Baseball coach can help Aussies rule the world

BASSETERRE, St Kitts, Mar 12 (Reuters) Prowling the boundary among the myriad water-carriers who now seem necessary to any professional sport, Mike Young studies each ball intently while Australia are in the field.

At practice his American drawl stands out against the harsher Aussie accents of the players and support staff.

His role, as it has been since 2002, is to ensure the world champions continue to set new standards in catching, stopping and throwing.

Australians, blessed with sunshine on their backs and hard surfaces beneath their feet, have always excelled at fielding.

Don Bradman, the greatest Australian cricketer of all, was a superb ground fielder and there is a distinguished gallery of excellent slip fielders, including Keith Miller, Bobby Simpson, Mark Taylor and Mark Waugh.

Jack Cheetham's 1951-2 South Africa side squared a series in Australia primarily through their fielding and the 1980s West Indies' side possessed some remarkable fieldsman. The demands of one-day cricket have since lifted standards throughout the world.

CALLING SHOTS Still it is the Australians who set the pace with former professional baseballer Young calling the shots in training.

The great American sportswriter Red Smith said the 90 feet (30 metres) between bases ''represented man's closest approach to perfection'' and a base throw is one of the game's unfailing delights.

Young believes the skills of the current Australian side are are, at least, of an equal order.

In an interview with Reuters he said the team had ''unbelievable skills'' while the slip catching was ''ungodly''.

''They are the best athletes in the world,'' he said. ''They are the best team who have played the game, there have never been better cricketers. I have been lucky to work with Australia for the past five years.'' Young, who coached the Australian baseball side who defeated Canada at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and went on to finish in fifth place, said there was no gimmickry involved in his training programme.

''The real thing to do is just keep it simple,'' he said.

''Balance and vision, balance and vision. Watch the ball and keep in straight lines.

''It's about watching the ball into the hands, when the ball bobbles, nine times out of 10 the fielder wasn't watching the ball.

''It's about people, it's about coaching athletes. I don't believe I coach cricketers, I coach people in cricket uniforms.

I don't coach baseballers, I coach people in baseball uniforms.'' Reuters PDS DB2031