What makes a major league baseball player?

While watching the league playoffs, I wondered where did these guys come from? They are from different countries, ethnic groups, religions and have a wide variety of ages and physiques.





Have you read a book, or studied baseball players and baseball for a long time? Did you learn what brings one young boy up to the major leagues, while another never leaves the sand lot or little league?|||IMHO here is my list. I think almost every player is missing one or two of these, but you won't find a major leaguer with less than 80% of these attributes:





!. Strong ego- a devine belief in yourself that will persevere through any challenge, hardship, poor performance or adversity. Not to be confused with arrogant.


2a. A strong psyche- ability to think without being clouded by negative energy.


2b. Clutch- not affected negatively by external pressures.


3a. Knowledge of the game- how the pitcher will set him up, understanding of strategies, how to move runners/ where to hit the ball, opponents tendencies, etc.


3b. Team player- using knowledge of the game to his own and team's benefit


4. Develops skills and moves to next levels of development quickly


5. Retainment of skills learned/ muscle memory- through repetition and practice


6. Desire to excel through refinement of skills/ practice


7. Impeccable fast-twitch muscle skills- superior reactions/ quick feet, hands, trunk


8 Footspeed- slow-twitch excellence


9. Incredibly accurate vision


10. Luck- The help of he right person and situation to rise from level to level from t-ball to the Hall of Fame





Note- size is NOT on this list. I played at 6'5, 230, and I really think it's not essential. Also, I don't think every major leaguer has all these qualities, But if I had to say which ones are most pre-eminant, I'd say


1.) fast-twitch muscle speed


2.) vision


3.) footspeed


4.) #4)-#6


5.) #1-#3b


6.) luck





Thanks.|||A major league baseball player is required to have many talents and qualities.





You need to know the sport;Be smart with the sport.





Not buckle under pressure;Its important that most of them don't suck under pressure, because there are A LOT of pressure situations in Baseball.





Now of course you need talent in baseball.





Pitchers


-Excellent control with the ball; Need to be able to put the ball where you want in the strike zone.





-Trickery; Hiding the ball, throwing curveballs, making the batter THINK more and more to make HIM buckle under the pressure.


Also needs to be able not to over throw the ball.





-Arm Power; Arm needs to be strong; Pitcher needs to be able to throw fast, throw hard.





Batting:


Strength; Player needs to be strong, needs to be able to hit the ball hard and fast; needs to generate fast bat speed.





Mechanics; Needs to be able to have a smooth swing.





Fielding:





Fantastic Hand-eye coordination





PS-There is no requirement to where you are born that restricts you to play in the Major Leagues.





Anybody Can play!





A baseball player needs to have all of the above to play the game!|||simple talent. some dont have as much as others , but they have enoughto get the job done and thats all that matters.|||lots of things are needed to become a ballplayer in the mlb. first, be able to hit a 90+ mph fastball. throwing 90+ doesnt hurt either. mlb scouts fall in love with the radar guns. trust me on that one. i watched a pro tryout and boy were they getting all gossipy with eachother and their guns. you have an even better chance if you pitch or are a catcher and have a hand cannon for an arm.|||As a high school baller, I think I can answer it fairly well.





The first thing is definately a strong work ethic, if you want to be any good. Ichiro is a perfect example. As a kid threw 50 pitches, took 50 ground balls, 50 fly balls, 200 live swings, and 300 pitches from a machine. It is also the reason most pitchers can't hit. They simply don't practice it. You lose what you learned very quickly in baseball.





The second I think is a little more tricky as I think there is a very fine line. Talent comes in handy, yet sometimes the more talent you have, the less of a work ethic you have.





Finally, it is nearly impossible to learn how to hit after the age of seven, I think. The hand eye coordination for hitting is simply too complicated.|||The same thing that makes a succesfull artist, or business person or cook. Athletics are simply born with talents just as other people have their own different talents. Almost all athletics while growing up play all the sports and dominate in them all the specific sport they play is usually narrowed down between high school and college depending on offer's, opportunities, and own preference.