Step and Throw

“Step and Throw!”  If you were/are a pitcher, how many times have you heard that phrase on a ball hit back to you?  How many times have you said it as a coach?  A wonderful friend to any pitcher is an easily fielded ball hit back to them.  This is especially “friendly” when the pitcher […]

Point

Point to all fly balls.  You never knowwhen a teammate will need that help. A simple tip for everyone in the infield that can go a long way is to point to all fly balls off the bat.  If you pay attention to MLB games, you’ll see this quite a bit.  A ball is hit […]

Pitchers: Pre-game routine (Part 2)

In the previous Pre-game routine (Part 1), I provided a pre-game schedule for starting pitchers.  The timing involved allows pitchers to properly prepare to avoid having a sluggish start to the first inning.  Today, I provide a suggested pitch-by-pitch routine when pitchers are actually on the bullpen mound practicing their pitches.  This too can be […]

Pitchers: Pre-game routine (Part 1)

Two MLB starters.  Both have a personalized routine that gets them fully prepared to be 100% at the first pitch of the game.(Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) Going into his fifth start of this 2011 season, Cincinnatti Reds pitcher Edinson Volquez had a 1st inning ERA of 29.25.  Prior to his latest start, the announcers talked quite […]

"Puppet" or the "Puppeteer?"

One of my posts was included in a recent newsletter by the Clell Wade Coaches Directory.  Along with my article was an piece written by a former teammate of mine in the minor leagues who is now coaching at Mississippi State University.  In his article which you can access HERE, Coach Cohen mentioned that he […]

Collisions at home plate

The following clip shows you all you need to know about the potential danger of collisions at home plate.  I’m sure many a catcher has woken up in a cold sweat after dreaming of Bo Jackson or Prince Fielder bearing down at them at home plate.  This type of play has the potential for serious […]

Games are for the players

The past couple years I have noticed something new in college baseball.  It involves players wearing wristbands that apparently have all the offensive and defensive plays written on them along with some kind of a numeric code system.  A coach calls out a sequence of numbers and the player(s) look at their wristbands to figure […]

Game face

(Photo by Tameisha1) I was watching a game on TV recently between the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants.  It was the top of the ninth inning with the home team Giants winning by a couple runs.  Yadier Molina was up with two outs and an 0-2 count and nobody on base.  The […]

Danger of treating every player equally

You’ve probably heard this before.  “My coach hates me” or “My coach plays favorites.”  Common statements like those directed at coaches come from young players and their parents all the time.  It’s a tricky situation for a coach because I believe a good coach does not and cannot treat all his players equally.  Every player […]

First base & Third base cutoffs

One of the important jobs for both third basemen and first basemen is to be the cutoff guy on throws to home plate from the outfield.  Below are some things both should consider and/or do to make the play more successful.Line yourself up.  I mentioned this part in the First Base Mistakes post a while […]

Batting order roles

Below is a chart that indicates the ideal roles, expectations, and priorities for each batter in the line-up.  Of course, a manager is going to be limited to the talent he has on the team and most likely will not have a hitter in each spot who is capable of achieving all that is expected. […]

Tips for gripping a bat

Ichiro Suzuki.  Knuckles aligned. How a batter holds the bat is one thing that a lot of players overlook when addressing problems with hitting.  I think that it is assumed that hitters just know how to do it.  Sometimes a minor adjustment in the grip can go a long way to improve contact and overall […]

Change your sights for a better breaking pitch

When pitchers throw a fast ball or a change-up, they usually focus their eyes on where they want the ball to end up.  They get the sign, stare at the catcher’s mitt, and throw it to the glove.  Pretty straight forward.  But what about a curve ball or a slider?  Actually, throwing a breaking pitch […]

Quiz – Attentional Focus

I mentioned before in a previous post about a tremendous book I recommend for coaches.  It’s called The Psychology of Coaching Team Sports by Larry Leith.  It is very readable and includes a number of activities for coaches and their players to gauge their mental strengths and weaknesses in a variety of ways. One of […]

Kevin Manero – The case for American Legion baseball

Today is Baseball By The Yard’s first guest post.  It comes from my right-hand man, Coach Kevin Manero, who along with being an assistant of mine at the high school level, is also an American Legion coach.  He is a former high school and Division I pitcher at LaSalle University and is a tremendous baseball guy.  […]

