The game shows no mercy

At the time of this post, the Seattle Mariners are mired in a 17 game losing streak.  Play the game long enough and your team will go through some kind of losing spell.  Hopefully not 17 games though.  It’s not fun to been caught in a rut like that and it can turn ugly very […]

Catchers: Tips before giving the pitch sign

At some point during a televised major league game, the camera usually will focus up close on the catcher while he gives the pitch sign and location to the guy on the mound.  If you look carefully, here are two things you’ll probably see the catcher do before giving the sign:   Besides looking in […]

I belong at this level

Close your eyes and think back to the month of July when you were 19 years old.  What were you doing?  For many people, much of what they remember might not be fit for print.  For baseball players it probably meant plugging away in the heat and humidity on a less than ideal field in […]

Pay vs Job Security

In every career there are varying degrees of pay and job security.  Professional baseball is no different.  Some players are extremely high paid and others make closer to the league minimum.  Some players have their “cup of coffee” in the major leagues and others seem to stick around forever.  There could be entire books written […]

Which eye is dominant?

Which of your eyes is dominant? When you watch MLB games on TV, you probably will notice that it’s not uncommon for many of the hitters to have somewhat of an open stance in the batter’s box.  Of course, some are more pronounced than others.  Young hitters are rarely taught to have an open stance […]

Learning to pitch by casting a fishing rod

As a teacher, you learn pretty quickly the power of analogies when it comes to explaining difficult concepts to kids in the classroom.  Explaining the same thing over and over again the same way just makes students who struggle more frustrated.  Relating the concept to something they may already know and/or have an interest in […]

Coaching vs Managing

In one of my first days in professional baseball, I got an eye opener about the difference between a coach and a manager.  A teammate of mine started a conversation with our manager by saying “Hey Coach, …”.  What came next was quite unexpected.  With a very serious look, the manager shot back sternly by […]

Talking hitting

I think it’s safe to say that Adrian Gonzalez has worked out well for the Boston Red Sox.  He may have been able to fly under the radar in San Diego but he certainly is not going to sneak up on any American League team now.Before the MLB All Star break, Peter Gammons was interviewed […]

Pitching: Keeping the foot under the knee

Cliff Lee:  Leg up, foot under the knee. Good balance and good command. To be successful as a pitcher, actually anything in baseball, good balance becomes a top priority.  If your balance is poor, power and quickness will usually suffer.  This is certainly true for pitchers who have the not so easy job of trying to […]

Catchers and throws to third base

In the summer of 1998, I had the pleasure of coaching under former 8 year major league catcher Ed Ott.  “Otter” played for the Pittsburgh Pirates where he helped win a World Series in 1979 and finished his playing career with the California Angels.  Before one game, I was talking to our catcher about some […]

Don’t leave scouts guessing about your arm strength

When I was in college, I was fortunate to play in front of a lot of professional scouts.  In my senior year we had four future major leaguers on our team roster so it was common to have many scouts there.  With my father’s baseball background, he knew a few of those scouts.  After one […]

Another option for defending the double-steal

In a major league game with runners on first and second, you’ll probably notice that the catcher usually will step out in front of the plate and give the infield players some hand signals of some kind.  What he is doing is letting the infielders know what base he will be throwing to if the […]

Don’t ignore your star players.

On every team there are going to be varying levels of ability.  Much of the time spent interacting with players involves trying to get the players who are struggling to improve.  A combination of encouragement and constructive criticism is usually what is recommended in order to do this.  Our time as coaches is limited so […]

Can a pitcher throw too many strikes?

When you listen to major league announcers, especially the former major leaguers, you’ll hear them say some great stuff.  I always recommend that my players really pay attention to the announcers when they watch games because they can learn a lot about the game just by listening.  The problem that arises, though, is that announcers […]

Double-Relays

As players get older, the fields they play on get bigger as well.  When a ball is hit into a gap and runners are rounding the bases, how the defense returns the ball to the infield becomes extremely important.  Which infielders go out as relay men, how they line themselves up, where they line themselves […]

Outfielders: Know the steps to the fence

A big part of playing the outfield positions is knowing how to handle a ball that is hit to the wall.  Unfortunately, when you watch outfielders on TV, you are rarely going to get a clinic on how to do this properly.  At the major league level, the corner outfield positions (left field and right field) […]

Bat label up and bat label down

This time of year, it’s not unusual to hear a player say that his bat is feeling a bit heavier.  The drain of the long season is kicking in.  The heat and humidity take its toll as well.  Many hitters, even at the major league level, will experience this and may choose to change to […]

I got it, you take it!

Mention “PFP” to an experienced pitcher and you’ll probably get a major groan or eye roll.  PFP stands for “Pitchers Fielding Practice.”   I haven’t played with many pitchers who liked the idea of practicing covering first base for the 200,000th time or getting come backers hit at them by some sadistic coach who enjoys […]

When two runners are at a base

Occasionally, you’ll run into the situation where two runners are standing on the same base.  It can become a little comical because many times nobody knows what to do or what the call should be.  Here’s the scoop.The rule.A) The rule states that two runners cannot occupy the same base and if they do and […]

Hitting behind a runner at first base (Part 2)

In Part 1, I explained the “why?” when it comes to hitting behind a runner at first base with no outs.  Now we’ll focus on the “how.”Left-Handed Batters.Obviously, for a left handed batter, this strategy is much simpler because all the batter must try to do is pull a ball through the right side.  Although […]

Hitting behind a runner at first base (Part 1)

A runner is on first base with no outs.  The next batter swings at the first strike and smokes a pitch into left field for a base hit.  The crowd and his teammates cheer, the batter is happy that his average went up a couple points, and some old timers in the stands shake their […]

Practice vs "Deliberate" Practice

Batter #1: 100 swings off a tee (1 hour total)60 swings on a ball set up down the middle, waist high20 swings with the ball set up thigh-high inside20 swings with the ball set up thigh-high outside. Josh Hamilton and a batting tee. Batter #2: 60 swings off a tee (40 minutes total)5 free swings […]

The new and improved (?!) Justin Verlander

There are a few pitchers that I would love to face as a hitter.  Justin Verlander is one of them.  When I say “love to face” I don’t mean “I’d love to face them because they are not very good.”  Watching Verlander on TV is something special in and of itself but standing in the […]

Infield footwork

If you look at the “Popular Posts” section on the right side of the page, you’ll notice that one of the most widely read posts is called Shortstop Mistakes / Footwork (Part 2).  That post deals primarily with the footwork of a shortstop after they catch a ground ball.  Part 1 dealt with the steps […]

Inside for effect and inside for a strike

Here is a pitching sequence that is rarely used but can be very effective. Inside for effect … When the count is in the pitcher’s favor (0-2, 1-2), many pitchers are aware of the “Inside for Effect” fast ball.  It’s a fast ball designed to move the batter off the plate a bit.  It’s not […]

How can you get mad at young players?

“Don’t worry about it kid.  Your majorleague idol hasn’t hit the cut-off manall season and I’m pretty sure he makes more money than you do.” My wife and I recently went to a Phillies game at Citizens Bank Park.  If any of you are not from the Philadelphia area, I highly suggest you take a […]

Long-Tee Drill

Like most coaches, I’m a big fan of the batting tee.  I think it is by far the best invention known to baseball. Unfortunately, it’s probably the most underused invention as well, particularly for younger players who sometimes feel that if it’s not live pitching, it’s not worth doing.  What a shame. Access to a […]