Snyder working with Indians' up-and-comers

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. -- Cory Snyder could be forgiven for struggling to find time to live out his goal of working with young ballplayers.

Having six kids, after all, tends to make for a busy schedule.

But if Snyder can handle raising half a dozen children with his wife, Tina, he can certainly handle working with the Indians' Minor Leaguers.

So when the opportunity to do so presented itself this spring, Snyder, the Tribe's right fielder of the late 1980s, bit.

"I've been wanting to do this for a long time," he said. "With six kids and where they're at, it's kind of hard to get away. But I enjoy coaching."

Snyder does some coaching back in his home state of Utah, helping out with camps and clinics at the Utah Baseball Academy.

But in this 10-day period of assisting the Tribe's coaches at Minor League camp, Snyder, who last played for the Indians in 1990, found a benefit the academy does not provide.

"The best thing about it," he said, "is you don't have to deal with the parents."

That doesn't mean Snyder has escaped all manner of feisty individuals during his stay in Winter Haven. He reportedly helped break up a fight at the local Outback Steakhouse earlier this week, forcing one of the combatants out of the restaurant before sitting back down and continuing his meal.

While unruly diners often can be difficult to deal with, the 43-year-old Snyder found the Indians' young prospects to be attentive listeners. He's worked with them mainly in the batting cages and also helped outfield and baserunning coordinator Brad Komminsk with his instruction.

"You just have to get the kids to ask you questions," Snyder said. "Most kids either think they already know it or they're afraid to ask it. Most times it's the latter. Teaching them all the things I learned over the years with my instructors is fun."

But Snyder is getting just as much valuable learning experience as the players. He's expecting to manage the St. George, Utah, team in the independent Golden Baseball League in 2007, and he's hoping that experience might someday spur him to more professional coaching.

"If the kids want to listen and want to learn," he said, "I'll help them the best I can."