Two strike adjustments (Part 2)

Yesterday’s post dealt with the physical adjustments a batter should make when he is in a two strike situation.  Today, I list the mental adjustments all hitters should consider making. Mental adjustments: Expand your strike zone.  This adjustment goes back to the saying “never allow the umpire to take the bat out of your hands.”  A hitter […]

Two strike adjustments (Part 1)

In my post called Cardinal Sins of Baseball: Offense, I mentioned a number of times something that drives me nuts.  Called third strikes.  I was raised to believe that under no circumstances should a hitter take a called third strike.  Period.  End of story.  No exceptions.   Of course, hitting is not easy and sometimes the umpire will just […]

Good v Great

Although there are a lot of Yankee haters out there, most baseball fans would concede that Derek Jeter has been a great player.  His longevity and career stats prove it.  But what makes him great?  Does he have a great arm?  No.  He has a good arm.  Does he have great speed?  No. He has good speed.  Does he have great […]

Point of contact: Procedure v Technique

If you are an avid baseball fan you can probably tell who the players are in the photos below if you look carefully.  Check and see. Photo #1 Photo #2 Photo #3 Even if you had no idea who was in the photos, would you be able to tell which one was the world’s best […]

Pitchers and the set position

When pitchers throw from the stretch, you’ll see a number of variations as to where they come set with their hands after getting the sign from the catcher.  Some bring their hands together and come set (come to a stop) around chin level.  Some come set at the chest.  Some even stop down near the […]

Where pride still matters

There are times in every coach’s career that he asks, “why am I doing this?”  Sometimes the game of baseball can drive you crazy.  Sometimes it will break your heart.  During these occasions, it’s good to take a step back and see the big picture.  The link below is probably the best article I have ever […]

Hitting: Power and Grace

Twins catcher, Joe Mauer Think of some swings that are/were just beautiful to watch.  For me, I think of Ken Griffey Jr., Adrian Gonzalez, Ted Williams, Albert Pujols, and Joe Mauer.   I also think of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson in golf.  What makes them beautiful is that all their swings have the combination of power and grace.  […]

Exhale

Here is a quick tip for any player who recognizes that their nerves are getting the better of them in pressure situations.  Correctly time your exhale.  The human body reacts differently when we inhale versus when we exhale.  When someone is startled or frightened they usually gasp which means they inhale quickly and tense up.  […]

Compounding errors

“Winning is contagious.”  Hitting is as well.  Unfortunately, so is making errors. Errors are always going to be part of the game.  Even the best defenders are going to drop a ball or make a bad throw every once in a while.  What good teams and individual players need to prevent is what I call […]

Middle infielders: Backing up return throws

Middle infielders need to pay attention to this throw … and return properly. (Photo by FourSeamImages) By the time kids get to the high school varsity level, most middle infielders  know that when there are runners on base, especially one at third, they should be taking a step or two up the middle after each pitch in order to […]

Pitching later into games

The “complete game” seems to have had the same fate as the black and white TV and phones with cords.  In 2010, Roy Halliday led the Major Leagues with 9 complete games on the way to the National League Cy Young Award. Entering his 14th season in the Major Leagues, Halliday tied his career best […]

Freeze on a line drive

Most players grow up hearing the phrase “freeze on a line drive” when they are on base with less than two outs.  In general, that is good advice.  Do not get doubled off on a line drive.  However, as players move up in levels to high school and beyond, there are a few more things […]

Shortstop: The 1-6-3 double play

An easy ground ball back to the pitcher with a runner on first base is called “a pitcher’s best friend.”  It should be an easy double play for the defense.  There are a number of little things the pitcher, the shortstop, and the first baseman must do in order to execute this play efficiently and […]

Managing your emotion

Below is what sports psychologists call an Inverted-U Graph.  The inverted-U’s show the relationship between performance and emotional arousal.  Emotional arousal is a combination of things like blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing rate.  Here is what the chart is showing.  Whether you are golfing or weight lifting, if your emotional arousal level is too […]

Interview with Coach Barksdale – Univ. of Louisville

I recently had the opportunity to talk with Coach Xan Barksdale of the University of Louisville.  Coach Barksdale is one of college baseball’s best catching instructors.  He was a Division I catcher himself at the University of Mississippi and went on to catch in the Atlanta Braves organization.  He has a terrific website and a […]