Pitchers: Take good care of your fielders

A pitcher’s ERA and win-loss record depends largely on what the players behind them do during the course of the game.  If players make more plays, a pitcher’s ERA tends to go down.  If a pitcher’s ERA goes down they tend to have a better win-loss record.  The point is that fielders are a pitcher’s […]

Pitching with a runner on third base

Here’s a tip for pitchers who find themselves with a runner on third base.  Be sure to look at the runner prior to starting your delivery to home plate. Be sure to look at this guy at third BEFORE youstart your delivery to home plate.(Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images) Especially from the wind-up.  Here’s why.  […]

Track the ball to the catcher

In a previous post called Off-season Hitting: An overlooked Drill I talked about the advantages of standing in when pitchers are throwing indoors or in the bullpen.  One tip I recommended while doing it was to follow the ball all the way back to the catcher’s mitt.  This allows the hitter the ability to see any late […]

Separating yourself vs Standing out

We all have words we live by.  I’ve turned a few into posts. “Show up, Suit up, Shut up, and Play hard“ is one of them.  Another one for me is …  It is better to separate yourself from the crowd then to stand out from one. A clown stands out in a crowd.  Your eyes […]

A tip for secondary leads

This Tigers runner shuffles off onthe pitch and is in position toland properly at the right time.(AP Photo) A secondary lead is the extra lead base runners take when the ball is traveling to home plate.  Others call it “shuffling off on the pitch” but it’s all the same thing.  This post is specifically going […]

The mentality of a thief

When a normal person walks into your home for the first time, they will walk around and compliment you on your decorations, your new flat screen TV, your stereo system, and your brand new iMac computer.  When a person who is really a thief walks into a house, they will say the same thing but […]

The Stubborn Hitter – a short story

Once upon a time on a field far, far away there was a hitter who was very stubborn.  The boy hit mile-high pop-ups.  One after another. They soared high up into the clouds … and always landed for outs. The coaches all tried to intervene.  The boy wanted nothing of it. They searched far and […]

Perfect hitting speed

At any level of baseball, there is going to be a pitching speed that most of the hitters at that level are comfortable hitting.  It’s that speed that is not too fast and not too slow – the Perfect Hitting Speed (PHS).  Your game-plan as a pitcher depends largely on knowing where you are on the […]

The silent catcher

For every position or role on the field there are a given set of expectations for a player, should he want to be successful.  The nature of the lead-off spot in the order demands that a player be good at getting on base.  A third or fourth hitter should have a greater ability to drive […]

The game is your toughest opponent

Any player that has been with me for at least one season has heard me say many times the following: “The game of baseball is a much tougher opponent then any team you will ever face.” What does this mean?   It means that sometimes a team or an individual player will place too much […]

Focus on your weaknesses?

Here’s a question.If your child came home with a report card with the following grades …Math = AComputer Science = BSocial Studies = BEnglish = C Physics = FWhich grade would you focus the most attention on?  The F is usually the popular answer. The same thing goes in baseball.  A player asks the coach […]

Tips for diving after ground balls

Being a defensive minded baseball person by nature, I love watching highlights of great defensive plays by infielders.  For me, a player diving for a ball and getting up to throw a strike to first base is better than watching a batter hit a game winning home run.  Although some of these Major League infielders […]

How to hit (take!) a curve ball

I get a lot of questions related to hitting asking for tips on how to hit a curve ball.  As players get older, pitchers certainly are going to throw more than just a fastball so all hitters have to be prepared – physically and mentally – to handle curve balls and other breaking pitches. That […]

Hitting: "Looking" vs "Guessing"

After a big home run, you have probably heard a Major League hitter interviewed and say “I was looking for a fastball and got one.”  You may have also heard an announcer say after a bad swing/miss or a called third strike, “it appeared the batter was guessing on that pitch.”    Good hitters occasionally will “look” […]

Tips for an underhand toss

There are a number of plays in baseball that require an underhand toss: Ranger pitcher CJ Wilson A first baseman tossing the ball to the pitcher covering first. A pitcher fielding a hard hit bunt on the first base side and tossing it to the first baseman. A pitcher tossing the ball to the catcher […]

