Correa's Leadership, Part 1: Define Your Terms

[Greggory Masterson]

To paraphrase Justice Potter Stewart, 'Leadership—I know it when I see it.' We can all agree that leaders exist, but unpacking what makes a leader is more complicated. 

Image courtesy of Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Teammates, media, and fans laud Carlos Correa for his leadership ability. Shoot, players on other teams compliment Correa for being a leader: On Tuesday, Correa was caught putting his arm around Carson Williams, a 19-year old Rays prospect, after the youngster committed an error in a spring training game.

When it comes to identifying what exactly he does as a leader, though, we can struggle to quantify it. Today, we’re starting an ol’ Gregg deep dive into leadership, its observable outcomes or benefits, and why Correa gets explicitly highlighted as a leader.

You can take this series as a continuation of this blog post looking at what “clubhouse presence” might generally mean for a player like Correa. I’ll reference papers discussed there, so if you’re interested, check out that blog.

Leadership Defined
Let’s start at the top with a definition of leadership. Many will cite traits or behaviors like empowering others, providing support, giving guidance, or something like that. However, at its most basic level, leadership is influence. Leaders influence those who follow them into certain behaviors.

Leaders can come in all forms. One easy way to think about them is informal or formal leaders who can be from inside or outside of a team. A player like Correa would be an informal leader inside the team. A diagram representing this paradigm is below.

 

Inside Team Outside Team Informal Leader Carlos Correa Rod Carew (spring training bunting instructor) Formal Leader Rocco Baldelli Derek Falvey

 

Under our definition of leadership, an excellent informal leader can change others’ behavior. Now, it’s possible to influence behavior positively or negatively, so it’s crucial to have the right type of leader. A bloviating blowhard can walk into a clubhouse and certainly influence their teammates, but if that influence isn’t beneficial for the team, then what’s the point?

Even worse, a front office could bring a leader into the clubhouse, but the team could still reject that person as a leader. Clearly, this was not the case in Minnesota last year, at least from outsiders’ perspectives. So let’s move on to how players become leaders.

Leader Emergence
As mentioned in my previous blog post, players can have informal roles like leader that are not officially bestowed on them by the powers that be (as opposed to first baseman or leadoff hitter). Instead, their teammates agree that that person fills the role.

In a study led by Jeemin Kim of Wilfred Laurier University, teams tended to be most satisfied with their play when verbal leaders made up 10-15% of the team. On a baseball team, that would be between two and four players, and Correa certainly fits that bill on this Twins team.

Long ago, a psychologist named Robert F. Bales put forward a theory suggesting that three things mattered for a person to fill an informal role: being noticed, skills, and likeability. These three factors matter for all roles—not just leadership. For example, the role of clubhouse cancer would require a person to be very good at disrupting the clubhouse.

Let’s stick, though, to the role of informal leader. That player needs to have influence, be likable (to some extent), and be noticed for his traits. Correa has the on-field ability of one of the top players in the sport. That helps, but plenty of talented players aren’t seen as leaders.

Instead, he must also help guide teammates, provide an example for them, and be there for them—all of the things people think about when they think of a leader. He doesn’t need to be all of them, just enough of them to be noticed by his teammates.

From a social scientist’s perspective, he has an increased potential to be noticed simply by his position in the field. Teams have what are called social networks—complex relationships between players. These networks can be mapped out and measured. Networks can come in all types, such as friendship or time spent playing together. Players with more friends on the team can have a wider friendship network, and teammates who have played longer can have stronger familiarity bonds with each other.

A team is a series of different types of networks that can become somewhat confusing. For the visual of you out there, see the network I approximated based on coordination. Thicker lines indicate more substantial levels of coordination needed for the players at each position on the field. They’re also color-coded, with purple being the strongest, yellow being medium, and red being the weakest.

This map isn’t exact, but it gets the point across. If you look closely, shortstops and catchers appear to require the most coordination with their teammates. Catchers specifically work incredibly closely with their pitchers and then everyone else to some extent. Shortstops have, at minimum, a moderate level of coordination with everyone else on the team, save the pitcher (though even that could be higher if you consider the amount of coordination necessary for shifting and pitch selection).

This diagram isn’t just me making things up to support my thoughts. As far back as the 1960s, social scientists observed this very thing. Having more ties and stronger ties makes a player more centralized in their network, and Oscar Grusky of UCLA discovered that the more central a player’s position was, the more likely they were to become a manager.

This finding isn’t a new discovery in the baseball world, either. Many reading this already know that catchers and middle infielders are more likely to become managers than pitchers or outfielders. However, it’s worth noting that psychology has been on the same wavelength as conventional wisdom in this regard.

