Inside the Mind of a Former MLB General Manager

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

Steve Sclafani and I had a chance to sit down recently and speak with a former MLB General Manager. The discussion centered around a myriad of topics including ways to further enhance Baseball Factory Player Development Events, philosophies on scouting, and theories on college recruiting trends in baseball. The conversation was very enlightening and provided a great backdrop for how General Managers evaluate high school and college players when considering them for the draft and professional baseball.

Probably the most interesting point that was made during the discussion by the former GM was in reference to what he thought was the most successful method to evaluate a player’s personality and mental makeup. Many MLB teams use sophisticated psychological profiles created by acclaimed academics to try and predict how players will handle pressure, how they will interact with their peers and authority figures on and off the field, and how they will handle the inevitable failures that present themselves on a consistent basis in baseball. It may be shocking to hear, but this GM believed that the most accurate way to predict how a player would handle himself in these situations was to study their parents!

It was an obvious comment to make, but one that I was completely taken back by. With every resource in the world at his disposal to make a psychological assessment, this GM felt that the mental makeup of the parents, their habits off the field, their temperament, and the way they spoke to their family members were the best indicators for predicting the player’s off field and on field mental approach. Many times they passed on players because they did not have a good feeling about the player’s mental makeup and family history.

This is a valuable lesson for parents to learn. Not only are your sons being evaluated everyday by baseball professionals, but you are as well. Do your best to keep your emotions in check and keep a level head on your shoulders when watching your son’s games or communicating with college coaches or professional scouts. It could be the final difference maker for him getting a baseball opportunity or not.


Rob Naddelman is the President of Baseball Factory. Naddelman is a former two-time All Ivy League Third Baseman at the University of Pennsylvania, where he competed in a College World Series Regional. He has served as the President of Baseball Factory for the past 13 years, and also is the Executive Director of Baseball Factory's charitable arm The B.A.S.E. - H.I.T. Foundation. Naddelman and Steve Sclafani (CEO) have been featured in Business Week and CNN for their work in building Baseball Factory into the nation's leader in player development and college placement.