The importance of repeating yourself

White Sox pitcher Chris Sale(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) The other day I am watching the MLB Network (surprise!) and they are doing an analysis of the Chicago White Sox during their 30 Teams in 30 Days Tour.  They spent a bit of time on a young pitcher named Chris Sale who was drafted in […]

Tips for runners in a "pickle"

Even the best base runners get picked off and/or get caught in a rundown every once in a while.  Although at the higher levels practically all these runners will be out, there are a couple things a runner can do to increase the likelihood that they will be safe.  Here are two tips that might […]

Footwork for outfielders

Avoid drifting whenpossible. When it comes to baseball instruction, I’ve always been a fan of taking a “ground up” approach.  That means everything I teach starts with the feet.  I believe most problems with hitting and fielding originate with footwork mistakes.  So when I discuss playing outfield, proper footwork is my first priority.  The following […]

Indoor Hitting Drills

Yesterday’s post dealt with some indoor practice tips.  Below are some drills specific for those hitting stations that allow you to maximize the time and space available.  Of course, these tips and drills are also great for individual players who are looking for ways to improve their hitting when they are stuck indoors at home.Hitting drills for […]

Indoor practice tips

With flood warnings in effect for my area over the next few days, it appears we will have to endure the wonderful “indoor workout” nightmare.  If you live in one of the warmer, drier states, I hope you appreciate it.  In Pennsylvania and certainly areas more north, we usually start the season in, shall we […]

Catching tip for middle infielders

The concept “As you get older the game gets faster” has been written numerous times on this blog in many different forms.  Careers are ended when a player’s abilities cannot keep pace with the speed of the game at a particular level.  For some, it’s Little League.  For others, it’s high school, college, or a […]

A tip to improve footwork

Notice anything the players in these photos have in common? Albert Pujols Miguel Tejada Chase Utley Chipper Jones Jose Reyes None of the players are wearing spikes.  All are wearing sneakers or turf shoes.  Why would that matter?  On the surface, it wouldn’t matter much at all.  Players in spring training take lots of ground […]

Baseball Curriculum

Our schools have a K-12 curriculum for every subject.  Math, science, social studies, etc.  If you want to see how your student is tracking, just look at the curriculum and see if they are keeping pace with the skills needed at the next level.   Does your district / organization have a baseball curriculum?  Do […]

The best drill for infield tryouts

Tryouts begin for public schools in Pennsylvania tomorrow.  Coaches all over the state will be running their players through multiple drills to gauge ability and potential.  Outfielders will catch fly balls and make some long throws, pitchers will throw off a mound, catchers will receive and throw, and hitters will hit.  However, for infielders it’s […]

Grind it out

Below is a link to an article that I think has a good message.  It’s written by a former major leaguer (Todd Jones) for The Sporting News.  He was still pitching when he wrote it.  It’s a bit old but it has a good message for players of any age.  This time of year there […]

Hitting: Five stages of focus

In a couple posts this week titled “Don’t think, you’ll hurt the ballclub!” (Part 1 and Part 2) I wrote about the fact that many players think about the wrong things at the wrong time for the wrong amount of time.  I then offered some tips or strategies to allow players to improve in these […]

Don’t let their best hitter beat you!

Walk him! … or at least don’t give him much to hit.(Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images) Growing up, I heard many great “baseball sayings” from my father and grandfather.  Some sayings or cliches are meant to be funny but most are also instructive.  On a mile high pop-up to the catcher, my dad would say […]

"Don’t think, you’ll hurt the ballclub!" (Part 2)

Yesterday’s post talked about a player’s need to compartmentalize their thoughts in order to focus on the right things, at the right time, for the right amount of time.  We all know some people who just seem to never let things get to them.  They’re level headed and can transition between multiple tasks seamlessly.  Other […]

"Don’t think, you’ll hurt the ballclub!"

Ever hear the phrase “don’t think, you’ll hurt the ballclub!“?  Although I understood the point of the phrase, it never truly made much sense to me.  Have any of you ever tried to stop thinking?  Let’s try.  DO NOT think of a purple elephant.  I bet the image of a purple elephant entered your mind.My […]