All this is to say that a player like Carlos Correa is in a prime position to be identified as a leader by his teammates. In the next installment, I will look at what sort of leadership Correa exhibits that solidifies him as a leader.

 

---

 

Bales, R. F. 1966. “Task roles and social roles in problem solving groups”. In Role theory: Concepts and research, Edited by: Biddle, B. J. and Thomas, E. J. 254–262. New York: John Wiley.

Grusky, O. (1963). The effects of formal structure on managerial recruitment: A study of baseball organization. Sociometry, 26, 345–353. doi:10.2307/2786074
https://www.jstor.org/stable/2786074

Kim, J., Godfrey, M., & Eys, M. (2020). The antecedents and outcomes of informal roles in interdependent sport teams. Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, 9(3), 277–291. https://doi.org/10.1037/spy0000179

 

View full article

[Jocko87]

Subscribed.  Can we do that?  Whatever, will be watching this series closely.

Correa has been endlessly fascinating to me ever since the first signing when I sent my Astros season ticket holder friend a text that said something like "does this mean I have to like Correa now?"  He came back with "Dude, your going to love him."  He knows me well.

Just for background on how my mind works, I have an MBA with a focus on Organizational Leadership and I can really nerd out on it if I'm not careful.  I'm far more interested in the machinations of the back and front office than the on field 6th inning decision even though I love the baseball.  I'm watching Steve Cohen very closely but know very little about the Mets.

One of the most important leadership factors in life is that we don't always get to chose being in a leadership position or not.  You don't get to chose how people see you.  The shortstop has some of this as the captain of the infield.  Pablo Lopez has some as the pitcher the boss was willing to give the current batting champ for.  I also umpire youth baseball 10-16u.  At my plate meetings I set the expectation that we (umpires and coaches) are all setting an example for these kids, whether we like it or not, and we will conduct ourselves accordingly.  The bolded phrase is the ear worm. 

Looking forward to the rest of the series! 

Edited March 27 by Jocko87
Organizational Leadership not behavior

[davidborton]

Quote

A bloviating blowhard can walk into a clubhouse and certainly influence their teammates, but if that influence isn’t beneficial for the team, then what’s the point?

Mr Donaldson.

[Schmoeman5]

19 minutes ago, davidborton said:

Mr Donaldson.

Exactly. Lemmings have a leader too!

[Greggory Masterson]

1 hour ago, Jocko87 said:

Subscribed.  Can we do that?  Whatever, will be watching this series closely.

Correa has been endlessly fascinating to me ever since the first signing when I sent my Astros season ticket holder friend a text that said something like "does this mean I have to like Correa now?"  He came back with "Dude, your going to love him."  He knows me well.

Just for background on how my mind works, I have an MBA with a focus on Organizational Leadership and I can really nerd out on it if I'm not careful.  I'm far more interested in the machinations of the back and front office than the on field 6th inning decision even though I love the baseball.  I'm watching Steve Cohen very closely but know very little about the Mets.

One of the most important leadership factors in life is that we don't always get to chose being in a leadership position or not.  You don't get to chose how people see you.  The shortstop has some of this as the captain of the infield.  Pablo Lopez has some as the pitcher the boss was willing to give the current batting champ for.  I also umpire youth baseball 10-16u.  At my plate meetings I set the expectation that we (umpires and coaches) are all setting an example for these kids, whether we like it or not, and we will conduct ourselves accordingly.  The bolded phrase is the ear worm. 

Looking forward to the rest of the series! 

Awesome! My background isn’t in organizational leadership, but I do have a history in other organizational disciplines. Part 2 will be released soon, and then Part 3 and on will be somewhat dependent on the feedback I get from the first two parts. If there are topics in the comments that people indicate interest in, I’ll work them into the series!

[Greggory Masterson]

39 minutes ago, davidborton said:

Mr Donaldson.

 

19 minutes ago, Schmoeman5 said:

Exactly. Lemmings have a leader too!

Both of you should be on the lookout for Part 2, where JD makes a cameo

[Nick Nelson]

Count me in as very intrigued by this series and eager for more installments! (Even though I already got to read the second. It's great!)

[davidborton]

7 hours ago, Greggory Masterson said:

... Part 2 will be released soon, and then Part 3 and on will be somewhat dependent on the feedback I get from the first two parts....

It is well written, with excellent application. Teams are teams whether they are playing ball, delivering healthcare, or brainstorming business plans.

Well done.  In part III, I would like to see some discussion of formal leaders (Joe Maddon, Tito Francona, Craig Counsell and the like) and their gifts which make them unique.

