Ian Desmond's fielding issues at shortstop have extended into this season, which throws a monkey wrench into his future as the Nationals' shortstop. The good news, though, is that Desmond is working hard to try to fix his issues. FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports that Desmond has been training with former Phillies manager Larry Bowa to try to solve his problems.
Bowa's analysis? Desmond relies too much on his arm to try to make plays.
Desmond has a tendency to wait on grounders and rely too much on his arm. Bowa suggested a drill in which a coach rolls balls slowly to Desmond, forcing him to charge. He also has spoken with Desmond on the phone.
"Guys have such great arms, they lay back on balls - and this guy has a cannon," says Bowa, who is now an analyst for MLB Network. "He catches 'em flat-footed. He catches 'em deep. He doesn't understand the mechanics of coming and getting the ball.
Bowa also thinks Desmond tries too hard to make spectacular plays rather than making simple ones. It makes sense, at least. Here's hoping Desmond picks up Bowa's lessons.