How Do I Get Noticed?

Steve Bernhardt: Building the Better Ballplayer

I get asked this question hundreds of times each year by high school players who are looking to catch the eye of college coaches and professional scouts. There are many answers to this question, but the simplest one and easiest to control is summed up in one word: HUSTLE.

In today’s game, players who run hard out of the box all the way through the bag each and every at bat are the ones that stand out from the crowd. Because so many players jog to first when they hit a routine ground ball or “Big League it” when they hit a clean single, the guys who always run hard get noticed by everyone in attendance. A player who runs hard each at bat, and is the first guy on and off the field for his team defensively will make a positive impression on any coaches or scouts in attendance.

I recently attended a high school game where I witnessed all of the following in a matter of four innings:

1. A player failed to make an attempt to run to first base after a dropped third strike. It was apparent that he initially forgot to run and then, when he realized he should, decided it was not worth the effort.

2. The player in the above example was talked to by the coach after the third out of the inning. The coach was positive and made a good point that the player needed to be aware of the situation and needs to make an effort to get to first base the next time a similar situation arises. Obviously upset that the coach was actually coaching him, the player proceeded to walk from in front of the third base dugout to his defensive position in right field. This allowed him one throw with the center fielder before the inning began.

3. As I sat in the third base bleachers, the left fielder for one team jogged to the third base dugout after the third out of the inning. On his way by, he yelled to his apparent girlfriend in the bleachers to text him when he got back to the dugout.

4. I did not witness one player run hard all the way through first base on a ground out, or go full speed around first base and make a hard turn on a clean single. In fact, I saw a couple of players who either stopped and headed to the dugout before they got to first base on a ground out or jogged all the way and missed the bag on their way past it.

Needless to say, not a lot of players stood out to me in a good way at this game.

On the other hand, I searched out and wrote down the names of players who did the following at games this year (and I wasn’t alone in reaching for my pen and checking my roster on these guys):

1. A player went from second to third after a single when the third baseman strayed too far from the bag and neither the third baseman nor pitcher was paying any attention to the base runner.

2. I saw a player hit a fairly routine single to center field. The hitter ran hard out of the box and through the turn at first. When he noticed that the center fielder was taking his time getting to the ball, the hitter never broke stride and slid into second just before the surprised center fielder could get the ball in.

3. In another game at a field where the dugouts and on-deck areas are a good distance from home plate, a player singled to right field with a runner on second. The on-deck hitter sprinted out to home plate, got the bat out of the way and signaled to the base runner trying to score to slide to the third base side of the plate. The runner followed the instructions and just beat the throw home to score a big run for his team. The on-deck hitter showed me he was into the game, understood his responsibilities and hustled into position to help his team win the game.

It may be jaded and simple, but hustling everywhere is the easiest way to get noticed by Recruiting Coordinators and Scouts. Not everyone can hit a baseball 450 feet or run a 6.5 60-yard dash, but everyone can control their level of effort and hustle.


Steve Bernhardt is the Executive VP of Baseball Operations with Baseball Factory. Bernhardt played for five years in the Colorado Rockies organization. As Executive VP of Baseball Operations at Baseball Factory, he oversees all events and instruction. Bernhardt formerly served as an Associate Scout with the Colorado Rockies. He received his B.S. from the University of Richmond where he was an All-Conference player.