[Jocko87]

3 hours ago, Greggory Masterson said:

 

Both of you should be on the lookout for Part 2, where JD makes a cameo

With zero inside information I can almost guarantee that JD didn’t understand or care that signing the by far, largest free agent contract in the history of the team at the time comes with a leadership component that cannot be overlooked or sidestepped. Most of the clubhouse is going to be influenced by you, again, whether you like it or not.  

Carlos Correa not only understands this, he embraces it. 

[Jocko87]

Also important to note that part of why JD didn’t fit is that it wasn’t the dollar amount of the contract, it was the significance to this organization. That’s why he can go to the Yankees and be a JAG or jag-off, depending.  He blends in and isn’t the dude. 
 

This doesn’t just apply to the #1 dude.  I saw Sandy Leon is now available and I wonder if he would just take a AAA deal just for his leadership role.  Pay extra, but get big value working with the young pitchers. Break glass in case of emergency for the big club.  I don’t think he would be blocking to much playing time for prospects either. 

[DocBauer]

A very interesting OP and I look forward to reading more.

But I don't need to read more to know, understand, and appreciate Correa as a leader for this team.

Even on a "1 year deal for 2022" in practical application, Correa attempted to lead routines for the infield. He embraced talented rookie Miranda to guide and nurture him, even offering to work with him this offseason. He was so plugged in, so quickly, he already knew the milb system and the top talent on the rise because he knew he still might end up as a long term Twin at that point.

He made a comment when 2022 ended that while he tried to take a leadership role on the field, and off, were he back there were some other things he wanted to do in that role to bring the infield and team closer.

Now he gets his chance.

I was impressed how much he deferred to Buxton as the #1 guy on the team, who is more of a quiet and respected leader.

I was impressed with a game in which Fulmer was on the mound in a tough spot, and Correa came to the mound and basically told him what he saw, and what Fulmer should throw. Fulmer listened, agreed, and got the Twins out of a jam and got the team the win.

Despite obvious talent and experience, he is a natural leader. He leads by talent as well as example. How much better does it get than that?

While some fans don't understand this, teams and agents have a great respect for the Twins organization, despite pockets not being nearly as deep as the major market teams. The FO doesn't mess around in arbitration. They were one of the first, if not the first, team to retain ALL FO personnel during covid and paid all milb players. Agents and players see thus, even if the Twins aren't always a "destination" team due to market and payroll. (Please don't go on some rant). 

Correa's investment in his first season, and seasons to follow, brings a certain "legitimacy" to the organization above and beyond their already good reputation. It can be argued, and fairly so, that the Twins got lucky both the 1st and 2nd time in signing Correa. But they never undersold him. He accepted the 1st deal, but anyone else was free to do the same. After his offseason fiasco this year, anyone else could have, again, offered the same. 

Luck be damned, the Twins were open and honest up front with every offer. And he himself reported the Twins were one of the top teams on his list to play for. So not only is he legit, but his presence offers production, experience, leadership, and yes, even a greater level of legitimacy to the organization.

I became a fan almost immediately, and remain one. Correa is a franchise building block for the next several years in many facets.

[tony&rodney]

The younger players see that Correa has the ring, the contract, non-stop work habits, and positive energy to help anyone feel more confident and he is pretty young too. This makes him a natural leader on multiple fronts.

[IndianaTwin]

24 minutes ago, DocBauer said:

…While some fans don't understand this, teams and agents have a great respect for the Twins organization, despite pockets not being nearly as deep as the major market teams. The FO doesn't mess around in arbitration. They were one of the first, if not the first, team to retain ALL FO personnel during covid and paid all milb players. Agents and players see thus, even if the Twins aren't always a "destination" team due to market and payroll. (Please don't go on some rant)…

Doc, you’ve made some comments here that also fit the perception I have of the organization — that they are straight shooters that treat people with respect and decency.

I’m curious if you’re making these based on your own observations or if you’ve read articles/quotes from insiders to back these up. 

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

I love leadership stories -- bring on part two! I always thought Brian Dozier and Eddie Rosario were leaders in their own way and able to coexist based on their wildly different playing styles and personalities.

Not the biggest Correa fan, and I have always wanted to see Royce Lewis assume the role of leader for the next several years. I don't. think that can happen anymore now that Correa is here. I will save the rest of my teeth gnashing about this for the next installment. 🙂

Anyway, thank you! @Greggory Masterson

[DocBauer]

8 minutes ago, IndianaTwin said:

Doc, you’ve made some comments here that also fit the perception I have of the organization — that they are straight shooters that treat people with respect and decency.

I’m curious if you’re making these based on your own observations or if you’ve read articles/quotes from insiders to back these up. 

