A tip for gripping tough pitches

Not only are pitches like change-ups, split finger fastballs, and forkballs tough to throw, they can be tough to get your hand in the proper grip.  Here’s a tip for those who struggle with that.

The toughest job in pro baseball

It seems like more and more colleges and high school teams are moving towards quarterback style wristbands that have coded messages for signs and pitches.  I wrote a post a while back on what I thought about them.  The post is HERE if you haven’t read it.  Basically, the coach calls the sign or the […]

Secondary and Out Pitches

  Every pitcher needs to rank their pitches in terms of effectiveness.  By that I mean best pitch down to worst pitch.  On a normal day, here were my rankings: Fastball (4-seam or 2-seam) Change-up Slider Cutter Curveball  This is important to know because in a jam, a pitcher has to know what his “go-to” […]

Miss where you want to miss

Pitching isn’t just about having command of your strikes.  It also involves having control over your misses!

The last of the dinosaurs

With the announcement of Chipper Jones’ retirement at the end of the season, the last of my dinosaurs will be moving on.  Of course, he’ll only be 40 so “dinosaur” might not be appropriate, especially with Jamie Moyer still out there.  However, Chipper will be the last guy that I played with or against who […]

Where do you bunt the ball?

The mechanics of bunting are extremely important to successful bunts.  But so is where you bunt the ball.  This video clip explains the general rules for where to put sacrifice bunts.

Myths about arms and elbows

Myth #1:  Extend both arms fully out in front of you when you field. No matter what sport you play, there will never be a time when your arms are fully extended in front of you AND you’re in a powerful position.  It just doesn’t work that way.  The arms are quicker and more powerful […]

How to handle negative self-talk

If there is a game that is more mental than baseball, I don’t know what it is.  What bothers me is that many people in the game approach the mental side of the game as something a player either has or doesn’t have as if it’s written in stone.  We all know that there are […]

Keep your old gloves

My son and daughter will be playing organized baseball for the first time this season.  My son already had a baseball glove but my daughter was in need of one for herself so we trekked down to the sporting goods store and picked one out.  While she tried on numerous gloves (as did I), I […]

Send or hold the runner at third

Third base coaching usually only get noticed when they get a runner thrown out at the plate.  Here is a tip for coaches at third base that can help them decide whether to hold the runner or keep sending him home.

1st and 3rd plays on defense

In my part of the world (Pennsylvania, USA), high school teams are gearing up for their regular season schedules.  In beautiful weather I might add. Right now, practices consist of all the nuts and bolts of the program: rundowns, pick-off plays, PFP (Pitchers Fielding Practice), bunt plays, relays, etc.  Most of these plays are pretty […]

Sabermetrics

I feel sorry for Harold Reynolds.  Over the winter on the MLB Channel, the “Top 10 players Right Now” by position shows were a big part of their programming until spring training started.  This year they threw Sabermetrics into the mix.  If you are not aware of Sabermetrics, it is a number/data crunching system that […]

Joe Girardi on Phil Hughes

  “The thing about this game, it’s not just going to happen,” Girardi said. “You’ve got to work it, this game. This game will humble you very quickly, because players make adjustments. You have to have an edge in this game, I think, and if you want to stay and be consistent and continue to […]

Errors can be deceiving

A ball is hit up the middle.  Second Baseman-A has great range and is able to, with difficulty, get somewhat in front of the ball.  He bobbles it and the runner is safe at first.  The official scorer gives him an error. Second Baseman-B has less range and cannot get in front of it so […]

Are you grooming “A” players?

We all want our programs to develop great players. We want them to learn the game and be able to apply what they’ve learned in game situations. We’d also love to have our players get an opportunity to play beyond the high school or even the college level. Knowing that … How well is your […]

Quick tip on sac bunting

Today’s video tip refers to the basic body positioning on a sac bunt to the 1st base side and the positioning on a bunt to the 3rd base side.  As usual, it all starts with the feet.  If you are not currently doing it this way, give it a shot.  It may help make sac […]

The four second rule

Fast runners can make it down to 1st base in about 4 seconds.  Occasionally a guy who can absolutely fly can get down there a little sooner but 4 seconds is usually a good number to play with.  If you are an infielder, you must develop a “4 second internal clock” that guides most everything […]

Which side of the pitching rubber is best?

The title of the post is a question I sometimes get from pitchers, parents, and coaches.  As you will see in the video, most pitchers naturally gravitate towards one side or the other.  Unfortunately, most pitchers probably will not be able to explain why they are pitching off that side of the rubber.  They just […]

Seminar: How to improve velocity

The following three videos make up a seminar I recently gave to area coaches in the Lansdale, PA, community. Go to the Baseball By The Yard YouTube Channel to see these and other videos in all areas of the game.

Why pitchers should watch batting practice

In pro ball, you will rarely ever see the starting pitcher on the field or in the dugout while the other team takes batting practice.  They would rather relax in the clubhouse and go through their other preparations.  If the pitcher is a high school or college kid, there may not be any kind of […]

Catching and Throwing Seminar (Parts 3 & 4)

Yesterday’s post showed Parts 1 & 2 of the seminar.  Today, I give the second half of the seminar on Catching and Throwing.

Catching and Throwing Seminar (Parts 1 & 2)

Below is the first half of a four part seminar on Catching and Throwing that I presented at a coaching clinic at North Penn High School in Lansdale, PA.  If you’d like me to speak at one of your events, let me know! Contact me at baseballbytheyard@gmail.com Enjoy!    

5 things hitters want pitchers to forget

If the wishes of hitters came true, pitchers would forever fail to learn/remember the following:   1.       Hitting is hard.  As pitchers get older, the likelihood of them having to hit drops significantly especially if they move on to college.  Even minor league pitchers of National League organizations are usually not asked to hit until […]

The fox and the hedgehog

I heard a good story the other day and, of course, I saw a baseball angle.  I wrote about a similar concept in a previous post which is linked HERE. The fox and a hedgehog.  Here’s how it goes. (there are other variations as well) A fox is wandering around the forest looking for some […]