is huge, and I’ll even take a quick glance at the catcher to see where he’s setting up. That allows me to start leaning a little bit; I can get a little bit of a cheat.
“Your first step depends on where the ball is hit. If it’s hit over your head, you want to turn your hips and start going back. If you’re coming in, you kind of favor one side, whether it’s your right or your left. Side-to-side is kind of like stealing a base. You turn, rotate, cross over, and go from there. It’s pretty much a cross over and hip turn.”
On tracking the ball: “Balls hit directly at you and over your head are definitely some of the harder ones. You react and try to stay inside the ball. If it seems to be going the other way, you have to make the adjustment — you do a quick shoulder turn and get on it. Until you get some experience, it’s a tough one to play. A key is to never take your eyes off of it.
“If a right-handed hitter hits the ball to right field, it’s usually going to (slice) toward the line. Once the ball reaches to about 50-70 feet off the bat, you can usually tell if it’s going to keep flying or if it’s going to start top spinning. You have to sit on it and react; you don’t want to guess.
“You never want to be back-pedaling, because you can trip and fall, and nobody wants to do that and be embarrassed on the ball field. You want to read where the ball is going to go, and beat it to that spot.”
On throwing technique: “You want to point your glove to where you’re throwing the ball. You make sure you have a nice glove arm tuck, so you can get that full torque with your arm speed coming through. You make sure to have all of your momentum going forward when you throw the ball. Everybody has their different arm angles, but you’ll see most outfielders come over the top.
“With runners on base, you want to catch the ball moving forward. You want to get behind the ball, with three or four full-sprint steps to get all of your momentum, and body weight, going forward. You want to get as much speed and force behind the throw as you can. You want to come in under control, but aggressive.”
On finding the right glove: “It’s all about what you like and what you feel comfortable with. Some guys go for style and others go for comfort. I’m more of a comfort guy.
“Outfield gloves usually have a more open web. Some guys get the ‘H’ web, others the ‘Y’ web. Outfielders tend to have a 12¾-inch to a 13-inch, glove. You want to make sure it’s the right size to play the position.”
On playing the wall: “Outfielders need to work a lot on speed and agility, along with reaction time. We do a lot of quick sprints outside and in the gym. We have a thing called a reaction ball, that has humps on it; you throw it against a wall and it bounces all over. Something like that is especially helpful at Fenway Park, with the Green Monster. The ball is always coming off in different ways. You have the beams behind it, or the ball might hit a hollow spot, so you never know how it’s going to bounce. You have stay on your toes and be ready, but that goes for wherever you’re playing.”
This article originally appeared in the August 2011 issue of New England Baseball Journal.
David Laurila can be reached at feedback@baseballjournal.com