Sorry Indiana, but over multiple years of radio broadcasts heard and posts read in various articles beyond TD, I just don't have the ability to post links. I wish I did. The Correa comments might not be as hard to produce, but not sure I have the energy to look up all the Correa and Boras comments made.

https://www.mlb.com/news/carlos-correa-discusses-return-to-twins-free-agency

That might be one.

Arraez was going to arbitration with the Twins before his trade.

Before that. Berrios stated he wanted to go to arbitration for himself and future players. It was a sort of "trying it" and see, IIRC. 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/02/twins-win-arbitration-hearing-jose-berrios.html

That should be a Berrios link. But I'm really bad at times with finding stuff and copying it. Lol

And even if I did right, not sure how I'd find articles I've read or listened to about respect for the FO.

[terrydactyls]

12 hours ago, DocBauer said:

I was impressed with a game in which Farmer was on the mound in a tough spot, and Correa came to the mound and basically told him what he saw, and what Farmer should throw. Farmer listened, agreed, and got the Twins out of a jam and got the team the win.

He helped "Farmer" get out of a jam?  I don't remember that game.  Perhaps you meant Fuller? 😁

[IndianaTwin]

11 hours ago, DocBauer said:

Sorry Indiana, but over multiple years of radio broadcasts heard and posts read in various articles beyond TD, I just don't have the ability to post links. I wish I did. The Correa comments might not be as hard to produce, but not sure I have the energy to look up all the Correa and Boras comments made.

https://www.mlb.com/news/carlos-correa-discusses-return-to-twins-free-agency

That might be one.

Arraez was going to arbitration with the Twins before his trade.

Before that. Berrios stated he wanted to go to arbitration for himself and future players. It was a sort of "trying it" and see, IIRC. 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/02/twins-win-arbitration-hearing-jose-berrios.html

That should be a Berrios link. But I'm really bad at times with finding stuff and copying it. Lol

And even if I did right, not sure how I'd find articles I've read or listened to about respect for the FO.

Thanks. I especially liked the first link. And as I said, your comments resonate with the perceptions I've had about how the FO treats people. After Correa signed, lots of people made comments about how the Twins "lucked into" the deal or that it "fell in their lap." I don't think that's the case at all. The sense I have is that the Twins were pretty upfront in saying "This is all we think we can do. We recognize that we may not be able to match all other offers, but we'd still love to have you." And then, as things started to break down elsewhere, they continued to express their interest to him. 

I'm not sure where that fits into the "leadership" conversation above, since those comments are more about Falvey than they are about Correa, but I think it's an example of leadership within the FO that often doesn't get acknowledged on TD.  

[IndianaTwin]

3 minutes ago, terrydactyls said:

He helped "Farmer" get out of a jam?  I don't remember that game.  Perhaps you meant Fuller? 😁

Or maybe even "Fulmer"! 😁

[terrydactyls]

2 minutes ago, IndianaTwin said:

Or maybe even "Fulmer"! 😁

Damn autocorrect.  Thank you for pointing that out.  I violated my primary complaint about postings at Twins Daily:  Don't be in a rush to post your thoughts; review your comment before submitting.

[Woof Bronzer]

20 hours ago, davidborton said:

Mr Donaldson.

To be fair, while he was here the vast majority of fans praised him for his "fire" and "passion."  It wasn't until he was gone until this negative narrative emerged.  

[Woof Bronzer]

I don't know, Correa was knee deep in the cheating scandal.  Cheaters aren't leaders.  Just my 2 cents.  

[Woof Bronzer]

13 hours ago, DocBauer said:

 

While some fans don't understand this, teams and agents have a great respect for the Twins organization.

Have you spoken to a lot of teams and agents about this?  Almost no team or agent is going to publicly rip another organization, so I am wondering how anyone would know this with any certainty.  This just sounds like something Minnesotans love to hear because it makes us feel better about the losing - but I'm guessing most fans would trade niceness for a World Series in a mankato minute :)

[davidborton]

28 minutes ago, Woof Bronzer said:

To be fair, while he was here the vast majority of fans praised him for his "fire" and "passion."  It wasn't until he was gone until this negative narrative emerged.  

Those fans weren't in the clubhouse nor was I. From the moment I saw his first interview, I said, "OMG, what a clown. Why him for $+20MM?"

[Woof Bronzer]

57 minutes ago, davidborton said:

Those fans weren't in the clubhouse nor was I. From the moment I saw his first interview, I said, "OMG, what a clown. Why him for $+20MM?"

Oh I was with you, hotheads gonna hothead and look how it turned out.  We were definitely in the minority though.  

