LOS ANGELES, CA — Whenever the Braves are in town, one of the more interesting and fun things to do is watching Ron Washington working with his infielders close up on the field. The steady banter of baseball language and comebacks from players like Ozzie Albies is a whole show in itself. Wash, as everyone in baseball refers to him, has been the maker of Gold Glove Award infielders for years.
You can go back to his days as a coach in the Oakland A’s organization and his work with Eric Chávez. Washington served as infield and third base coach for the A’s between 1997 and 2006. Chávez arrived in 1998 as an average infielder. He won his first Gold Glove Award in 2001 and six times in a row ending in 2006, Washington’s last year in Oakland. I rest my case.
Ron Washington, third base coach and defensive genius for Atlanta Braves – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
Freddie Freeman told me he was first introduced to Washington’s drill when he was with the Braves and continues to do it before every game now with Dodger third base coach Dino Ebel. He said, “It’s all about repetition and creating muscle memory.” Think about this: The entire Braves infield was on the NL All-Star team this year. Obviously, not just for their fielding, but it does come into play when the All-Star managers select those players.
Freddie Freeman in early pre-game infield work – Image Credit: William Coppola/Latino Sports
The Braves and manager Brian Snitker filled the coaching staff with good veteran baseball lifers with a wealth of knowledge that they share with the young and veteran players in this organization, from the low rookie ball players to the big leagues. It is why they dominate baseball today.
Brian Snitker, manager of the Atlanta Braves – Image Credit: Simon Lindenblatt/Latino Sports
So the next time you attend a game, get there early, and instead of finding the nearest concession stand, spend some time watching those infield drills pre-game. This is where players learn from great professional baseball men like Ron Washington on how to make impossible plays look routine.
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