From the Bleachers

What is a leader? Funk & wagnalls’ standard desk According to Websters Dictionary , a leader is , “one who or that which goes ahead or in advance.” Seemingly, now that the World Series is about to begin, a leader is a great asset to a team.

During October baseball, teams need leaders both on and off the field. Some of the greatest players in baseball are the ones that you never see in any record books. Clubhouse leaders are players who make their points verbally, not physically. Every team has one player who can just speak and everyone will listen to what he/she has to say. These players are the most important on any good team.

Often people think of leaders and automatically think of the head coach. This is in fact very true, but each team needs a fellow player to lead them. If you look at the New York Yankees (winners of four of the last five World Series), they have a great team leader. Sure, on the field Derek Jeter is the leader, but when it comes time for the players to be in the clubhouse, nobody fits this role better than Paul O’Neill does. He knows what it takes to be a winner. If you have ever watched O’Neill play, you completely understand what I am talking about.

He is the type of player who is going to be a good player until the day he retires. He takes the game so seriously that it gives a new dimension to O’Neill’s game. If he makes a mistake, then you will see someone ready to beat the living crap out of the nearest water jug. Off the field and in the clubhouse, O’Neill shows the signs of being a great leader. If you were O’Neill’s teammate and you were slumping in some part of your game, he would let you know about it. He would not do so in a bad way, but he would make his point and you would start to play better. Yes, O’Neill is getting older, and it shows by his number of injuries slowly starting to increase. but O’Neill has many qualities that make him a great leader for such an outstanding team.

What is the most important thing about a leader? Personally, I think it is the communication level with the other players on the team. Paul O’Neill is a great communicator with his teammates.

Leadership is a role that not everyone can obtain. But after looking at the Yankees’ success in the post-season, you would think that many teams would try to find that special player.

Special players do so many special things to lift a team. Now, at this time in baseball, we can finally see who are the real leaders of the game.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Oct 26 2001. Filed under Opinion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry