TORONTO — Bo Bichette surprised Luis Rivera during the early days of spring training this year. The shortstop had spent the past several seasons working meticulously on specific drills with the Toronto Blue Jays infield instructor but told Rivera in February he felt it was time to move on from them.

One such exercise involved Bichette kneeling while Rivera fired ground balls toward him. That was designed to strengthen his hand-eye coordination and soften his hands. Another drill worked to improve Bichette’s internal clock by having him field balls at his position while Rivera yelled out numbers from a giant timer positioned by home plate. 

Entering his fifth MLB season, Bichette felt he’d grown and was ready for something new. He told Rivera he’d like to focus primarily on fielding and throwing at game speed. 

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“It’s not practice — it’s just repetition of whatever can happen in games,” Rivera says, echoing the old adage, perfect practice makes perfect.

The coach was immediately on board with Bichette’s request and so they got to work on establishing a routine that would guide the shortstop through a season in which he’s taken his glovework to the next level. 

“We were talking [recently] about how hard it was for him last year mentally that most of the errors he was making was because he didn’t trust himself,” says Rivera. “He didn’t have confidence. And, now, his confidence is over the roof.”

Adds Bichette: “It’s just understanding that I’m capable of doing it and then going out there and doing it.”  

The Bo Bichette who takes the field in the post-season this October for the Blue Jays is the best defensive version he’s ever been. That didn’t happen by chance, though. It’s the culmination of years of behind-the-scenes work that set a strong foundation for his self-belief to bloom.  

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When the Blue Jays selected Bichette in the second round of the 2016 draft, there were no questions about the high-school player’s most valuable tool.

“We knew there was a ton of talent and upside in the bat,” says Blue Jays field coordinator Gil Kim, who was the organization’s director of player development at the time. “We knew it was a kid who absolutely loved the game and loved to compete. And we also knew there was a player who had not dedicated a lot of time to his defence. 

“And there were definitely questions on whether he would remain at shortstop, whether he would play second base, whether there was a potential move to the outfield,” continues Kim. 

“There were a lot of questions regarding his defensive future.”

The Blue Jays immediately installed Bichette at short upon his rookie ball assignment in the summer of 2016 and made the decision to give him as much rope as possible to stay at the position. Bichette responded by working steadfastly on every area of his defence. 

At first, there was a focus on his physical development and fielding technique, including first-step reactions, agility, speed and footwork. The organization then challenged him with individualized routines, such as the kneeling short-hop hand drills he continued in the big leagues with Rivera. There was also work that isolated specific actions, such as backhands, as well as first-step drills where he’d react to balls being thrown at random. 

The Blue Jays threw a lot at him in those early days and he rose to the challenge each time. 

“He was always very convicted in his ability to play shortstop,” says Kim. “He really wanted to prove to other people that he could do it. And when Bo puts his mind to something and decides he’s going to do it, he usually has success doing it.”

One of Kim’s favourite stories from Bichette’s time in the minors came in 2018 during the double-A championship series. Bichette had made it known he wanted to improve on balls to his right and worked on that all season with New Hampshire Fisher Cats manager John Schneider and positional coach Andy Fermin. 

Kim was in attendance during the final series against Akron and remembers a ball hit between short and third. 

“[Bichette] made an absolutely phenomenal play and gunned the guy out at first base,” recalls Kim. “And I remember I was behind the plate looking down and Schneider and Fermin were looking right at me. It was one of those moments when you’re like, ‘Wow, this is why you believe in this kid.’ 

“It’s because he expresses this one year ago that he wanted to get better at plays like that. And here he is in a championship series executing that play. And then they obviously went on to win that series.”

Bichette reached the majors in 2019 and was by no means a finished defensive product. Questions about his long-term future at the position continued to dog him over his first few seasons, and those doubts weren’t silenced when he tied for the major-league lead with 24 errors in 2021 and was second in baseball with 23 the following campaign.  

Defensive metrics have also never been kind to Bichette. His career Outs Above Average is -18 and even this season, in which he’s vastly improved, it stands at -2. 

“I see the routine plays,” says Blue Jays manager Schneider. “I see a guy that plays every day and works consistently. There are so many things that go into those metrics — first step or arm strength or transfer, and everyone does it a little bit differently. So, I think for him and for us, we’re looking for consistency and he’s been all of that. What I look at is outs are outs.”

