FIELDING – Show off your arm during pre-game and between innings.

(this is an excerpt from Mark Gola’s forthcoming book, Baseball’s Sixth Tool)

During infield/outfield practice, the center fielder throws the half-speed to the cut-off man. He's saving his arm for the game.

Is this smart? No, it isn't. He's guaranteeing he'll have to use his arm in the game.

Players sometimes think they're being sly by not showing their true arm strength during pre-game or between innings. The thinking is, "I'll let them think I have a weak arm, and when they go, I'll gun them down." But what you're really doing is asking the opponent to be aggressive on the bases. The best way to control an offense is to make them run the bases station to station.

This is especially important if you're an outfielder or catcher. Do you think Pudge Rodriguez is most valuable behind the plate because he throws out runners? No. His greatest value is that his presence behind the plate stops the running game before it starts. He stymies the run based on the opponent’s knowledge of his strong arm. Great outfield arms like Vladimir Guerrero, Jeff Franceour, and Shane Victorino force base coaches to put up the stop sign. When the runner doesn't even attempt to advance, that is an efficiency rate of 100 percent.

Dwight Evans was a great outfielder for the Boston Red Sox who had an exceptional throwing arm. Evans was strong proponent of showcasing his talent before the game started. ‘A lot of times the other team watches you--especially the third base coach--and they'll see what you're throwing, and it will stay in their head. You want to plant that seed. Let them think about it so when the game comes, the runner peaks at you as he's going, the third base coach's arms somehow go up, stopping the runner. So you charge hard in practice and throw well—just as if it's in a game.’

Let it loose during pre-game. If you have a weaker outfield arm, play shallow during infield/outfield to shorten your throws and give the perception of a quality arm. Catchers should zip the ball around the bases and down to second each time between innings. It sends the message, don't even think about trying.