There’s more to legging out a triple than you might think

First, let me say that finding the appropriate video clips for this post took forever!  That being said, let’s take a closer look at each one because both are very instructive with regards to the responsibilities of the base runner when going for a triple.This first clip shows a runner legging out a triple in […]

Why do the best MLB teams lose so much?

A couple weeks ago I was on an online radio show and had a chance to talk about Baseball By The Yard along with many other things in and around baseball.  The show ended with the host bringing up an interesting statistic.  He said that major league baseball is unique in that the best teams […]

Dallas Green and scouting "Head and Heart"

Old school baseball people in the Philadelphia area certainly know the name Dallas Green.  The manager of the 1980 World Champion Phillies was a no nonsense, hard nose kind of manager that demanded a lot from his players.  I guarantee the phrase “players’ manager” was never used in connection with his name.  He also managed […]

Pitching is not rocket science

About a month ago, I listened to Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels give a post-game interview after a complete game shutout.  He was asked what the reasons behind his great outing were.  I immediately wrote down his response.  It was almost exactly as follows: “Tonight I was able to get many batters out early in the count […]

Flipping the switch

Nine days ago the Philadelphia Phillies clinched the National League East pennant for the fifth straight year.  In those nine days, they had eight straight loses before finally winning one.  Prior to that eight game losing streak, the Phils had not lost more than four in a row all season.  Baseball is a crazy game. […]

Fielding a bunt is all in the footwork (Part 2)

If you are practicing bunt plays at a slower speed than the fastest  runners, you are practicing to fail. Part 1 of fielding bunts involved the importance of getting a player’s body/feet into the proper position before the bunt is fielded.  Part 2 involves a tip when practicing all this. It’s very important to practice the […]

Fielding a bunt is all in the footwork (Part 1)

This young man properly sets his feet and body with hisfront side facing the target before he fields the bunt. Anytime I have written a post regarding defense, I have emphasized the importance of getting the body/feet in the proper spot prior to actually touching the ball.  When people see dropped balls or throwing errors […]

Earned vs Unearned runs

On every pitching stat sheet you’ll find a column for RUNS and EARNED RUNS.  Usually they are two different numbers.  Sometimes very different numbers.  When people look at these stats, most just ignore both categories and put all their emphasis on a pitcher’s ERA (Earned run average).  That’s what you see every time stats are […]

Focus inward – Focus outward

I have done many posts on the mental side of playing baseball.  If you are a fan of sports psychology, you probably know that much of what is done in the field is based on trying to get players to avoid distractions in order to focus on only those things that are important to the […]

Stepping down as head coach

About 10 days ago I officially announced that I was stepping down as head coach of my high school team.  This is something I have been mulling over for a couple years now and just finally came to the conclusion that it was time.  Being a head coach at any level takes up an enormous […]

Tampa Bay Rays: Talented and having fun!

At the time of this post, the Tampa Bay Rays have won 7 of their last 10 games and sit two games behind the Boston Red Sox in the American League wild-card standings.  The Red Sox, on the other hand, have lost 7 of their last 10 games and I think are starting to look […]

Radio interview with Coach McCreary

Last Thursday evening I was interviewed on Blog Talk Radio by Silvio Canto of CantoTalk and Jose Reyes of Yankeeology.com.   The interview is just over an hour.  Thanks to all those who tuned in and listened to the show.  If you didn’t get a chance to hear it, the interview in full has been embedded […]

Outfielders: Give yourself a chance

With a runner on second with two outs, outfieldersnormally have to “give themselves a chance.” The next time you watch a MLB game live or on TV, see if you notice anything different in the way outfielders position themselves with two outs and a runner on second base.  You will usually see (sometimes the announcers […]

There’s no such thing as a “wrong pitch to throw”

It is very common for a coach – usually a pitching coach if the team has one – to sit down with pitchers and catchers after games in order to debrief.  Discussing what went well, what didn’t, and why is certainly beneficial to all involved.  One topic that usually comes up in that process is […]

Curve ball adjustment – another option

I’m watching a game on TV the other night and the announcers are discussing one of the pitcher’s curveball and how he gets a lot of batters to swing and miss by throwing it in the dirt.  The discussion led to a common adjustment that batters are told to make in order to combat this […]

The safety squeeze

A little while back I did a five part series of posts on the suicide squeeze.  As I stated, I’m a big fan of the play but I do realize that the play can be risky.  Many things on the offensive side have to be timed and executed correctly.  Of course, anything that happens on […]

Communication tips for defense

What fielders specifically say to each other onplays like this is extremely important. In May 1988, I was playing for Villanova University in the Big East Conference Championship against St. John’s.  The winner moved on to the regional tournament and the loser went home.  We lost.  Anyway, towards the end of the game, our second […]

APPROACH – result – RESPONSE

In yesterday’s post I talked about the importance of staying in the “NOW.”   That, of course, is easier said than done.  In the future, I’ll write about some actual techniques to help players improve in this area but today I wanted to add something to the concept of focus.  Our culture is very results […]

Focus on the NOW

The mental side of the game has always fascinated me.  The number of posts that have been about or connected to that concept is surely indicative of that.  There are many areas within the field of sports psychology but I do believe there is one central message that is at the core in all that […]

Never forget

Today is a tough day for America.  Like many others, I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing on that morning ten years ago.  The stories of sacrifice of everyday people on that day will last forever.  Americans are a very forward thinking people.  It’s in our nature as a culture.  It’s […]

Catchers: Be sure to protect your hand

Catch long enough and you are sure to take a few foul balls off various unprotected areas of the body.  The proper catching stance coupled with wearing the equipment right will limit a catcher’s vulnerability but it certainly will never eliminate it completely.  One of the biggest dangers a catcher faces is a ball that […]

Recognize the little things

Those of you who have been readers of this blog probably are well aware of my passion for the little things in baseball.  One goal that all coaches probably have is to instill this same passion in their players.  Having this passion to learn more about the finer points of the game and then be […]

Second basemen – Back up first base!

There is a saying in baseball that no matter what position you play, there is a place for you to be on every single play.  One such place for a second baseman is to back up first base on certain throws to that base.  Here’s an example:  With nobody on base, a grounder is hit […]

Two fungo drills you may not have done

Using a fungo bat is synonymous with coaching baseball.  With the amount of ground balls and fly balls I hit during the course of a normal season, I’d be lost without mine.  Below are two drills that you may not have thought of that involve the use of a fungo bat.Note:  Both of these drills […]

A tip for improving location for pitchers

As pitchers move up in levels, hitting their spots or improving the location of their pitches becomes more of a priority.  The next time you watch Sports Center, Baseball Tonight, or one of the many other highlight shows on the MLB Network, pay close attention to the home runs that are hit.  Actually, pay attention […]

Report card for off-season planning

With September now upon us, many high school players are starting to enter other sports like football and soccer.  Others are continuing their baseball in one of the many fall leagues that now exist.  Whatever their fall plans are, it is in every players’ interest to do some reflecting on the baseball season they just […]