Bichette has also been tireless in his search for knowledge. The list of names associated with his development is seemingly endless. There was Schneider and Fermin in the minors, along with coach Danny Solano and minor-league manager Cesar Martin. He’s also worked out with former big-league shortstops Barry Larkin and Miguel Cairo and was heavily influenced by former Blue Jays teammate Marcus Semien.  

Another name involved in shaping Bichette: Troy Tulowitzki. Bichette has trained with the former Blue Jays shortstop during off-seasons and Rivera says one mantra from the gifted defender particularly stuck with Bichette.  

“If you cut down on your throwing errors, you cut down on half of your errors,” Rivera says. 

Bichette seems to have internalized that this season through his game-speed practices and Rivera says the results are unquestionable.

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There was a point during the campaign where the coach noticed it had been weeks since Bichette committed an error [he made just eight total in 2023]. That’s when it began to dawn on him that Bichette had indeed turned a corner. 

“His throwing has improved 100 per cent,” says Rivera. “When I watch him work on his throwing and watch him during the games, most of the throws are at the [first baseman’s] chest.”

When reflecting on his evolution as a shortstop, Bichette believes the difference lies less in mechanics and more on mindset. 

“Experience, slowing the game down and trusting myself,” says Bichette. “I knew that if I was going to be the defender I wanted to be, I had to believe in myself and stop trying to be perfect.”

While the 25-year-old acknowledges he’s a different defensive player now than in years past, Bichette adds that he’s still improving. 

“I think I can be one of the best — if not the best — defensive shortstops in the league,” says Bichette. “There’s more room to grow. I can get more athletic and make better plays and cover more ground so that’s something I’ll focus on when the time comes. I think I have range, but I just think that I can be better.”

The Blue Jays coaching staff believes part of what has made a difference for him is simply time. He played his 500th MLB game at shortstop on Thursday and that longevity has inevitably brought comfort. Repetition and exposure at big-league level has helped him slow the game down. 

That extended time period has also allowed Bichette to grow into his own skin. He’s built a sound fundamental base and absorbed as much as he could from others, eventually discarding what hasn’t worked for him. 

That last part was perhaps the toughest step, but Bichette seems to have cleared the hurdle. 

“Mentally, he finally decided and finally realized who he is as an infielder,” says Rivera. “He tried different things before from different people and, finally, he’s like, ‘This is going to be me, this is me right now.’ And the guy who’s playing shortstop is him. He’s not trying to be like somebody else.” 

More from Sportsnet

Blue Jays must seize rare opportunity to rewrite frustrating 2023 season

Blue Jays Roundtable: Who should make wild-card roster vs. Twins?

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Five games into the season, it’s clear what Deion Sanders has going on in Colorado — a team that is flawed, fun and must-see TV.



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The Boston Celtics have had quite the offseason.

After falling short in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Miami Heat, many around the league expected them to make some moves.

The Portland Trail Blazers recently sent Jrue Holiday to the Celtics shortly after trading for him from the Milwaukee Bucks.

While Holiday will be a welcomed addition to this roster, the Celtics traded two of their top role players back to the Trail Blazers.

After Robert Williams and Malcolm Brogdon were moved, Jayson Tatum wrote messages to each player on his Instagram, per Ball is Life’s Twitter account.

Jayson Tatum's IG posts about Rob Williams and Malcolm Brogdon pic.twitter.com/fWXxMR65Um

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) October 2, 2023

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While Tatum might miss Williams and Brogdon, adding a player of Holiday’s caliber will likely cheer him up.

Holiday is widely viewed as one of the league’s best defenders, which should help this Celtics roster.

Pairing him up with Tatum and Jaylen Brown will be a “Big 3” effect for the Celtics.

Adding Holiday was a necessary step for the Celtics as they compete with teams like the Bucks, who made a massive splash by adding Damian Lillard.

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With the season slated to begin in a few weeks, these three have limited time to establish chemistry.

The post Jayson Tatum Pens Heartfelt Goodbye Messages To Former Celtics Teammates appeared first on The Cold Wire.

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