[Jocko87]

1 hour ago, Woof Bronzer said:

I don't know, Correa was knee deep in the cheating scandal.  Cheaters aren't leaders.  Just my 2 cents.  

Its not about making the mistake, its about how you react to making the mistake. 

[Woof Bronzer]

6 minutes ago, Jocko87 said:

Its not about making the mistake, its about how you react to making the mistake. 

Respectfully, leaders are paid to lead by example and not make the mistakes.  And it's not like we are talking about a one time thing.  He cheated over and over again.  His reaction to the mistake was to keep making more mistakes until he got caught.  This is the opposite of leadership in my opinion.  

[DocBauer]

2 hours ago, terrydactyls said:

He helped "Farmer" get out of a jam?  I don't remember that game.  Perhaps you meant Fuller? 😁

Stupid auto correct. Can't believe I didn't notice that. Lol

 Thank you. Corrected now.

[Jocko87]

2 hours ago, IndianaTwin said:

Thanks. I especially liked the first link. And as I said, your comments resonate with the perceptions I've had about how the FO treats people. After Correa signed, lots of people made comments about how the Twins "lucked into" the deal or that it "fell in their lap." I don't think that's the case at all. The sense I have is that the Twins were pretty upfront in saying "This is all we think we can do. We recognize that we may not be able to match all other offers, but we'd still love to have you." And then, as things started to break down elsewhere, they continued to express their interest to him. 

I'm not sure where that fits into the "leadership" conversation above, since those comments are more about Falvey than they are about Correa, but I think it's an example of leadership within the FO that often doesn't get acknowledged on TD.  

Front office deserves a ton of credit for the entire situation.  They nailed the market value of the player from the start.  It took a path but they were on the number from the beginning. 

They also probably figured out much earlier than even Boras what the Mets were up to and positioned themselves perfectly to take advantage.  While the rest of us were tuned out of the holidays they were working hard on this. 

The main reason they were in this position is how they treated Correa and others while he was watching. 

[Greggory Masterson]

2 hours ago, Woof Bronzer said:

I don't know, Correa was knee deep in the cheating scandal.  Cheaters aren't leaders.  Just my 2 cents.  

I totally get where you're coming from, though I'll push back a bit. There's more than one way to be a leader (part 2 goes into this, so look out for it in a few days). If you're right, and Correa can't be looked to as a moral leader, he can still lead in other ways, such as lighting a fire under someone or the team as a whole or working with someone on their mechanics.

[Jocko87]

8 minutes ago, Woof Bronzer said:

Respectfully, leaders are paid to lead by example and not make the mistakes.  And it's not like we are talking about a one time thing.  He cheated over and over again.  His reaction to the mistake was to keep making more mistakes until he got caught.  This is the opposite of leadership in my opinion.  

Not making mistakes is not a thing. 

Over and over again is also doing that same thing until they got caught.  Was there something I'm not aware of after the trash cans?

Take a look at the 2017 Astros roster and tell me you would expect a 22 yo Correa to tell 40 yo Carlos Beltran, 33 yo Brian McCann or even a 27 yo Jose Altuve we are stopping this.  He may have, or he may have been fully on board, we will never know.  Regardless, as this is a leadership thread, as a leader you have to hold the more senior personnel to a higher standard due to the implied leadership that comes with seniority.  That 22 year old kid, amazing #1 overall pick or not, is going to follow a hero in Beltran every time.  Thats why AJ Hinch, Alex Cora and Beltran got the toughest punishment.

It's messy, and we will never know who started it.  Some reports say it went all the way to the front office, some say Beltran was the ringleader.  Correa has stated Beltran was not the ringleader and Altuve was clean but as senior guys if they didn't stop it they are basically in on it, tacitly approving.  The Ace Rothstein theory of incompetence applies here.  Even Verlander wishes he would have said more.

On Correas part, this is what he said in 2020 after the investigation finished.  "We were wrong for everything we did in 2017. It's not what we stand for. It's not what we want to portray as an organization, and we were definitely wrong about all that and we feel really sorry. We affected careers, we affected the game in some way, and looking back at it, it was just bad."

That's a proper apology.  No waffling, no half accountability, no I'm sorry if you fell bad about the bad thing I did. 

Then, in a really advanced leadership move, he defended his teammates from the accusations growing out of control.  Take responsibility for your mistakes but do not let your people be defamed with things they did not do.  Watch the Ken Rosenthal interview.  He is taking bullets for his teammates when he didn't have to.  If you are ever in a situation where someone does that for you, you don't forget it.  That's what leaders do. 

I'm highly confident we won't have a similar situation here.